Eagerly awaited every December, the Music Connection Hot 100 puts the spotlight on superior live performers who caught our eyes and ears over the past 12 months. Contributors to this list are not only MC staffers and freelance writers, but club bookers and other industry pro’s nationwide. Music Connection currently has reviewers in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Nashville, Chicago, Boston and Detroit. If you’d like to put yourself in the running for a live review, go to musicconnection.com/reviews/get-reviewed. It’s always free and always easy.
Photo by Jody Domingue
Each Artist below is listed in alphabetical order and includes the following: Artist Name, Genre, Hometown and Website.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Adventure Band
Folk Rock
Los Angeles, CA
adventurebandmusic.com
Alexa Melo
Alternative Rock
Dartmouth, MA
alexamelo.com
Alexz Johnson
Soulful Folk Pop
Vancouver, BC
alexzjohnson.com
Amanda Lamb
Country Pop
Orange County, CA
amandalambmusic.com
Amber Rubarth
Folk
Nashville, TN
amberrubarth.com
Anthony De La Torre
Rock
Nashville, TN
delatorreband.com
Aradia
Electro-Pop/Synth Rock
Los Angeles, CA
aradiamusic.com
Art Decade
Symph Pop
Boston, MA
artdecade.com
Average Mammals
Indie/Alternative
Minneapolis, MN
averagemammals.com
Bad Bad Meow
Americana-Punk
Chicago, IL
badbadmeow.com
Bandit
Indie Rock
Nashville, TN
fb.com/thebandbandit
Band Practice
Post-Teen Angst
Brooklyn, NY
fb.com/bandpracticebandpractice
Battling Giants
Rock/Stoner/Blues
Omaha, NE
fb.com/battlinggiants
Bearwulf
Rock
Long Beach, CA
bearwulf.LA
Ben Mauro
Singer/Songwriter
Los Angeles, CA
benmauro.com
Benny and The Jets
Classic Rock
Inkster, MI
fb.com/bennyandthejets
Boat Race Weekend
Pop-Punk/Emo
Spokane, WA
boatraceweekend.com
Bondurant
Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Nashville, TN
bondurantmusic.com
Chris Price
Singer/Songwriter
Los Angeles, CA
chrispricemusic.bandcamp.com
Cuñao
Latin Folk
Los Angeles, CA
cunaomusic.com
Dana Williams
Folk/Jazz/Soul
Los Angeles, CA
danawilliamsofficial.com
Danger Escape
Loud Alternative Rock
Los Angeles, CA
dangerescape.com
Dankrupt
Cali Rock
Los Angeles, CA
dankruptmusic.com
Dark Waves
Dark Indie Pop
Los Angeles, CA
darkwavesmusic.com
Diet Cig
Slop Pop
New Paltz, NY
fb.com/dietcigmusic
Double Naught Spy Car
Instrumental Punk/Jazz/Surf
Los Angeles, CA
doublenaughtspycar.com
Eric Slater & Co.
Alternative Rock
Los Angeles, CA
ericslater.com
Evan Roth
Alternative, Film Music
Dove Canyon, CA
evanrothmusic.com
Four Eyed Four
Stoner Pop
Los Angeles, CA
4eyed4.bandcamp.com/releases
Ghost Lit Kingdom
Indie Rock
Los Angeles, CA
ghostlitkingdom.com
GOH
Acoustic Rock Jazz
Los Angeles, CA
composelife.com
Hipnotics
Psychedelic Rock
Los Angeles, CA
thehipnotics.com
Honey and Jude
Pop
Los Angeles, CA
honeyandjudemusic.com
Howling Diablos
Rock/R&B
Royal Oak, MI
howlingdiablos.com
HUDSON
Rock & Roll
Los Angeles, CA
hudsontheband.com
I am Blox
Indie Rock/Hip-Hop
Dallas, TX
iamblox.com
Incendio
Latin Guitar World Fusion
Los Angeles, CA
incendioband.com
Insect Surfers
Instrumental Rock/Soundtracks
Los Angeles, CA
insectsurfers.com
Isaac Rother & The Phantoms
Ghoulish Rock
Los Angeles, CA
isaacrother.com
J'Chelle
Pop
Lakewood, CA
jchelle.com
Jeremiah Daly
Indie Folk
Jacksonville, FL
jeremiahdalymusic.com
Kerchief
Indie Alternative Rock
Chattanooga, TN
kerchiefmusic.com
Kings of Carnage
Heavy Metal
Los Angeles, CA
kingsofcarnage.com
Last Bison
Indie Rock/Alternative Folk
Chesapeake, VA
thelastbison.com
Loren Smith
Soul Pop
Los Angeles, CA
sanglorensmith.com
Mackin Carroll
Alternative Folk
Los Angeles, CA
mackincarroll.com
Mad Revival
Alternative Rock/Blues
Los Angeles, CA
madrevival.com
Magnastic
Rock, Hip-Hop, Funk, Ukulele Comedy
West Hills, CA
magnastic.bandcamp.com
Mark Mackay
Country Rock
Hollywood, CA
markmackayofficial.com
Migrant Kids
Synth Pop Rock
Austin, TX
migrantkids.com
MILCK
Cinematic Soul Pop
Los Angeles, CA
milckmusic.com
Myra Washington
Pop
Los Angeles, CA
reverbnation.com/myrawashingtonsinger
My Terrible Friend
Folk
San Francisco, CA
fb.com/MyTerribleFriend
Native June
Indie Rock/Grit Pop
Los Angeles, CA
nativejune.com
Nick Hawk
Rap/Metal Rap
Las Vegas, NV
nickhawkexplicit.com
Oldchild
Garage Blues-Rock
Los Angeles, CA
fb.com/oldchildband
Only On Tuesdays
Indie Pop
Los Angeles, CA
onlyontuesdaysmusic.com
Ovi Rey
Urban/Latin/Dance
Los Angeles, CA
fb.com/ovireyalooso
Post Paradise
Alternative Rock
Ft. Collins, CO
postparadiserock.com
Red Pill
Hip-Hop
Detroit, MI
fb.com/redpillrap
reKnHaunchu
EDM
Los Angeles, CA
reknhaunchu.com
Rick Elliot
Country
San Diego, CA
rickelliotmusic.com
Riders Against The Storm
Hip-Hop/Soul
Austin, TX
rashiphop.com
Sad Robot
Indie Electronica/Cine-Pop
Los Angeles, CA
mysadrobot.com
Sail
Classic and Alt-Rock, Pop Rock
Clarkston, MI
sailbandofficial.com
Sam Sims
Folk Rock
Rumson, NJ
samsimsmusic.com
Sarah Petrella
Country Rock
Los Angeles, CA
sarahpetrella.com
Silent War
Pop Rock
Los Angeles, CA
thesilentwarmusic.com
Silver Blueberry
Psychedelic Post-Punk
Houston, TX
fb.com/silverblueberryhouston
Slapbak
Funk Rock
Orange County, CA
slapbak.com
Space Lemon
Alternative Rock
Hollywood, CA
spacelemonmusic.com
Stash
Electro Pop
Los Angeles, CA
dancestash.com
State Line Syndicate
Pop Punk
Los Angeles, CA
statelinesyndicate.com
Steven Casper & Cowboy Angst
Americana Roots Rock
Los Angeles, CA
caspermusic.com
Stitches
Rap
Miami, FL
fb.com/StitchesTMI
Strangers You Know
Indie Folk Pop
Los Angeles, CA
strangersyouknow.com
Street Corner Renaissance
A Cappella Doo Wop/Classic Soul
Los Angeles, CA
streetcornerrenaissance.com
Sugar Fly
Rock/Soul
Los Angeles, CA
sugarflyband.com
Summer Wars
Pop-Punk
Raleigh, NC
fb.com/summerwarsnc
Sylvia Juncosa
Guitar Shredder
Los Angeles, CA
sylviajuncosa.com
Tacoma Narrows
Indie Folk Rock
New York, NY
tacomanarrowsband.com
Terraplane Sun
Indie Rock
Venice, CA
terraplanesun.com
The Clouds Are Ghosts
Ambient Electronic Pop
Austin, TX
cloudsareghosts.com
The Cover Letter
Americana Folk Pop
Austin, TX
thecoverlettermusic.com
The Fontaines
New-Wop
Los Angeles, CA
thatfontainesound.com
The Podunk Poets
Country Western
Los Angeles, CA
thepodunkpoets.com
The Royal Blackbirds
Garage Rock/Blues
East Detroit, MI
fb.com/royalblackbirds
The Scorch Sisters
Blues-Rock/R&B Revue
Los Angeles, CA
thescorchsisters.com
The Stereophones
Nonsense Pop
Los Angeles, CA
fb.com/thestereophones
The Towels
Eccentric Rock
Los Angeles, CA
thetowelsband.com
Travis Garland
Alternative R&B Pop
Los Angeles, CA
travisgarland.com
Tyler Lyle
Folk-Pop/Blues
Santa Monica, CA
tylerlyle.com
Valley Shine
Indie Folk
Los Angeles, CA
valleyshineband.com
VerseCity
Alternative Pop Rock
Houston, TX
versecity.com
Versus Me
Metalcore
Janesville, WI
fb.com/vsmeband
Via Victoria
Alternative Rock
Los Angeles, CA
viavictoriaband.com
Vinyl Soul
Latin Soul/Hip-Hop
Hollywood, CA
vinylsoulmusic.com
Wavy Maze
Indie Rock
Minneapolis, MN
fb.com/wavymaze
Whiskey Sour
Acoustic Folk-Rock
Garland, TX
fb.com/thewhiskeysour
Young Scum
Jangle Rock/Fuzz-Pop
Richmond, VA
fb.com/youngscumva
