Since we are self-quarantining, Colin and I figured we would share some Brolonation musical favorites to help pass the time.  Below are the 5 alternative bands we think are going to blow up in 2020. We have seen all 5 live (as you will see below), love them, and all have under 500,000 Spotify Monthly listeners. Enjoy. 

1) The Hip Abduction ~ 100,000 monthly listeners

This St. Petersburg, Florida based 5-piece band brings chill island vibes directly to your home.  Give them a listen to musically transport yourself from the place you’ve spent the last 168 hours (your house) to a beautiful, remote island untouched by Covid-19. The soothing bass lines and catchy melodies will grow on you quickly. THA’s earlier music is characterized by heavy island reggae vibes, but they’ve evolved over the years into something more closely resembling feel-good alternative with island influences. One of the best parts of THA’s music is that it’s all good. You can listen to every album all the way through and if you start from their first album you can clearly hear the progression of their sound. Over the years, they’ve garnered a reputation for high energy live performances, and we were lucky enough to experience that energy when we saw them this past year at the Terragram in downtown LA. They were still somewhat of a hidden gem at that point, but there’s no doubt in our minds that next time they come around their show will be sold out.

Recommended Albums: Golden Under the Glow, To the Ends of the Earth, THA Live (and we usually don’t like live albums but this one is awesome), 

2) Ripe ~ 260,000 monthly listeners

This band is doing its best to change the meaning of dance music by weaving together elements of rock, funk, R&B, jazz, and pop to create a potent mix sure to get you tapping your foot and nodding your head. Formed during their time at Berklee College in 2011, the seven piece out of Boston started out of the gates strong with two EP’s  (Produce the Juice - 2013 and Hey Hello - 2015) before moving onto a full length album in 2018. Ripe concerts are more of a two way experience than a one way performance by the band for the audience. At the Troubador this past year, their frontman Robbie (Love that 'fro bro) reminded the audience that whatever energy the fans could muster would add to the performance by flowing through the band and revealing itself in the performance. This positive feedback loop of energy is characteristic of Ripe shows. Give Brolonation favorites “Goon Squad”, “Pretty Dirty (In the Fading Light),” and the new release, “Five in the Morning” a listen and if you aren’t moving some portion of your body, please get some help because there is something wrong. Hope you can make it out to the next Ripe show so we can dance together to “the swagger of funk filtered through a rock anthem” as described by the band itself.

 

3) Bay Ledges ~ 340,000 monthly listeners

A three piece band out of LA started by the (currently) mustached lead singer, Zach. Bay Ledges offers a “soulful, glitchy” alternative sound that is surprisingly relaxing and groovy. The simple combination of acoustic guitar and bass sets a pleasant foundation for the unique synth layered on top. Going into their fifth year, I’m expecting big things. Their last EP (In Waves) and their most recently released single (“Dive”) has been their best stuff so far and I’m beyond excited to see what they come up with next. As you all know, Brolonation is all about giving it your all (Brolonation Rule #30 “Never half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing” - Ron Swanson.  See #BroloRules for more). And there’s no doubt in my mind that Bay Ledges is passionate about their music. If you can’t sense it at first, then check out the 2nd video below. You can definitely see the passion flowing through his veins.

Lastly, we recommend heading over to @bayledges on instagram and if you’re lucky you might catch a little quarantine jam session. So check out some of their music and support some good people.

Recommended Albums: In Waves (EP), Fountain Tropical (EP), Dive (single)

4) Lawrence ~ 470,000 monthly listeners

Lawrence is an eight piece R&B/soul-pop band out of New York led by the brother-sister dynamic duo, Clyde and Gracie Lawrence. Raised on Stevie Wonder and Arethra Franklin, the classic soul sound channels through every facet of their music. Clyde is an extremely talented pianist and Gracie has a set of pipes to match. The band is quickly climbing the ladder of success after completing a full headlining tour with a performance at the El Rey in LA before being the first band to sign onto the Beautiful Mind record label (Jon Bellion’s new record label), and beginning another headlining tour with some bigger venues. Unfortunately, this tour was sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic, but not before I was able to see them for a second time at the Fonda Theatre. The pure talent of each and every member of the 8 piece band is never clearer than when they are on stage together. It’s always exciting to experience that classic soul-feel, but in the form of something so new and fresh. Highly recommended.

Additionally, go watch some of their awesome music videos which they continually churn out. My personal favorite is the music video for “Probably Up”, although it’s on the simpler end. Also great are the music videos for “It’s Not All About You” and “Make a Move”.

Recommended Albums: Breakfast, Living Room

5) The Palms ~ 500,000 monthly listeners

The Palms music is a unique blend of alternative rock, pop, and west-coast psychedlia that is highlighted by the unique dreamy vocals that float above their laid back jams. Give their music a listen and odds are you will wake up singing their songs the next day. The Palms are LA locals and many of their songs bear reference to their hometown (Stupid LA Love Song, Sunset Strip, Mulholland Dr., etc). I’ve been lucky enough to see The Palms twice in the city of angels and they have left me wanting more each time. While their live performances don’t quite have that perfectly polished feel to them that comes with countless hours of performance, that just makes me even more excited to see how they will grow as musicians and live performers. Hopefully you like them and I’ll see you at their next LA show!

Recommended Albums: Sway EP, Mulholland Dr., The Palms EP, Televised Day Dream, 

Thank you for taking the time to check out our content!  If you want to sample the music above, Colin and I made playlists of our favorite songs from these bands on Apple Music and Shopify which are linked below.  Follow us on Spotify/AppleMusic if you want more. Hope this helps pass the time!  

Apple Music > Colin Burt Brolos > Brolonation's Best Bands 2020 (under 500k Monthly Listeners)

Spotify > Keenan Burt > Brolonation's Best Bands 2020 (under 500k Monthly Listeners)

Cheers,

Keenan Burt

P.S. This research was sponsored by YourConcertKure.  Check them out if you want to be notified of up-and-coming bands hitting the LA music scene. 

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