20 Alternative Black Artists You Should Know
Today, we come out of our posting hiatus of two weeks. Like many others, we did this to leave valuable internet real estate for the crucial circulation of pertinent information relating to the Black Lives Matter Movement. Here at Five Cent Sound, we stand and will always stand in solidarity with the movement, and the black community. As we slowly resume posting our usual content, this revolution is only just beginning. Continue to amplify black voices, continue to do your homework by reading, listening and educating yourself on how to support BIPOC communities and continue to donate where needed, if you’re able.
Today is Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is the celebration of the official end of slavery in the United States. This holiday celebrates June 19, 1865, the day federal troops ensured the final enslaved people in Texas were freed. On this day, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas and announced the end of the Civil War, with a Northern victory. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, many did not free those enslaved until two years later. Juneteenth is a symbolic date that represents Black freedom in America.
Read more about Juneteenth here.
1.Christelle Bofale
Christelle Bofale's music is soothing and exhilarating at the same time. Heavily influenced by alt rock, soul, jazz, and her Congolese roots, Christelle finds a way to blend these differing sounds in a way that sounds absolutely delightful and effortless.
Listen to “Miles” here;
2.Mint Green
Boston alt rockers Mint Green are the perfect addition to your summer playlist! Fans of female powerhouse pop punk will immediately fall in love with this group.
Listen to “Callie” here;
3.Proper.
This trio from Brooklyn has taken East Coast DIY by storm. Their debut full length The Suburbs Have Ruined My Life is about navigating growing up black and queer in the Bible Belt. Lead singer Erik Garlington drew upon the same experiences, along with what its like to leave, with follow up LP I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better.
Listen to “Curtain’s Down! Throw in the Towel!” here;
4.Bartees Strange
Fans of The National will love Bartees Strange. He brings another life to the iconic band when he covers their standbys. The same spirit also lives in his original songs.
Listen to “HAGS” here;
5.pom pom squad
Quit grrrl punk band Pom Pom Squad have a raw and vulnerable sound that is intoxicating. Fronted by Mia Berrin, the band pursues wild self-acceptance in a truly inspiring way.
Listen to “Heavy Heavy” here;
6.Meet Me @ the Altar
Meet Me @ The Altar is here to change pop punk for the better. The all female POC group have recently made a splash with their most recent release Garden, a song about being there for the people in your life when they need you the most.
Listen to “Garden” here;
7.Shamir
Iconic DIY popstar Shamir made a massive splash with his 2015 hit "On The Regular". His most recent release, breakup track "On My Own", quickly turned into a quarantine anthem, giving us the dreamy song we needed to get us through this pandemic.
Listen to “On My Own” here;
8.Toro y Moi
Toro y Moi brings such a unique sound to his music, combining elements of bedroom pop, space age pop, and electric sounds, to blend the genres into something totally unique!
Listen to “Girl Like You” here;
9.Young Fathers
Young Fathers was formed in Scotland in 2008, signed to an LA based label in 2012, and have been rocking ever since! They combine elements of rap, hip-hop and alternative to create masterpieces such as "Shame", which you can check out below!
Listen to “Shame” here;
10.Thundercat
From Kendrick Lamar to Erykah Badu, Thundercat has been providing basslines and background vocals in the music we love for ages! His adventurous solo output is just as impressive-- and groovy!
Listen to “Funny Thing” here;
11.VINCINT
VINCINT brings a breath of fresh air to the pop scene. The openly gay singer showcases his incredible vocal ability on top of an upbeat melody on his newest single "Be Me", which he recorded for season 5 of Queer Eye.
Listen to “Save Myself” here;
12.David Simmons, Jr.
David Simmons, Jr. mixes his Motown voice with driving funk rhythms to create something that please the mind and soul. Whether working with Postmodern Jukebox on covers such as "Somewhere Only We Know" or crafting together his newest single "Love's Curse," David Simmons, Jr. never disappoints.
Listen to “Somewhere Only We Know” here;
13.Samm Hennshaw
Whether you learn about Samm Henshaw now or in the near future when his music explodes, you will be hearing this name again. He matches a soulful voice that takes you all the way to church with pop rhythms that are pathologically groovy, to create masterpieces such as "Broke" and "How Does It Feel?"
Listen to “Broke” here;
14.Devvon Terrell
Devvon Terrell is a singer, rapper, and songwriter, most known for his remixes to chart topping songs. Terrell has released his own projects since 2015 as well, the most recent of which "Social Distancing Together", documenting life in the unusual conditions presented by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Listen to “Switching Sides” here;
15.Ademir
If his name sounds familiar, it might be because Ademir is a student at Emerson College. According to a recent article from the Berkeley Beacon, his venture into hip-hop began as a joke – but his music is certainly worth a serious listen.
Listen to “Star” here;
16.Amber Ais
Amber Ais is a Boston-based musician, singer, and songwriter. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2018, Ais has released singles and EPs that depict an authentic indie style through a blend of contemporary R&B, pop production, and live instrumentation. Ais uses songwriting as a cathartic outlet for her to express herself and navigate her identities as a black Christian woman, and she hopes that her vulnerability in her songs can help others.
Listen to “Seattle” here;
17.Jelani Aryeh
Jelani is a California based musician with a smooth voice most known for his song "Where we go" with over 4 million streams. He started out in 2016 making type beats on YouTube and since has started his own collective.
Listen to “Stella Brown” here;
18.Kelsey Lu
Kelsey Lu is a singer, songwriter, producer, and cellist, who is well known for her dreamy voice and alternative sound that mixes various different genres to create her own distinct sound.
Listen to “I’m Not in Love” here;
19.Blood Orange
Dev Hynes, also known as Blood Orange, is an English artist who started out in a teenage punk band called Test Icicles before releasing two albums of his own under the moniker Lightspeed Champion. His most recent artistic endeavor is as Blood Orange, under which he has released four solo albums and has collaborated with various well-known artists including Solange, FKA Twigs, and A$AP Rocky.
Listen to “Champagne Coast” here;
20.Vagabon
Self taught and produced singer songwriter Laetitia Tamko goes by the stage name Vagabon. With her most recent album, Vagabon expands beyond just her indie rock sound by embracing digital sounds along the dreamy guitar tones.
Listen to “Water Me Down” here;
Check out the full playlist, including these songs and more!
Cover photo via Christelle Bofale’s Facebook by Jen Lee Racid