A very wise friend of mine once said, “Don’t ever be afraid to admit to your influences.” When you’re a young artist, you always want to be different, and can often times find yourself doing interviews in which you proclaim your band or your music seem unlike anything anyone else has ever heard. The truth is, comparisons to your peers (and more popular artists) are complimentary, and your influences inform who you are.
I began my professional music career during one of the greatest movements in American rock ‘n’ roll: 1992-1999. From grunge to nu-metal to rap rock and the birth of emo, I saw bands like Nirvana and Green Day become household names. Music that didn’t sound like it belonged on the radio helped inform what made it to the radio in years to come. As an artist, I always found it inspiring to discover a band that no one really knew, or stumble across music that wasn’t on the commercial radar. Thus, allow me to present my list of the five best rock bands you’ve never heard…but should. Immediately.
Editor’s Note: Zac Diebels, the author of this piece and the one-man production juggernaut that is Automatic Static, has a track from his new album for you to download and listen to while you check the list. It’s called “Clique,” and you can grab it here.
