I volunteered to help book bands for a small festival in Michigan. Budget constraints require us to find bands that haven't gotten a lot of traction yet. There are a lot of great bands out there if you're willing to look for them! I originally started by doing statewide searches of the relevant genres on Bandcamp. This is a good method, but it's pretty time consuming. Plus, it misses bands that haven't released on Bandcamp. I decided to compile a playlist of radio shows that are tracking up-and-coming bands to save myself some time. Perhaps these resources would be useful for someone else who wants to keep a finger on the pulse. I also found some other interesting shows while perusing radio schedules. I'll add those to a different page.
Hosted by Jeff Milo, this show covers music from around the state. Many genres are represented, with a focus on indie rock and adjacent genres. He usually does shorter sets, which makes it easy to look up songs you like. It also feels more like a hangout than a faceless radio show. Jeff also mentions if a band has a show coming up, which gives the listener an opportunity to catch the band live if they enjoy a certain song. Finally, there is often a featured artist that gives a quick interview around a few of their songs. Excellent. The last two episodes are typically available on the show's web page.
Co-hosted by Jeff Milo and Chad Stocker, bassist for The High Strung, The Mythics, and Eck!. Recorded inside The Outer Limits, a bar in Hamtramck, this podcast features deep dive interviews with artists from the surrounding area. Jeff's interview technique gives the podcast an NPR-esque feel, while Chad's experience in the music scene allows him to ask questions from a different perspective.
I haven't done a deep dive of this podcast. Based in the west side of the state, their guests still hail from other areas of the state.
This is a great podcast to hear deep interviews with Michiganders with ties to the music scene, but it mostly focuses on artists from the past.
The Sonic Coast is an online radio station. The advantage is that it is always on and serving new content. It mixes in radio hits to avoid giving a casual listener fatigue from only listening to new music. It also includes a show called New at Noon which features a pair of recently released Michigan songs. I prefer other sources that focus on Michigan music, but it would be good for someone who wants to tune in at lunchtime to catch a few tunes.
It mostly plays hard rock. It's nice that they're dedicating a slot for local music, but it's generally not for me.
Not to be confused with The Local Music Show on Harper Radio. Some of the picks on this show are a little further out there. Also, the setlists are longer, which is good if you just want to listen, but makes it difficult if you are trying to look up the songs you like.
"Every Wednesday night Juliet Fromholt talks to musicians, filmmakers, and artists from Southwest Ohio and beyond and more often than not, you're treated to a set of music performed live in the WYSO studios. You'll also hear some of the best music from emerging artists and old favorites from around the world."
Also available as a podcast. I listen through my podcast app instead of recording the stream. The selection is decent. The heavier tracks and electronica are reserved for Incoming! and Reverberations on the same station, leaving genres such as folk, bluegrass, singer/songwriter, etc. for this show. The show description mentions it focuses on the Cincinnati region, he does pull other music. The three hour runtime feels a little long, even though I can just tune into something else. I also feel like the sets are a little long, and the DJ is mostly reading off the playlist instead of adding his personality to the show.
"Northeast Ohio has one of the richest music scenes in the country. NEORocks brings you the best of best, from the past and the present. Regardless of the genre, if it's good, quality music, you could hear it on the show. Let us know what YOU want to hear. NEORocks is here for you. If you're a local artist send us your stuff. If you're a fan be sure to call in and request your favorite tunes."
I just found this recently and haven't had a chance to check it out.
"'The Dayton Funk Dynasty Group,' preserves not only the history of FUNK music but Dayton's special place in the history of the genre. The heartbeat of the radio show is to ensure that future generations are exposed to the wonderful music artform with an emphasis on the history of the contributions of the FUNK music in Dayton, Ohio.
Times are in Eastern Time, but the upper left corner of the state uses Central Time.
WFYI's Melissa Davis and Adam Gross host this exploration into contemporary music along with contributors. I've only listened to the podcast so far. Sometimes they only play about 30 seconds of a song and I don't know if it is to avoid the podcast from getting a takedown notice. I would like to to hear longer clips, but this is still a great show for hearing new music from Indiana artists. I'm not too familiar with Indiana geography. They mention a focus on central Indiana, but seem to mention Goshen a lot, so maybe they still cover other parts of the state.
"The Blues House Party has been serving up an eclectic blend of blues music on WFYI’s weekend lineup for decades. Host Matthew Socey delivers a variety of the latest, classic and local tracks. You'll hear something old, new, borrowed and blue. Plus, the weekly blues calendar keeps listeners up-to-date on upcoming shows."
"Each week on Cultural Manifesto, Kyle Long reveals stories and sounds from the creative frontlines of the past and present. Through music, archives and artist interviews, discover how creators shape meaning with sound, in Indianapolis and well beyond. Tune in each week to this WFYI Public Media show for discoveries that will delight your ears and expand your understanding of our shared world." I haven't listened to this yet, so I'm not sure if he only interviews musicians or other artists as well.
"Produced by Cultural Manifesto host Kyle Long and narrated by musician Herman "Butch" Slaughter, Echoes of Indiana Avenue is an audio documentary focused on the cultural achievements of Black artists and musicians from Central Indiana."
"Meet the Music is the brain child of host Julia Meek and features the great music of our region, recorded in the Harriet Parrish Performance Studio at the NIPR Studios in Fort Wayne, Meet the Music invites listeners to learn more about music they love and meet music they will soon love!"
"'Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges' is a weekly radio program all about music and the people who make it. The show's mission is to promote and expose regional and national artists of various styles and genres. Especially when they have roots in the Midwest/Chicagoland area, or will be performing in the Chicagoland region."
(In Progress) Times are in Central Time
"A local program dedicated to showcasing regional and touring musicians, featuring performances recorded in WNIJ's own Studio A in DeKalb and hosted by Spencer Tritt. The program presents genres of music ranging from folk to indie rock, blues, alternative country, Americana, world music and more, in a way that provides the listener with a live concert experience. These performances are accompanied by interviews with the artists who discuss their inspirations, aspirations, and the stories behind their original songs."
Featuring bands and artists from Chicago and the Northwest suburbs with Erik Hanson. Saturdays & Sundays 10 AM and 9 PM, Tuesdays at 9PM and Thursdays at 11 AM.