There’s no shortage of fine local music in Houston, but despite how devoted you are to supporting local music and musicians, it’s impossible to find everything and hear it all. Because of the narrow-minded, substance-challenged nature of the commercial music industry (Justin Bieber has three songs in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100), too much quality local music gets obscured by the trees and lost in the forest. It’s out there though. You just have to listen for it. Fortunately, these days, social media makes it’s easier to listen for local music and spread the word about it.
Forget commercial radio. You can be your own disc jockey. If you discover a local band whose music reaches you, visit and like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and Instagram and look for them on You Tube, Bandcamp or ReverbNation. Not only will you be able to keep updated on that band’s upcoming shows and music releases, you will also find out about other local bands. This is because some of the biggest fans and supporters of local music are other local musicians. They love to post about their favorite bands on their social media sites. No surprise, they are music fans too and they are all in the same struggle to be not just heard, but listened to. There’s a camaraderie among local musicians because they have a shared cause - a fondness for music, and similar experiences - performing in front of strangers, sometimes to sparsely occupied rooms, competing with inconsiderate chatter from the audience as they pour out their heart and soul in song, hauling, setting up, and breaking down their own gear, and juggling a day job with late night gigs so they can pay the bills and still follow their passion.
When you think about it, even if you’re not a musician, you are in a similar struggle every day. You do all of your own back-breaking work. You don’t have roadies, assistants or “people” to lug your stuff to and from work or to enforce riders for absurd conveniences like room temperature sparkling water or only specific colors of your favorite candy. You don’t have an entourage that validates your every move with handsomely compensated mock admiration. Like local musicians, you just want to be listened to, and maybe when the work day ends, you too have a passion you are trying to pursue as a way to keep your sanity and feel like you are making a cultural contribution to society. The only difference between you and the local musicians is that they have the creative ability and the desire to put a soundtrack to their struggle and make it bearable for themselves, and ultimately for you. As a local music fan, you have a role that is just as important. You have to be there in the forest when that local song or album drops, so you can hear it fall. When you do, if it touches you, and it moves you, move it out of the forest for others to hear.
If you stumble across some local music by accident or learn about it by word of mouth, from every day fans or from other musicians, and you like what you hear, play it forward. Share it on Facebook and Twitter. If it’s good music, everybody wins. Click on the links below to listen to songs from the forest by some of the best local bands and musicians contributing to the artistic and cultural landscape of Houston. Visit their social media pages and websites, and if you enjoy what you hear, be a good disc jockey and transmit it out of the forest.
“Upside Down” by Ellis Easley
“Fly” by Mystery Loves Company
“Sweeter Than Wine” by Grifters & Shills
“The Ocean” by Keeton Coffman
“Captivated by the Night” by Jealous Creatures
“Intensive Porpoises” by A Sundae Drive
“Godzilla” by Electric Attitude
“Hold On” by Second Lovers
“Leaves” and “The Suicide Lane” by My Twilight Pilot
“Woman of My Dreams” by QandA