Welcome to “Underrated Artists,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering unpopular and unknown artists. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of writer, reviewing single releases and albums from 4 underrated artists.
My first artist is an established — yet still underground — R&B voice based in Los Angeles. Dijon’s work is truly incredible. I first found Dijon’s music when I was searching for an R&B artist that could give me a unique sound and feeling that I couldn’t find in other, more mainstream R&B creators. I was introduced to Dijon through a TikTok cover where a user by the name of “Itsskwin” played a snippet of herself singing “The Dress” by Dijon. Her vocals were very impressive, but the lyrics and catchiness of the song made me dive into his work. His biggest song, “Skin,” was the one that I gravitated the most to. The song samples a simple rhythm with a moody and fuzzy guitar. Something about listening to his instrumentals and vocal abilities make me feel like I’m on a late night drive with the windows down. If R&B is your thing, I highly recommend checking out Dijon’s work.
My second artist is a rock band from New Zealand called The Beth’s. The group of New Zealanders have such a bright and magnetic sound that is impressively delivered by their lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes. What I really love about the band is their consistency with their releases and how amazing their coordination is. All of The Beths’ albums are beautiful and complete from start to finish. All of their songs have similar loud, energetic instrumentals and can harmonize and balance it out with perfect soft vocals. Their hit song “Future Me Hates Me” is the real home run of their young and promising future. It’s exciting to think of what this band of smart storytellers has in store for its fans this coming year.
My third artist is a band with the perfect beachy sound that we’ve all been looking for. Summer Salt is an alternative/indie group out of Austin, Texas that finds its inspiration from jazz and bossa nova roots. Their songs blend a colorful and harmonic vibe that feels peaceful and vibrant. The talented band was formed by the lead singer Mathew Terry and Drummer Eugene chung. The band released their top hit “Driving To Hawaii” back in 2014 which I like due to its soothing guitar and relaxing lyrics. Summer Salt is the perfect listen when you’re on vacation or need to soak away your daily stresses.
Lastly, I want to recommend an artist that was very recently introduced to me called We The Commas. They’re a small band from southern California that shares a similar sound to artists like The Beach Boys and Frank Ocean. We The Commas project a surf alternative style that is layered with chill acoustics and stunning vocals. Their most successful songs are “Keep Going” and “Custom Made” — both of which caught my attention because of their lyrics and happy energy. We The Commas have been releasing music for the past four years but have yet to gain a lot of attention.
When it comes to music, finding new artists can be challenging. It’s always such a refreshing feeling to find out of a new rising singer or band that brings something new to the music industry. 2024 will be a promising year for music and musicians with lots of young and talented artists expressing themselves through music.
