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hot 100

Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists and Bands of 2020

Music Connection’s Hot 100 list is our annual opportunity to spotlight artists whose live performance talent made a special impact on us over the past 12 months. Despite the COVID pandemic’s devastating effect on music venues, artists all over the U.S. have been able to take hold of the livestreaming format and make it work, and we have covered their performances avidly. Those involved in determining the results of our 2020 list include not only MC staffers, but club bookers, managers, A&R reps and other industry pros throughout the country. To arrange a free livestream or (hopefully soon!) live review of your act, sign up at: musicconnection.com/reviews/live-reviews

Compiled & Organized by Senior Editor Mark Nardone

Spotify Playlist, curated by Ketsyha


18th & Addison
Pop-Punk
Toms River, NJ
18thandaddison.com

30
Alternative
Colorado Springs, CO
Instagram@iam30music

ALIX
Pop/R&B
Bay Area, CA
alixmusic.com

Ambar Lucid
Pop, R&B, Alternative, Indie
Little Ferry, NJ
soundcloud.com/ambarlucid

Anthony Lazaro
Pop/Singer-Songwriter
Hamburg, Germany
anthonylazaro.com

Arielle Silver
Americana
Los Angeles, CA
ariellesilver.com

Atomicalifornia
West Coast Hip-Hop/Christian Rap
Los Angeles, CA
Instagram@atomicalifornia

Ava Maybee
Alt-Pop/Indie-R&B
Los Angeles, CA
avamaybee.com

Batteri3
Hip-Hop
Blythe, CA
[email protected]

Beth Snapp
Pop/Americana/Folk
Tri-Cites, TN
bethsnapp.com

Black Castle
Funk/Soul
Los Angeles, CA
blvkcvstlemusic.com

Blake English
Pop-Punk
Los Angeles, CA
blakeenglishworld.com

Blake & Miles
Hip-Hop/R&B
Los Angeles, CA
soundcloud.com/blakeandmiles

The Bonner Family
Inspirational
Provo, UT
bonnerfamilymusic.com

Cherry Juice
Pop
Los Angeles, CA
facebook.com/cherryjuicemusic

Circuline
Progressive Rock
Red Hook, NY
circulinemusic.com

Cliff Eberhardt
Folk
Williamsburg, MA
cliffeberhardt.net

Corey Robinson
R&B/Soul
Los Angeles, CA
coreyrobinsonofficial.com

Crimson Skye
Singer-Songwriter
Bakersfield, CA
facebook.com/crimsonskyesounds

Crooked Eye Tommy
Blues/Southern Rock
Nashville, TN
crookedeyetommy.com

Don Henry
Americana
Nashville, TN
donhenry.com

Down North
Rock/Soul
Seattle, WA
downnorthband.com

The Dryes
Country
Nashville, TN
thedryes.com

Dusty Leigh & the Claim Jumpers
Country/Americana
Kuna, Idaho
dustyleigh.com

Ealdor Bealu
Progressive Heavy Psych
Boise, ID
m.me/ealdorbealu

Eagle Claw
Heavy Rock
Austin, TX
eagleclawhurts.com

Francis Aud
Pop-Funk
New York, NY
francisaud.com

FRND
Pop
Los Angeles, CA
facebook.com/frnd69

Galactic Cowboy Orchestra
Rock Fusion
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
galacticcowboyorchestra.com

gavn!
Pop/Hip-Hop/Emo
Seattle, WA
soundcloud.com/whereisgavn

Hal Henkel & The Flying Camels
Eugene, OR
Blues, Rock, Funk, Jazz
facebook.com/haroldhalhenkel

Head Honchos
Rock, Blues
Valparaiso, IN
theheadhonchosband.com

High Society Homeless
Rock
Los Angeles, CA
highsocietyhomeless.com

IDecline
Punk
Santa Barbara, CA
facebook.com/ideclinepunx

Insect Surfers
Psychedelic Surf Soundtracks
Los Angeles, CA
insectsurfers.com

Isolde Fair
Singer-Songwriter
Los Angeles, CA
isoldefair.com

James Supercave
Alternative Rock
Los Angeles, CA
jamessupercave.com

Jangling Sparrows
Roots-Rock/Americana
Asheville, NC
janglingsparrows.com

JayQ the Legend
Rap/Hip-Hop
Beverly Hills, CA
youtube.com/channel

Jesse Palter
Jazzy Pop-Rock
Los Angeles, CA
jessepalter.com

Jessie Wagner
Dance Pop/R&B
New York, NY
jessiewagnerofficial.com

John Zipperer
Americana
Canoga Park, CA
johnzipperer.com

Jonell Mosser
Blues/Pop/Rock/Americana
Nashville, TN
jonellmosser.com

Jono Dorr
Singer-Songwriter
Los Angeles, CA
Instagram@jonodorrmusic

Kaylee Federmann
Pop/Pop-Rock
Boston, MA
kayleefedermann.com

Kelsey Rose
Rock, Country, Pop
Detroit, MI
kelseyroserocks.com

Kerry Patrick Clark
Americana
Ohio
kerrypatrickclark.com

Ketsyha
R&B/Soul
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
ketsyha.com

Kid Quill
Hip-Hop
Indianapolis, IN
kidquill.com

Lauren Pratt
Americana/Folk
Nashville, TN
laurenprattmusic.com

Lisa Finnie
Americana
Los Angeles, CA
lisafinnie.com

LoveyDove
Psych Pop
Los Angeles, CA
loveydove.bandcamp.com

Lone Kodiak
Indie-Rock/Alt
Los Angeles, CA
lonekodiak.com

M Dot Taylor
Rap
Detroit, MI
Instagram@mdottaylor

Major Moment
Rock
Boston, MA
majormomentband.com

Mating Ritual
Rock
Los Angeles, CA
matingritualsounds.com

Mason Summit
Indie-Rock
Los Angeles, CA
masonsummit.com

Midnight Radio Confession
Rock
Milwaukee, WI
facebook.com/midnightradioconfession

MIKNNA
Soul/R&B/Hip-Hop
Los Angeles, CA
miknna.com

Molly Hanmer & The Midnight Tokers
Americana
Los Angeles, CA
mollyhanmer.com

Mountains Like Wax
Indie/Alternative
Nashville, TN
mountainslikewax.com

Muhammad Seven & the Spring
Rock
Boston, MA
muhammadseven.com

Namek
West Coast Hip-Hop
Los Angeles, CA
Instagram@namek626

Natalie Gelman
Indie-Folk
Ojai, CA
nataliegelman.com

Perpetual Groove
Jam Band
Athens, GA
pgroove.net

Pest
Hard Rock/Punk Rock
Los Angeles, CA
facebook.com/pestrockband

Poppyiris
Country
Nashville, TN
poppyirismusic.com

Pluto Monday
Drum & Bass, Chillwave
Grand Rapids, MI
plutomonday.bandcamp.com

Resilia
Post-Hardcore, Swancore
Los Angeles, CA
Instagram@resilia_music

Reuel
Popular/Classical
Las Vegas, NV
reuelmusic.com

Rocket
Rock
Hollywood, CA
thebandrocket.com

Royalbaby
Pop/Alt-Pop
Richmond, VA
iamroyalbaby.com

Sama Dams
Avant-Folk
Portland, OR
sama-dams.com

September Mourning
Hard Rock, Gothic Metal
Los Angeles, CA
septembermourning.com

Shaelyn Rolf
Pop, Blues, Rock
St. Louis, MO
shaelynrolfmusic.com

Shuba
Pop/Hip-Hop
Los Angeles, CA
shubaofficial.com

Slack Tide
Jam
Boston, MA • New Hampshire
slacktideofficial.com

Sleeper Signal
Hard Rock/Metal
Nashville, TN
sleepersignal.bandcamp.com

Sulaco
Death Metal/Grindcore
Rochester, NY
m.me/sulacoband

SWEETTALKER
Psych/Pop/Rock
Nashville, TN
sweettalker.co

Sylo Norza
Soul/Alternative R&B
Toronto, Canada
soundcloud.com/sylonozra

Taller Than Trees
Alternative Spanglish/
Rock/Pop/Indie
Boston, MA
Instagram@tallerthantreesmusic

Ted Russell Kamp
Americana/Country
/Southern Rock
Los Angeles, CA
tedrussellkamp.com

The Brian O’Connell
Fellowship
Prog/Fusion/Jam
Boston, MA
brianoconnellfellowship.com

The Dirt Fisherman
Rock
Boise, ID
m.me/thedirtfisherman

The Hell Toupees
Punk
Ventura, CA
facebook.com/nopotus

The Key of F
Rock
Los Angeles, CA
facebook.com/band.thekeyof.F

The Noble Prix
Modern Garage Rock
Burbank, CA
Instagram@thenobleprix

The Natural Supernatural
Psych Rock
Los Angeles, CA
thenaturalsupernatural.com

The Sometime Boys
Folk/Americana
Brooklyn, NY
thesometimeboys.com

The World Record
Los Angeles, CA
Power Pop
theworldrecord.net

Tidal Babes
Beach Pop-Rock
Los Angeles, CA
tidalbabes.com

Tiffany Ashton
Country
Nashville, TN
tiffanyashtonmusic.com

Todd Boston
New Age/Ambient/Acoustic
Portland, OR
toddboston.com

TOMASINA
Rock
Los Angeles, CA
tomasina.net

Trap Girl
Punk
Los Angeles, CA
trapgirl.bandcamp.com

V2
Rock
Santa Rosa, CA
vsquared.rocks

Vital Spirit
Black Metal
Vancouver, BC
vitalspirit.bandcamp.com

Wiley Watson
Alt-Pop/Rock
New York, NY
wileywatsonmusic.com

Wouter Kellerman
World/Roots
Johannesburg, South Africa
wouterkellerman.net