The Metal Dad

I don’t often write “response posts” to things I’ve read. I think once during the lifetime of our old Lonesome Noise blog did I write a piece in direct response to something else that was written. (Apparently, I was really bugged by Zakk Wylde stating that Black Sabbath without Ozzy wasn’t really Black Sabbath…)

Recently though I saw another one of these “50 Bands You Should Know From Every State” type of articles. Bless the poor souls who have to undertake that, because it’s impossible to have an intimate enough knowledge of one scene, let alone hundreds in order to decipher who those fifty artists should be. But that does not excuse not actually picking an artist from each state. Once again this article decided that for Connecticut they would select an artist who hails from New York City. (Close enough, right?) When an artist states on their website that they are from NYC originally and currently reside in NYC…they aren’t from Connecticut.

So it is with this background that I decided to do some homework for every other blogger and music writer out there. You guys don’t have to guess anymore! Below are 50+ artists who a) currently reside in Connecticut, b) are active artists that still record/perform/etc., and c) have at least one EP worth of recorded material to their name. I even added handy descriptors in case your site doesn’t like things like death metal or hip hop or both.

What this is not: This is not a “best of” list. This is not the be all, end all of CT music. Honestly I could have gone 100 artists deep if I wanted to, but instead decided to cut the stream of conscious listing when Excel told me I had already cracked 50 acts. (I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself later for obvious omissions.) For the non-bloggers out there, please do enjoy as much of this music as possible. You’ve got a lot of killer acts to choose from…

1974
prog rock

Apathy
hip hop/rap

Archaic Decapitator
melodic death metal

Balkun Brothers
blues/rock

Bedroom Rehab Corporation
doom metal/stoner rock

Belle of the Fall
Americana/folk

Brian Dolzani
folk/Americana

Canyon
indie folk/singer-songwriter

The CarLeans
Americana/alt-country

Ceschi Ramos
hip hop/rap/indie rock

Curse The Son
sludge/doom metal

Daphne Lee Martin
indie rock/singer-songwriter

Dr. Martino
indie rock/surf rock

Empty Vessels
noise rock/sludge/punk

Farewood
indie/alt rock

The Foresters
indie pop/alt rock

Frank Critelli
folk/Americana/singer-songwriter

The Girls From Ruby Falls
Americana/alt-country/folk

Goodnight Blue Moon
indie folk/Americana

Gracie Day
singer-songwriter

Grizzlor
noise rock/sludge

Heather Fay
folk/Americana/singer-songwriter

Intercourse
hardcore/punk

James Maple
alt-country/folk/Americana

Joey Batts
hip hop/rap

Jose Oyola & The Astronauts
indie pop/alt rock

Kerri Powers
folk/alt-country/blues

Krizta Moon
folk/singer-songwriter

Lines West
Americana/indie folk

The Meadows Brothers
folk/alt-country/Americana

Mercy Choir
indie rock/indie folk/alt rock

Meredith Rose
folk/singer-songwriter

Mission Zero
indie rock/indie pop/alt rock

Nightbitch
traditional heavy metal

No Line North
Americana/folk/garage rock

Old Royals
rock/alt rock

Olive Tiger
indie folk/indie rock/neo-classical

Omega Vague
shoegaze/post-rock

Orice Jenkins
soul/R&B/jazz

Phonosynthesis
funk/jazz/jam band

Plywood Cowboy
country/alt-country/Americana

Political Animals
hip-hop/rap

Ponybird
alt-country/indie rock/freak folk

Quiet Giant
indie rock/post rock/alt rock

The Right-Offs
punk/post-punk/garage rock

Sarah Golley
indie folk/indie pop

Sarah LeMieux Quintet
jazz/neo-classical

Sea of Bones
doom metal/sludge/post metal

Seth Adam
folk/Americana

Spectral Fangs
indie pop/indie rock/alt rock

Straight To VHS
garage rock/punk

Sun Dagger
psych rock/stoner rock

Them Damn Hamiltons
Americana/indie folk

Tomb & Thirst
doom metal/crust punk/grindcore

Violent Mae
indie rock/psych rock/alt rock

Wise Old Moon
Americana/folk/indie folk