These musicians went a step further this year and absolutely killed it! From new shows, to new music, to new movies and new opportunities to spread the word of POC bad assery, these were musicians we loved seeing in 2022! We know you’ll need to keep an eye on them this year, so please remember to follow and support your favorites!
Guitar Gabby has been on the grind nonstop. When she’s not creating music and touring with her band The Txlips, she’s writing for Guitar World Magazine and editing for Guitar Girl Magazine.
Gabby and The Txlips also had their song “Another Tear” in the Netflix animated film Wendell & Wild. Which was produced by Jordan Peele and Henry Selick.
The brothers from Missouri Radkey, had one hell of a year. From touring the US half of the year to playing Louder Than Life fest, which featured Nine Inch Nails, Slipknot, Incubus, and more.
We would say that Radkey’s biggest accomplishment was touring with The Offspring and Foo Fighters, Damn!
Audrey Paris Johnson is a dope ass drummer hailing from Cali. We’ve seen her exclusively play with her main bands Fatty Cakes & The Puff Pastries, and Squid Ink. Audrey caught us by surprise when we saw her drumming with Teri Gender Bender whom opened up and toured with The Mars Volta. Hand claps!
Pinkshift is a pop punk powerhouse out of Baltimore. If they aren’t opening for Blink 182 or Paramore, they’re constantly dropping music and visuals. Pinkshift’s numbers are running up on Tiktok, and their song “I’m gonna tell my therapist on you” hit over 8 million listens. It’s beautiful seeing a young poc band get this kinda love. Also, Pinkshift’s singer Ashrita throws it down. We were luck enough to have caught them in their hometown at Ottobar.
Skyler Acord is known for being the bassist of the nu metal + r&b band Issues. We got to interview him late last year and he’s talented dude, humble, and genuine. A big step for Skyler was joining and touring with radio mega stars Twenty One Pilots in US and Europe. He also dropped a pair of singles before the end of the year wrapped up. Besides playing bass, he produces, and sings. Check out “Made Of” and “Knew It All Along”.
The youngest on our list, is the 12 year old prodigy Nandi Bushell. Born in the UK, Nandi went viral for killin’ it on the drums with ferocious energy. You can tell she’s having fun, but will be a force to be reckoned with as she grows older. Besides beating down the drums, she’s a Multi-Instrumentalist, playing guitar, bass, keys, and the saxophone. Nandi’s drum covers are what propelled her career, also playing live on stage with Foo Fighters. She dropped her first original single titled “The Shadows”, and we know more are on the way.
Cinnamon Babe had an impressive year. They dropped 4 singles with music videos that gained a lot of traction. Front woman Stormi Maya, had a big following already from being a model and lover of music. Once she got the Cinnamon Babe together, it was a wrap. Their single “Pure O” is what really kicked things off. Followed by the single “Rock N Roll is Black” which pissed off white people in the alternative scene across America. The hellfire of hate from gatekeepers and white supremacist only brought more attention to the song. Cinnamon Babe is doing it right and sticking to their guns. We know they’ll be poppin off in 2023.
Jer, aka Skatune Network has been on fire. The songwriter and composer is one hell of a triumphant tasteful tenacious trombone player, to say the least. Jer throws it down on every single cover with dynamic, fun, and a breath of fresh energy. Remember, Ska is all about having a good time and dancing, and Jer does exactly that. With almost half a million followers on Tiktok, Skatune Network is not slowing down at all. Don’t forget to check out the band We Are The Union for a good time!
With pop punk being dominated by white artists, and in rock in general, Magnolia Park came to change the tide. They make dope music, catchy hooks, and great subject matter. They got a lot of hate on social media for just being a band. The smart things they did were turn hateful comments into songs, and boom, they’re winning. Magnolia Park is crushing it on Tiktok, which also lead to them getting signed by Epitaph Records. They’ll be touring early this year in 2023, make sure you catch em!
Bob Vylan reigns supreme in the underground in the UK. The main thing that keeps them poppin’ is a strong stage presence and consistency. Bob Vylan is the voice of the streets, the filth, and sticking it to the ‘man’. With a wide variation of styles of punk, hip-hop, and hard rock, they make it sonically sound great. Check out “Pretty Songs” and “Bait the Bear”.