Pet Door Show’s Up-and-Coming Artists You Should Know in 2022

On the Pet Door Show, my radio show on Shady Pines Radio every Thursday 2–4pm PST , I play music across a spectrum of genres and geographies, exclusively by artists with under 5,000 followers on instagram. It’s a bit of an arbitrary benchmark, but it does a pretty good job of setting a standard for showcasing independent and underplayed artists who don’t get anywhere near the airplay the deserve. Several times I’ve been contacted by artists letting me know that the Pet Door Show was their first time on the radio! As a result, the “under 5,000” benchmark also sets the Pet Door Show apart as a unique, groundbreaking show where every week you’ll definitely hear a bunch of new music you haven’t heard before.

This year, I also want to recognize and highlight the artists who have been hustling and thriving since they were played on the Pet Door Show since the first episode aired in August 2020. So, here are the up-and-coming bands and artists whose followings have grown beyond that 5,000 benchmark in 2021, in celebration of their art and achievement.

(Yes, of course there is a Spotify playlist for easy browsing, but please purchase music on Bandcamp or elsewhere if you’re able — it really makes a huge difference for the artists. Purchase links are provided below — click on the track or album title.)

Enjoy! And tune in to the Pet Door Show every Thursday, 2–4pm PST / 5–7pm EST / 10pm-12am GMT on Shady Pines Radio for a unique, cross-genre, international sampler of my favorite new tracks by independent and underplayed artists with under 5,000 followers on instagram.

A

Aach
R&B synthpop. Chicago, IL.
Listen: Shield Me (April 2020)

Acid Carousel
Psych jangle rock. Austin, TX.
Listen: I Am a Dragonfly, from the album The Most Oddest Thing (October 2020)

Ada Lea
Folk americana. Montréal, Canada.
Listen: saltspring, from the album one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden (September 2021)

Emily Afton
Indie pop. Oakland, CA.
Listen: Back in San Francisco*, from the EP Consideration (March 2020)
* Back in San Francisco was included in the Pet Door Show Best of 2020!

Alea
Latin folk neosoul. New York City, NY.
Listen: Échale Sal, from the album Alborotá (August 2021)

Rosario Alfonso
Folk neosoul. Santiago, Chile.
Listen: Tranquila (November 2020)

Jimena Amarillo
Indie folk. Valencia, Spain.
Listen: Ni Se Nota (September 2020)

Anjimile
Indie folk. Boston, MA.
Listen: In Your Eyes, from the album Giver Taker (September 2020)

Apollo Bebop
Hip hop. Santa Ana, CA.
Listen: The Recipe, from the album WANTED! (May 2020)

B

Bachelor
Indie rock. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Anything at All, from the album Doomin’ Sun (May 2021)

Rachel Baiman
Indie americana. Nashville, TN.
Listen: Joke’s On Me, from the album Cycles (June 2021)

La Banda del Bisonte
Psych rock. Antioquia, Colombia.
Listen: Nómada (Lado B), feat. La Muchacha (April 2021).

Ana Barroso
Indie folk jazz. Jequié, Brazil.
Listen: Cacto, from the album Cisco no Olho (May 2021)

Be.Lanuit
Ambient electronica. Madrid de los Trillos, Spain.
Listen: Dulce Catharsis / Odian, feat. Melón Jiménez and El Último Grito, from the EP Latif / Dulce Catharsis (October 2020)

Annika Bennett
Indie pop. Nashville, TN.
Listen: Sober Up, from the EP Only Emotion (February 2021)

Yaya Bey
Hip hop R&B. Brooklyn, NY.
Listen: paterson plank (unmixed), from the album Madison Tapes (June 2020)

Billy Black
Folk pop. Nairobi, Kenya.
Listen: Songa Mbele, from the EP From My Heart to Yours (July 2020)

Alicia Blue
Indie folk pop. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Queen of Echo Park, feat. Lauren Ruth Ward, from the album Bravebird (April 2020)

Christelle Bofale
Indie dream folk. Austin, TX.
Listen: Miles (February 2020)

Bonelang
Indie funk hip hop. Chicago, IL.
Listen: Where the Chefs Eat (February 2021)

Morgan Bosman
Pop. Atlanta, GA.
Listen: No Time (August 2020)

brenn.
Alt pop. Lillehammer, Norway.
Listen: Gi meg litt fred (October 2020)

Broken Baby
Disco punk. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Manic Panic, from the album Late Stage Optimism (September 2021)

Buffalo Rose
Folk americana. Pittsburgh, PA.
Listen: The Cosmos and the Canyon (November 2020)

Buggin
Hardcore punk. Chicago, IL.
Listen: Dead 2 Me*, from the EP Buggin Out (February 2020)
*Dead 2 Me was included in the Pet Door Show Best of 2020!

C

Cable Ties
Post punk. Naarm, Australia.
Listen: Not My Story, from the album Far Enough (March 2020)

Sophia Chablau e Uma Enorme Perda de Tempo
Psych rock. São Paulo, Brazil.
Listen: Pop Cabecinha, from the album Sophia Chablau e Uma Enorme Perda de Tempo (April 2021)

Cheekface
Indie. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Big Big Friend, from the album Emphatically No. (January 2020)

Chrisol
Indie soul. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Corazon, from the EP Lovely (September 2020)

Cuee
Hip hop. Lawrence, KS.
Listen: Who’s Back, from the album Gospel (May 2021)

D

Damu the Fudgemunk
Hip hop. Washington, DC.
Listen: 2 Hour Parking, from the album Ocean Bridges, feat. Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic (May 2020)

Lena Dardelet*
Indie neosoul. Salcedo, Dominican Republic.
Listen: Me Asomé al Sol (August 2020)
* Lena Dardelet was the Pet Door Show’s highlighted artist November 4, 2021!

Davy Boi
Indie neosoul. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Do Myself Better (July 2020)

Dikembe
Alternative rock. Gainesville, FL.
Listen: All Got Sick, from the album Muck (August 2020)

Marc DiNero
Hip hop. Louisville, KY.
Listen: Riot, feat. Rick Boom (July 2020)

Diners
Indie pop. Mesa, AZ.
Listen: In the New Year (December 2020)

Ami Divine
R&B. Las Vegas, NV.
Listen: Hoodoo, from the album Spells (November 2020)

Emma Donovan & The Putbacks
Indie soul. Naarm, Australia.
Listen: Yarian Mitji, from the album Crossover (November 2020)

Sam Doores
Folk americana. New Orleans, LA.
Listen: Windmills, from the album Sam Doores (March 2020)

E

The Elements
Rock. Kathmandu, Nepal.
Listen: Aakha Ramaye (September 2020)

Los Estanques
Indie psych pop. Madrid, Spain.
Listen: La Aguja, from the album IV (July 2020)

Ev
Indie. Medellín, Colombia.
Listen: Cosas que probablemente no van a pasar, from the EP Okay! (October 2021)

F

Fireside Collective
Bluegrass. Asheville, NC.
Listen: Back To Caroline, from the album Elements (March 2020)

Tony Foster Jr
R & B. Tulsa, OK.
Listen: Our World (with Ausha LaCole) from the album Fire in Little Africa by Fire in Little Africa (May 2021)

Reb Fountain
Alt folk. Tāmaki, Aotearoa.
Listen: Hawks & Doves, from the album Reb Fountain (May 2020)

Frosty
Hip hop. Orange County, CA.
Listen: Viaje de Valor, from the album All Frost No Ice (December 2021)

Aisha Fukushima
R&B. Port Washington, NY.
Listen: Pandemic (May 2020)

Furui Riho
R&B pop. Sapporo, Japan.
Listen: Dislike (March 2021)

FYÜTCH
Hip hop pop. New York City, NY.
Listen: This Kwanzaa, feat. Pierce Freelon (December 2020)

G

Girlpuppy
Indie rock. Atlanta, GA.
Listen: Cheerleader, from the album Swan (August 2021)

S.G. Goodman
Indie americana. Murray, KY.
Listen: Tender Kind, from the album Old Time Feeling (July 2020)

J. Graves
Dance punk. Portland, OR.
Listen: Deathbed, from the EP Deathbed (October 2020)

Morgan Guerin
Jazz electronica. New York City, NY.
Listen: Abena, feat. Zacchae’us Paul and Débo Ray, from the album The Saga III (September 2020)

H

Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys
Americana. Cadi, Australia.
Listen: Outside of Life, from the album Late Night Essentials (November 2020)

Hedda Mae
Pop. Bergen, Norway.
Listen: Glir Forbi (De Neste), from the EP De Neste (April 2021)

Pablo Held
Jazz. Köln, Germany.
Listen: Joni, from the EP Descent (November 2020)

Hit La Rosa
Latin psych rock. Lima, Perú.
Listen: Las Ratas, from the album Ceres Entrópicos (November 2021)

Hunky Dory
Indonesian Celtic punk. Sukarta, Indonesia.
Listen: Panjang Umur Pekerja Keras, from the EP Panjang Umur Pekerja Keras (January 2020)

I

Jada Imani
R&B. Oakland, CA.
Listen: Just Wait, from the EP Key (Month 3) (January 2021)

J

Jazz Mafia
Funk jazz. San Francisco, CA.
Listen: Not My President, feat. Brass Mafia and Soulati, from the album Say Something, Do Something (October 2020)

Cassandra Jenkins
Indie americana. New York City, NY.
Listen: Michelangelo, from the album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (February 2021)

Josh Johnson
Jazz. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Bowed, from the album Freedom Exercise (October 2020)

Jordana
Indie pop. New York City, NY.
Listen: What Were You Thinking?, from the album Classical Notions of Happiness (March 2020)

K

KANKAN
Power pop. Tokyo, Japan.
Listen: Vita, feat. Kairiki Bear, from the album ROAR (February 2021)

Njoki Karu
Indie folk pop. Nairobi, Kenya.
Listen: Mawio, from the album Tawasifu Ya Moyo (August 2020)

Katalyst
Jazz. Inglewood, CA.
Listen: FreeHand, from the album Nine Lives (September 2020)

Kee’ahn
Neosoul. Naarm, Australia.
Listen: Better Things (May 2020)

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Folk country. Nashville, TN.
Listen: Last Train (Peter Rowan), feat. Sarah Jarosz, from the album Fiddler’s Pastime (September 2020)

King Strang
Ragpunk. Portland, OR.
Listen: Why Can’t I, from the EP The Second Coming (March 2020)

Katy Kirby
Indie. Nashville, TN.
Listen: Traffic!, from the album Cool Dry Place (February 2021)

Kokoshca*
Indie. Pamplona, Spain.
Listen: Regresando a la Ciudad, from the album Kokoshca (June 2021)
* Kokoshca was the Pet Door Show’s featured artist in April 2021!

Apoorva Krishna
Indie jazz. Boston, MA.
Listen: Merging Parallels, feat. Varijashree Venugopal, from the album Intuition (February 2021)

L

Bab L’Bluz
Psych blues. Marrakesh, Morroco.
Listen: Waydelel, from the album Nayda! (June 2020)

LaRussell
Hip hop soul. Vallejo, CA.
Listen: Rough Week, feat. wantmoreN8 (November 2020)

Michael Leonhart Orchestra
Funk jazz. New York City, NY.
Listen: Shut Him Down, feat. Elvis Costello, JSWISS (September 2020)

Mora Lucay
Indie folk. Valparaíso, Chile.
Listen: Sí Sí Sí, from the album Bestia (December 2020)

Lyrical School
Hip hop j-pop. Japan.
Listen: OK!, from the EP Dance the Night Away (November 2020)

M

Mamalarky
Indie pop. Atlanta, GA.
Listen: How to Say (May 2020)

Jessica Manalo
Indie soul. Las Vegas, NV.
Listen: One Hell of a Year (December 2020)

Zara McFarlane
Jazz electronica. London, England.
Listen: Everything is Connected, from the album Songs of an Unknown Tongue (July 2020)

Mini Trees
Indie pop. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Honestly, from the EP Slip Away (May 2020)

Momma
Alternative rock. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Biohazard, from the album Two of Me (June 2020)

N

Nané
Soul pop. Austin, TX.
Listen: Can’t Get Enough, from the album Nané (November 2020)

Buffalo Nichols
Folk americana. Austin, TX.
Listen: Lost & Lonesome, from the album Buffalo Nichols (October 2021)

O

Sinead O’Brien
Indie. London, England.
Listen: Fall With Me, from the EP Drowning in Blessings (September 2020)

OC Hurricanes
Soul rock & roll. Santa Ana, CA.
Listen: Born for You (February 2020)

P

Palomino Blond
Alternative rock. Miami, FL.
Listen: Damage, from the Las Nubes / Palomino Blond Split EP (March 2020)

Passport Rav
Hip hop. New York City, NY.
Listen: Black Doogie Howser, from the EP Black Conspiracist (May 2020)

Pearl & the Oysters
Psychedelic neosoul. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Treasure Island, from the album Flowerland (September 2021)

Katy J Pearson
Indie folk pop. Bristol, England.
Listen: Tonight, from the album Return (November 2020)

Playa Gótica
Post punk. Santiago, Chile.
Listen: Anilina (November 2020)

Pom Poko
Indie alternative. Oslo, Norway.
Listen: My Candidacy, from the album Cheater (January 2021)

Dougie Poole
Country synthpop. Brooklyn, NY.
Listen: Los Angeles, from the album The Freelancer’s Blues (June 2020)

Powerviolets
Post punk. New York City, NY.
Listen: It’s So Fucking Beautiful Outside, from the album No Boys (April 2020)

Q

Mazbou Q
Rap rock. Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa.
Listen: Bruised Soles (April 2020)

R

Mireya Ramos
Latin soul. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Listen: Angelitos Negros, feat. Camilo Lara (August 2020)

Reyna Tropical
Afrocaribbean indie pop. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Dolor (March 2020)

S

säje
Jazz. Seattle, WA.
Listen: Never You Mind (July 2020)

Javier Santiago
Jazz electronica. New York City, NY.
Listen: Phoenix — ReBirth, feat. Gavin Grant and Braxton Cook, from the EP ReBirth (September 2020)

Santrofi
Afrobeat highlife. Accra, Ghana.
Listen: Kokrokoo, from the album Alewa (April 2020)

Joana Serrat
Indie folk. Vic, Spain.
Listen: Wild Beast, from the album Hardcore from the Heart (June 2021)

SiairaShawn
R&B. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Good Luck, feat. Phabo (May 2020)

Ankit Shrestha
Folk pop. New York City, NY.
Listen: Katha (Quarantine Session Version) (July 2020)

Nala Sinephro
Electrojazz. London, England.
Listen: Space 3, from the album Space 1.8 (September 2021)

Skullcrusher
Indie folk. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Places/Plans, from the EP Skullcrusher (July 2020)

Snarls
Alternative rock. Columbus, OH.
Listen: Marbles, from the album Burst (March 2020)

The Sonder Bombs
Alternative indie. Cleveland, OH.
Listen: Crying is Cool, from the album Clothbound (January 2021)

Sonny Step
Soul pop. New York City, NY.
Listen: Night Shift, from the album Special (June 5, 2020)

Davia Spain
Electronica. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Hello, from the album Dawning (February 2020)

Subsonic Eye
Indie. Singapore.
Listen: Summer Child, from the EP Bedroom Sessions (May 2020)

T

Tamikrest
Desert blues. Kidal, Mali.
Listen: Tihoussay, from the album Tamotaït (March 2020)

TC Superstar
Indie synthpop. Austin, TX.
Listen: Always a Feeling, from the album As Seen on TV (September 2021)

Teenage Joans
Indie rock. Kaurna Yerta, Australia.
Listen: Three Leaf Clover (March 2020)

Thada (ธาดา)
Folk pop. Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Listen: เด็กน้อย (January 2021)

TK & the Holy Know-Nothings
Blues americana. Portland, OR.
Listen: Bottom of the Bottle, from the album The Incredible Heat Machine (October 2021)

Rosie Tucker
Indie rock. Los Angeles, CA.
Listen: Brand New Beast, from the album Sucker Supreme (April 2021)

U

Etuk Ubong
Afrobeat jazz. Lagos, Nigeria.
Listen: African Struggle, from the EP Africa Today — Night Dreamer Direct​-​To​-​Disc Sessions (June 2020)

Udbhav
Electronica. New Delhi, India.
Listen: Waise Bhi, feat. Ezzyland, from the 2-track Krytrim (February 2021)

V

V.V. Lightbody
Indie folk. Chicago, IL.
Listen: Car Alarm, from the album Make a Shrine or Burn It (May 2020)

W

Wednesday
Indie rock. Asheville, NC.
Listen: Maura, from the album I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone (February 2020)

w.o.d.
Rock. Kobe, Japan.
Listen: Paradise, from the album Life is Too Long (March 2021)

Y

YBTG
Hip hop. Charlotte, NC.
Listen: 4th Quarter, feat. Scarzz, from the album Unforeseen (January 2021)

That’s the end of the list, for now! If you enjoyed the music in this list, check out my other post, “Pet Door Show Best of 2021” for a rundown of what I consider to be the best 2021 releases that I’ve played on the Pet Door Show this year, all by independent and underplayed artists with fewer than 5,000 followers on instagram. And don’t forget to tune into the Pet Door Show every Thursday 2–4pm PST / 5–7pm EST / 10pm-12am GMT on Shady Pines Radio.