Without a doubt the mainstream music scene since the turn of the century has been little more than an horrific spectacle, its only redeeming qualities being Coldplay and Snow Patrol in my opinion. However - as always - there is plenty of great music to discover outside of the mainstream. In that spirit, here are my favorite non-mainstream musical acts to emerge within this century so far (in no particular order).
Maria Taylor (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) indie pop, indie rock, dream pop, indie folk
Discography:
11:11 (2005)
Lynn Teeter Flower (2007)
Ladyluck (2009)
Overlook (2011)
Something About Knowing (2013)
Little Dragon (Gothenburg, Sweden) trip hop, downtempo, synthpop, indietronica, dream pop, neo soul
Discography:
Little Dragon (2007)
Machine Dreams (2009)
Ritual Union (2011)
Alphawezen (Aachen & Düsseldorf, Germany) electronic, trip hop, indietronica
Discography:
L'après-midi d'un Microphone (2001)
En Passant (2004)
Comme Vous Voulez (2007)
Snow Glow (2009)
Metric (Toronto, Canada) indie rock, new wave, synthpop
Discography:
Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003)
Live It Out (2005)
Grow Up and Blow Away (2007)
Fantasies (2009)
Synthetica (2012)
The Bird & The Bee (Los Angeles, California) indie pop, synthpop, psychedelic pop, shoegaze
Discography:
The Bird and The Bee (2007)
Please Clap Your Hands (2007)
One Too Many Hearts (2008)
Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future (2009)
Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: Hall & Oates (2010)
Azure Ray (Athens, Georgia, USA) dream pop, indie pop, indie rock
Discography:
Azure Ray (2001)
Burn & Shiver (2002)
Hold on Love (2003)
Drawing Down the Moon (2010)
As Above So Below (2012)
Abraham (somewhere in the UK) trip hop, electronic
Discography:
On the Surface (2001)
Blue for the Most (2002)
Carina Round (Wolverhampton, UK) alternative rock
Discography:
The First Blood Mystery (2001)
The Disconnection (2003)
Slow Motion Addict (2007)
Things You Should Know (2009)
Tigermending (2012)
Oceanlab (London, UK) uplifting trance, vocal trance, idm
Discography:
Sirens of the Sea (2008)
Sirens of the Sea Remixed (2009)
M83 (Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France) synthpop, shoegazing, dream pop, indie rock, ambient
Discography:
M83 (2001)
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003)
Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)
Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2007)
Saturdays = Youth (2008)
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
Ladytron (Liverpool, UK) electronic, synthpop, new wave, shoegazing, indie pop, electronic rock, dream pop
Discography:
604 (2001)
Light & Magic (2002)
Witching Hour (2005)
Velocifero (2008)
Gravity the Seducer (2011)
Klaus & Kinski (Murcia, Spain) indie pop
Discography:
Tu Hoguera Está Ardiendo (2008)
Tierra, Trágalos (2010)
Herreros Y Fatigas (2012)
Maria Taylor (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) indie pop, indie rock, dream pop, indie folk
Discography:
11:11 (2005)
Lynn Teeter Flower (2007)
Ladyluck (2009)
Overlook (2011)
Something About Knowing (2013)
Little Dragon (Gothenburg, Sweden) trip hop, downtempo, synthpop, indietronica, dream pop, neo soul
Discography:
Little Dragon (2007)
Machine Dreams (2009)
Ritual Union (2011)
Alphawezen (Aachen & Düsseldorf, Germany) electronic, trip hop, indietronica
Discography:
L'après-midi d'un Microphone (2001)
En Passant (2004)
Comme Vous Voulez (2007)
Snow Glow (2009)
Metric (Toronto, Canada) indie rock, new wave, synthpop
Discography:
Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003)
Live It Out (2005)
Grow Up and Blow Away (2007)
Fantasies (2009)
Synthetica (2012)
The Bird & The Bee (Los Angeles, California) indie pop, synthpop, psychedelic pop, shoegaze
Discography:
The Bird and The Bee (2007)
Please Clap Your Hands (2007)
One Too Many Hearts (2008)
Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future (2009)
Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: Hall & Oates (2010)
Azure Ray (Athens, Georgia, USA) dream pop, indie pop, indie rock
Discography:
Azure Ray (2001)
Burn & Shiver (2002)
Hold on Love (2003)
Drawing Down the Moon (2010)
As Above So Below (2012)
Abraham (somewhere in the UK) trip hop, electronic
Discography:
On the Surface (2001)
Blue for the Most (2002)
Carina Round (Wolverhampton, UK) alternative rock
Discography:
The First Blood Mystery (2001)
The Disconnection (2003)
Slow Motion Addict (2007)
Things You Should Know (2009)
Tigermending (2012)
Oceanlab (London, UK) uplifting trance, vocal trance, idm
Discography:
Sirens of the Sea (2008)
Sirens of the Sea Remixed (2009)
M83 (Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France) synthpop, shoegazing, dream pop, indie rock, ambient
Discography:
M83 (2001)
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003)
Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)
Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2007)
Saturdays = Youth (2008)
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
Ladytron (Liverpool, UK) electronic, synthpop, new wave, shoegazing, indie pop, electronic rock, dream pop
Discography:
604 (2001)
Light & Magic (2002)
Witching Hour (2005)
Velocifero (2008)
Gravity the Seducer (2011)
Klaus & Kinski (Murcia, Spain) indie pop
Discography:
Tu Hoguera Está Ardiendo (2008)
Tierra, Trágalos (2010)
Herreros Y Fatigas (2012)