While everyone focuses on the Grammys and the biggest names in the music industry, I want to look at something a little different: the underground musicians.

That’s right. I want to talk about the type of bands with less followers on Spotify than there are kids at Bellaire, the bands who are small enough to play a show in your backyard. While all eyes are on the Grammys, let’s put our ears on to listen to 10 of the best underground bands there are.

10. Elevator Days – 440 monthly listeners

While Elevator Days has a low of monthly listeners on this list, this band’s enthusiastic sound and upbeat style give them a true indie feel. Being located in Houston and on tour, the band formed from a group of University of Houston students. So what they lack in popularity, they make up for in proximity. They have a small selection of songs, but my favorite was “Call Me When You Get Home.” I love the way the intro is pieced together in a way that makes you jump to your feet when you hear it — something that really sets the tone for the rest of the song.

9. Berries and Toast – 218 monthly listeners

While I don’t think this is good food, I think they make an amazing band. While sadder songs aren’t my thing, the emotion and guitar out of their most popular song, “Take My Time,” are some of the best on this list. While I really enjoyed listening to that song, I didn’t really resonate with too many others because I didn’t feel the same emotion out of them, and considering that the band will break up in 2030, I’m not too optimistic about being a fan long term.

8. Pilot Seat – 268 monthly listeners

Even in an article about underrated musicians, I think this one is the most underrated of them all. They have consistently enjoyable songs, a full-length album with 12 songs and one of my favorite one-liners from any of these bands’ Spotify bios. The chorus of their song “Lovely” stands out from other songs, as it brings an unusual energy into the music that is otherwise more passive. This band sounds a lot like Tame Impala’s electric style, so if you enjoyed Ayana and I’s review of “Deadbeat,” this is the band for you.

7. Midwest Blender Company – 2,428 monthly listeners

And the winner for best name is… I mean, who else could it be? With a name like Midwest Blender Company, I’d be surprised if this band wasn’t in the psychedelic rock genre. The annoying thing is, the six-man band has more members than it does songs, which means it’s hard to feel out a definitive style for them that lets me compare them to a band, especially since their songs all have a distinctive feel from each other with no song sounding like the other. While I like it when a band has ambiguity and won’t let themselves be defined by a genre, I don’t think it works in their favor here because it makes it harder to get a style that would allow audiences to consistently enjoy their music. Even so, of those distinct songs, my favorite is “Slow Down.” It has a slow feel (of course) and some of my favorite drum fills that I’ve heard from a band on this list.

6. KJ King of Hearts – 50,781 monthly listeners

If you are a rap fan, congratulations! KJ King of Hearts is not just the only rapper on this list, but someone I listened to when I used to listen mostly to rap. So while I may not be the most qualified to say whether or not he is good, I definitely have enjoyed listening to him. The way he raps and his use of samples reminds me a lot of Kanye West, so if you’re looking for a less crazy rapper, here he is. He has released many good songs, but “Peer Pressure” was the first song of his I ever heard, and it’s my favorite due to its consistent flow and decent drums.

5. Dalmatian Club – 889 monthly listeners

The first thing I thought when making my list was, “There’s no way Dalmation Club is in the top five because they only have eight songs!” But as I went through the list, I realized that the songs Dalmation Club had were songs I could listen to in any mood, something that is hard to do when most bands use either a peppy guitar or a depressing key. I can’t even pick a favorite song from their catalog because I enjoyed listening to all of them, with a sound that reminds me of a mellow Oasis, who have strong vocals and guitar that drive the soul in their song.

4. Sunhills – 1,377 monthly listeners

Sunhills is a band from the great state of Utah and defines their genre as “dream pop,” or in other words, the calming sound that you listen to right before you go to sleep. They have a very relaxed vibe, and they remind me a lot of early Tame Impala, from the albums that are less electronic and pumped and instead calmer and more instrumental. My favorite song by them is “Sugar Coated,” a relaxing song I will definitely be listening to before I fall asleep.

3. Junkyard Cat – 9,034 monthly listeners

Another band from Houston?! That’s right. The other band that you can see right now live on tour is Junkyard Cat. One of their best songs, “Where to Start,” is also their first one, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad: it’s energetic, it’s fun, and it makes me picture some dude with really long hair flipping his head up and down on stage while doing a crazy guitar solo. It feels like a controlled kind of crazy and definitely fits this “junkyard cat” vibe.

2. Breakfast Biscuit – 3,196 monthly listeners

When someone told me, “I know this niche band called Breakfast Biscuit,” I definitely counted them out. However, I listened to their album “unobserved,” and listened to it again, and again and again and again. This album played on repeat for at least a week, which made deciding this band’s ranking extremely difficult. My favorite song on the album was “good heavens, it’s pluto !” It’s a catchy good song that I listened to more than any other song on the album, one that caught my ear from the way the drums matched perfectly with the vibe, as well as the catchy lyrics and perfectly subtle backing vocals. It is a must listen for anyone who’s made it this far. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

1. Common People – 52,642 monthly listeners

The final band, the number one spot, the best underground band… Common People! Maybe you didn’t guess and just saw the name above this, which would make sense considering this band was just formed in July last year. However, what makes Common People special is that they come from the label headed by Brad Schultz (a guitarist for my personal favorite band, Cage the Elephant). This band currently has four songs out (and I wanted to move Dalmation Club down for only having 8!), but they are developing new music as I write. Their best song is the first one, “Thank You,” and while I was not a fan of the music video, the actual music is another story. The harmonies in the chorus are perfect, and the guitar feels like it couldn’t have been written any better. They are growing rapidly and are playing a show with Rainbow Kitten Surprise in March, so get your tickets while they’re still underground!

There are way too many underground indie bands to truly rank them all, but hopefully this makes your next listen a little bit easier. Next time you put in an AirPod to do your homework or play some music in the car, take a listen to one of these bands. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite you never would have known about.