The radio can be cool at times. We can look forward to hearing our favorite pop song at least 3 times while we are driving in the car but eventually it all starts to sound the same, and the melodies all blend into this static ringing in our ears. We get annoyed and with frustration start clicking our preset stations in order hoping to find some relief but still are unsatisfied. We think there has to be more music out there. Where's that song I haven't heard yet? Where are those carefree beats that make me feel like I'm driving down the coast?

It's hard to even know about some artists because of how overplayed these top songs are. Not that I don't love those songs-- but sometimes I need a break. It's easy to get stuck in the popular but sometimes the artists that aren't talked about have a new taste and something different to offer. A moment of refreshment.

Discovering new artists is really fun and innovative for the mind. We are so used to hearing a story, a song, one way. When we hear new artists that make slower melodies and have simpler instrument based music it's almost...weird. How easily we forget that music doesn't have to be all these layers and beats together but sometimes it just takes one voice and one instrument. I found one incredibly talented girl, Ruth B., who sings a song called “Superficial Love.” She speaks the truth about how love has changed in the world and it is simply her and the piano. Quiet, soft, slow, and heartwarming.

As a music lover I often suffer from the growing predictability of music. As I have grown older I’ve learned to look in new places. I was surprised about how different the music our grandparents slow danced to, the music our parents grooved to and the music we bop to is completely unlike the other. The lyrics, the story, how “freedom of expression” has been taken so literally now. I’ll admit, it is amazing when a rap song comes on and I know all the words to it. There is a sense of success in that. Then again I can already know exactly where that song is going to go within a few seconds. However, when you listen to older music it’s nice for there to be some imagination on the listener's part. We find out what exactly the songwriter meant when they said “come go with me,” and analyze the type of emotions that would have sparked during that time period. There is some deeper insight and wonderment.

Music has expanded and grown in so many different directions which I truly appreciate, but sometimes I wish girls were still called “darlin’” and not "bae". If you are ever feeling the need to expand your music taste I would suggest looking into a different decade, a different genre and maybe looking into some local history and seeing what that type of music was trying to accomplish then versus what it has become now. At first thought we all picture matching outfits and slicked back hair-- but that is another story we have yet to really look into and understand.

When the radio ceases to impress you, Pandora and Spotify are extremely helpful in the finding new music department. Spotify has a weekly new artist playlist and new music list so that listeners can discover new artists.There is also a college student discount if you need more convincing. Once you find a sound you like you can search it on Pandora and customize and find new music that is similar to what you are looking for. Sometimes new is fun and leads you towards people that you have never heard of-- artists who are just waiting to tell you their story.