The Cleveland music scene is well-oiled and prolific, with dozens of releases flying out of The Land every year.
You can find these artists playing weekly within the city’s bountiful independent venue scene — beloved staples like Grog Shop, Beachland Ballroom and relative newcomers like the Little Rose Tavern.
Cleveland Magazine has written about a handful of local music releases that have arrived since 2023 began, and now we've gathered a sampling of new tunes to discover in our "Cleveland Currents" playlist, which we will update each season. (Oh... Happy spring, by the way!)
Here, find unique releases of every genre, including The Shootouts, who brought some Akron honky-tonk fun to the Grand Ole Opry stage for its grand debut of its latest album Stampede in February. The moment marked the latest major step forward for one of the area’s buzziest country bands.
“We've just released three records in five years, we're getting to play with some of our heroes and idols and getting to make our Grand Ole Opry debut,” singer-guitarist Ryan Humbert says. “We were clearly onto something, and this just felt different than a side project.”
In a different musical realm, local musician Rob Kovacs released the official soundtrack to the new virtual reality game Straylight. The 10-track album found inspiration in Stravinsky’s Petrushka, but also offers otherworldly sonic textures.
“This game is very new. When you play it, you’re seeing something you’ve never seen before,” Kovacs says. “Musically it should reflect that.”
Plus, hear local crooner Hayden Grove on his re-released debut album Hayden: The Album, C-Level’s community-driven new album Think For Yourself, Chimi’s genre-blending EP National Geographic/4.25, Nathan Hedges' new solo work, Total Downer’s debut album Caretaker and plenty more.
Check out our playlist below, and be sure to follow Cleveland Magazine on Spotify while you’re at it.
