Fifteen Minutes of Fame: An Independent Artist Music Review Blog

Originally Published on May 30th, 2025 Spotlights As this Spotlights feature is a new one, I am still figuring out how I want to do it. Here’s where I have landed so far: I think it would be cool to do a Spotlights article every Friday and it will feature releases from 3-4 artists on the day of the article.  I know I like to present myself in a way that makes it look like Fifteen Minutes of Fame are more organized than we are. Admittedly, sometimes it is just a process of throwing spaghetti on a wall to see if it sticks. I do think this is the best way to feature spotlight articles every week. These features can be of new artists who haven’t been covered, or they might feature recaps of artists who have been covered, but I like the idea of publishing with the excited energy of the new release.  Take, for instance, today. TAKEOVER by Uta K About the Artist If I am being honest, October may have the biggest month for Fifteen Minutes of Fame, to date. It was the biggest month for...

Originally Published on May 23rd, 2025 About the Artist Who doesn’t love a story of redemption? Fighting for independence? Taking back what is rightfully ours? I love those stories. As independent artists, sometimes we tend to turn a blind eye to the surgeon general warning label that comes with signing to a record label. We ignore the warning signs that are before us when working in the industry. We let ourselves get distracted by the chance to hear our song on the radio, or stand on a stage and perform in front of an audience that are screaming our lyrics back to us. I’ve had that dream. I’m sure most of us have.  The truth is the music industry can turn those dreams into a nightmare really fast. Nothing can be more overwhelming than a dispute over the rights to music. The music industry controls the narrative in today’s mainstream music . There isn’t a talent big enough to change that. Yet. Even  Taylor Swift  famously found herself in a battle over the rights to her m...

Originally Published on May 23rd About the Artist One of the best resources a musician has is their dreams. They are an experience that can only be interpreted by the person that has them. We can ultimately say the same thing about perspective, but to a degree, that may reference a more shared or relative experience, like a break up or the loss of a parent or friend. Dreams are amplifications our perspective; doorways into our subconscious. As writers, the ability to accurately translate a dream can have profound, meaningful results. Chris Groom , aka  cfgkeys  had a dream. A dream about his father. He found the words and the melody to articulate it. Groom, a UK independent recording artist, approaches songwriting where he is in that moment. Per Groom, “I don’t stick to one style or genre. Sometimes it’s rough around the edges, sometimes it’s more polished, but it’s always honest.” (Bandcamp bio) As I understand how he explains his songwriting process, I imagine it to be a ver...

Originally Published on May 21st, 2025 Spotlights Welcome to the first Fifteen Minutes of Fame Spotlights article! The intention for spotlights is to try to cover more artists on a monthly basis. As we trial out this new FMOf feature, we will try to implement 1-2 Spotlight articles per month. These articles will be shorter features of 3-4 artists, and may even contain a Blind Reaction. I hope you enjoy this new Fifteen Minutes of Fame feature! Glass Figure by Fireside Shadow Fireside Shadow  is no stranger to Fifteen Minutes of Fame special features. In fact, it was her special edition  article  that launched our official website just two months ago! Fireside Shadow, out of Minnesota, is a one-woman powerhouse of synth rock with gothic undertones. She is fresh off of a release of her debut EP  Cut You Out About the Song Glass Figure  is the most recent release by Fireside Shadow. This three minute single released on May 9th 2025 and features vocal and instrument...

Originally Published on May 13th, 2025 About the Artist Last July was the first month I started writing the reviews for Fifteen Minutes of Fame. I’m so many ways, I had to hit the ground running because those first articles consisted work with some incredibly dynamic artists. One of those artists was  Kiffie , an electronic musician out of the UK. He had just released the album  Living Past Midnight . I honestly can’t tell you what I was expecting when I pressed play to that album but I can tell you I wasn’t expecting what I got.  I am a fan of electronic music, but I’ve always found its depth in the musicality; how a certain melodic phrase can build over repetition, by incorporating layered elements around that phrase. Living Past Midnight certainly had that, but the depth to the music had so much more meaning. The entire album was so well thought out, deriving from the idea of exploring the consequences of war. Identifying and analyzing victims of war. Addressing the ho...

Originally Published on May 14th, 2025 About the Artist When I was a boy, I loved movies like  The Neverending Story ,  Willow ,  Conan the Barbarian , and of course  The Hobbit . I was one of those dreaded “daydreamers,” always staring out of the classroom window instead of at the chalkboard; often embarrassed by a teacher interrupting my daring adventures taking place in my imagination with a vague question I would have only known the answer to had I been paying attention. I guess I learned that I could create a better world for myself, in my mind, than the one I was inevitably forced to live in real time.  In my imagination, I was a daring adventurer, like Atreyu, who fearlessly rode towards danger, saved  princesses, and was revered by storytellers who spread tales of my legendary feats from village to village. In reality, I was the little kid in class. I was the poor kid. I was the nerd who played the violin and took ballet. My best friend, sometimes m...

Originally Published on May 14th, 2025 About the Artist I don’t know if I say enough how inspiring it is to write for Fifteen Minutes of Fame. Every article is just a glimpse into the lives of incredible people. People with all sorts of backgrounds and from all walks of life. Before I write, I listen and I read. I’m inspired by the people who are inspired by the plethora of subjects that might inspire anybody. In general, it may sound cliche and forgettable. Believe me, if a moment is taken to read past the opening line, it’s impossible to forget how amazing these musicians are.  Take, for instance,  Katy Tessman , an Americana/Roots musician from Minneapolis, Minnesota. To say that she is simply a recording artist is an absolute oversimplification of who she is. She is a mother. She is a cancer survivor. She is an award-winning published author. She is a devoted messenger who has committed herself to her passion for storytelling; that it might help those who stop to listen. F...

Originally Published on May 12th, 2025 About the Artist In listening to some of the more recent music submissions that have come my way, I’m beginning to notice a very interesting shift in electronic music. When I started Fifteen Minutes of Fame, electronic music was a genre I listened to a lot of; mainly through my admiration of  Thom Yorke  and all of the impressive solo work he has done as a DJ and producer of electronic music. In addition to Yorke, my love for electronic music stems from early 2000’s releases from artists like  Moby ,  Maps ,  Jóhann Jóhannsson , and bigger mainstream artists like  Fatboy Slim  and  Daft Punk .  The genres around electronic music have changed significantly in the last few years. What once was simply just described as techno in mainstream music, a plethora of underground sub genres have emerged and brought their own influences into the music industry. All the way from dubstep, drum and bass, to genres like...