Fifteen Minutes of Fame: An Independent Artist Music Review Blog

Originally Published on June 19th, 2025 About the Artist I’m like a fiend for independent music. Every month, Fifteen Minutes of Fame run campaigns to discover new music and new artists. Every month we publish reviews, premier blind reactions. We host interviews and post on social media to meet new artists and hear new music. Sometimes, we post on Instagram, Threads, or BlueSky and there isn’t a response. Sometimes, there are a plethora of responses, and in the mix, there is a link to a song that is just different.  So is the case with  Marta Per . A Londonite who is originally from Lisbon, her bio says she is “figuring life out and using music as therapy in the meantime.” Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to your next favorite artist. Per’s therapeutic journey began in 2009 with a collaboration with Brazilian-born artist,  Anchor the Sun , with their cover of  The Only Exception . It would be 13 years before we would hear the stand alone debut from Per...

Originally Published on June 19th, 2025 About the Artist The last time we checked in with Sam Smith, aka Reverend Rooster, he had just released a two-volume album in sequence last September. Fifteen Minutes of Fame had the privilege of  reviewing  his first album of the pair,  Songs From the Oxen Road Side One .  There are so many things I can speak about with regards to how great it was to write that review. First, of course, is the music. Smith only started releasing music in 2021, but he has been around it his entire life and it’s been a focus for much of his career. Working as a prominent radio jock in Maine, he was dubbed “Reverend Rooster” by a member of Dead Season and the name stuck. Simply put, he knows music. He has a passionate relationship with it.  Second, Smith is one of the best storytellers I’ve had the privilege of listening to. When he submitted his albums for review last year, it came with this fantastic EPK that chronicled the entire journey ...

Originally Published on June 13th, 2025 Preface This Friday boasted many new releases from talented independent artists. Throughout the week, there have been others including releases from  Circumstantial Saint ,  Falling Over Water ,  Sprawler FU , and  Elly Kace  had her first release for her upcoming album, due to release in 2026! Today, we are looking at 3 wonderful releases from some very talented musicians. Don’t Look Back by North Woods About the Artist North Woods  are a significantly talented folk duo from the Boston area consisting of Sherry Aviles and Christina Thomas Taylor. They were last featured by Fifteen Minutes of Fame in November, after the release of their single,  Voices . Since Voices, North Woods haven’t had any other releases, but Taylor’s side project,  Octoberture  did release their single,  Bada Bada Uh  in January. About the Song Don't Look Back  is the first release by North Woods in 2025. It releas...

Originally Published on June 13th, 2025 About the Artist I am getting more and more excited about the scene that is emerging out of the Minneapolis area. Home of legendary acts like  Prince  and grunge rock pioneers,  Soul Asylum , it is no wonder the Independent Scene is as impactful as it is. Fifteen Minutes of Fame have already covered musical releases of artists like  Lexie Modica ,  Fireside Shadow ,  Conzemius , and  Katy Tessman . Now, it’s time to introduce our readers to  Nobody From Nowhere . Nobody From Nowhere is a musical project organized by Michael Koppelman, a producer credited for contributing to works released by Prince in fact. It includes a diverse group of musicians, including Katy Tessman’s son; the talented guitar player, Louis Tessman Stonach, Oliver Osland, Myles Koppelman, and Marc Retish. Touted for inspiring live performances, Nobody From Nowhere are poised to becoming somebody very soon. Their multi-faceted group of ve...

Originally Published on June 13th, 2025 About the Artist Thousand Gardens  is a musical project out of New Jersey that was created by Derek Young. They have been releasing music since 2023. The project is an instrumental one, exploring early stages of Industrial (IDM), as well as some older more organic techno influences. There is a similarity to  Play  by  Moby , and Young references  Boards of Canada ,  Mouse on Mars , and  Black Moth Super Rainbow  as influences. In 2023, Thousand Gardens debuted with the release of their album,  Overgrowth ; a 10 song, 40 minute album of the same genres. What my first initial impression about their music in Overgrowth are three things: first, the percussion that is programmed is very organic sounding, very earthy. Second, they like to explore themed passages. Focus on a melodic idea. They rarely use full chord progressions. They introduce melody into a song like thought introduces an idea into a brain. Th...

Originally Published on June 12th, 2025 About the Artist In 2002, I was obsessed with  Live , I was just beginning to understand how important  Radiohead  was to me, and I was on a mission to tell as many people as I could about that band,  Coldplay ,  from England, with the song  Yellow ,  and how their  second album  would cement their legacy when it came out later that year. I was obsessed with alternative rock. My style was shifting at this point, I just wasn’t aware of it or not willing to accept it. I was a little bit of a “music snob” too. I wanted to control what was on my stereo and there was this small part of my brain that would get annoyed when a friend would sit in my car and say “have you heard this band?” I selfishly liked to be the person to say that and introduce some incredible and illuminating music into another person’s life. On the other hand, I was a people pleaser and I always allowed it and, on occasion, somebody would...

Originally Published on June 12th About the Artist I have observed that there is such a spectrum of talent, looking out at the sea of talented independent artists. A plethora of genres, styles within those genres; artists coming from all walks of life.  We are many artists, with many stories, and our experiences are drawn from many places.  Tom Whitevise , from Chicago, is an artist whose experience dates back to the 1980’s, when “DIY” was done with a “4-track cassette recorder,” in his words. He has drawn inspiration from blues, pop/rock, and progressive rock and has dedicated himself to learning new ways of expression through the study of music theory along the way. His earliest released work comes from 2021, where he released the song,  Coming Up . This bright, upbeat song has a diverse range of influence. Featuring heavy backing vocals reminiscent of  Queen , a community of instrumentation similar to  Prince and the Revolution , and leading vocals equivalent...

Originally Published on June 8th, 2025 Spotlights This publication will feature music released by artists on the date of June 6th.  Sleep Station  by  Zeynep Sophia ,  Makeup: After Midnight  by  Rockstar & Elise ,  Hypnotized  by  Isey , and  Maze in my Mind  by  Georgie Najar .  Sleep Station by Zeynep Sophia About the Artist Zeynep Sophia  didn’t actually submit for the June Campaign. She first submit for a review by Fifteen Minutes of Fame in September and I have been following her music since then. Sophia, out of Lancashire, is a pianist and her instrumental releases are often very ambient, imaginative, and create an entire plane of sound, in spite only incorporating the playing of one instrument.  Zeynep Sophia has had many releases in the last year. Dating back to April of 2024, she first released the single  Chambers  and would subsequently release 1-2 songs per month until September when sh...