Welcome back to the Nashville Bar Bike Blog, your favorite place to find out all you ever wanted to learn about taking a visit through our favorite city in the entire country. If you did not know already, we are full of pride about living in what we fondly refer to as “Music City” because it truly is just that. Run by musical talent and enjoyed by all who visit, Nashville is the type of place that you visit when you have a serious craving for live music. Whether it be local bar bands, a tour through the Ryman, a visit to Ernest Tubb’s Records or a sold out stadium concert, this city has a bit for all the music lovers out there. More often than not, the first genre that anyone who knows even a little bit about Nashville will consider in regards to the city, is Country music. Honky Tonks, Bluegrass Bars and Country Chapels like the Ryman Auditorium have been home to the greats of Western style music for as long as we can remember. Be sure to check back through our past articles, there’s even a historic take on Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop through the eyes of a once local musician. While Country music is near and dear to the hearts of all who wander our way, that is not what we are here to discuss with you this week.
This week, here on the Nashville Bar Bike Blog, we want to take a second and talk about something a little different from what one would normally find when searching for bands in the city. Country music is absolutely a staple of Nashville and something we have a habit of discussing quite often, but not today. Keep on reading to learn about some locally based musicians who go against Music City’s norm and produce content that isn’t just for cowboys. There is much more to Nashville’s Indie music than meets the eye and each one of these bands is proof of just that.
Stay until the end of this list (trust us, you will want to check out every group that we mention) for info on how to book a ride on the Nashville Bar Bike with your best friends while you’re here in town! When tickets start at just 30$ you won’t want to miss out on this truly unique tour. If you have never been on the #BarBike before, this will make your trip unforgettable.
Now, on to the real reason you are here today. Enjoy 9 Nashville based bands that are not specifically involved in Country/Western genres.
Spirits Republic
First up on the list is a band that identifies as Nashville’s own “Altexperifunkadelia” genre is Spirits Republic. If you are the type of person who wants to dance when you go out, head over to bars like The Underdog on Gallatin Pike one night when they are playing. Smooth vocals, funky bass lines and an overall trippy vibe combine in the most cohesive way with Spirits Republic. Check out their two recently released singles wherever you like to stream music, including a wicked cover of “Kids” by MGMT. We can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future!
Hudson Valley
When you hear about Hudson Valley, that might be because they are playing all over the place here in Nashville. Turn on any local channel or wander into a number of bars to understand what we are talking about. From 3rd & Lindsley to Good Morning Nashville, you will recognize their rock influenced, sound in every corner of the city. From the moment this group of four started their journey in 2018, Hudson Valley has been putting out consistently great music and will continue to do so for what seems like forever. While some might consider this band to be country, the sound is too heavy to be held back by the generalization. We could not write this piece without featuring Hudson Valley. Check out their latest single “Let Me Drink About It” on major streaming services and you will be hooked.
Bleaker
Two-Piece band Bleaker, residing in Nashville is exactly what the rebel in you needs to experience while you’re in the city. Don’t miss out on one of the most intense punk shows around, you can find them all over the local area. Look for them at venues like The Shed or The Underdog and stream the new single “lately” for a taste of awesome indie rock. Alt lovers are sure to be interested in the live performance from first listen.
Slow Pass
Slow Pass is an indie/psych rock, two-piece band that jams hard and is still fresh on the music scene. Whether they are gracing the stages of EXIT/IN with their truly unique, synthetic sound, or just blaring their new single “White Knuckles” through your speakers, you are bound to have never heard anything like Slow Pass. Hipsters will want to jump on the opportunity to fall in love with this band before they blow up, and they will.
Smallville
No, not the cheesy television show but something even better. Smallville is a band right out of Tennessee that has a new single out, just a teaser to their upcoming record. If hard hitting lyrics that make you feel something sounds like a bad time to you, then do not check out Smallville. But, if you want to get deeper with the musicians providing an ear catching tune, you will want to keep an eye out for this band’s new album.
The Reveal
Steadily climbing up the ladder that is Nashville’s music scene, The Reveal is widely understood to have a stage presence that is only matched by their sound. We can all agree here that this group is one you will want to catch anytime you get a chance. Playing stages like 5 Spot Downtown, this three-piece group is a rock outfit that you will put on again and again. Having come all the way from Indiana, you’ll be happy to see them in Music City anytime they are around.
Year of October
When a band is described by fans as a mix of Amy Winehouse fronting Black Sabbath, you have to check them out, right? If a party is what you are on a mission to find, Year of October always delivers. Check out their Wastelands album and find out for yourself why this funky rock band is one of the favorites around here.
Highland Kites
Ambient sounding music and deep lyrics come together in Highland Kites, a band that made the trek all the way from Los Angeles to here in Nashville. If you are into dreamy vibes and words that will make you stop for a moment and contemplate life, look no further than Highland Kites. Check out their new single “Fences” wherever you like to stream.
Chill Pill
Ambient sounding music and deep lyrics come together in Highland Kites, a band that made the trek all the way from Los Angeles to here in Nashville. If you are into dreamy vibes and words that will make you stop for a moment and contemplate life, look no further than Highland Kites. Check out their new single “Fences” wherever you like to stream.
Conclusion
Music City can usually be interpreted at synonymous with Country music, and with good reason. All of the greats have lived, created and played here in Nashville when it comes to Western music but that is not even close to what this talented and driven city has to offer any creative scene. Among the Cowboy Boots and Honky Tonks lies an entire community of talent that resides in a completely different world from what has been highlighted over the years. But, this particle article was not for those greats. Nashville is not just for Cowboys, despite how we tend to lean in that direction any chance we get. Sue us, we have a special sort of love for Country and Western music, but that isn’t all that the city has to offer. We hope you have enjoyed a look into some of the local bands that are making quite the names for themselves, even in the midst of everything going on in the world right now.
If you have made it this far, then the time has come to make good on our promise to tell you more about the #BarBike and our unique way of taking a tour of the city. If you have never seen it before, the #BarBike is a mobile bar, one that can fit 6-15 people at any time. That’s right, you read that right, a bar that moves, completely powered by the riders on board. When you are taking a tour of Nashville, the hardest part of the entire journey has to be figuring out what places to stop at with the time you have available. Here at Nashville Bar Bike, we take that confusion out of the equation by guiding you through all of our favorite spots! You can even ask your tour guide for their opinions on what to do and where to go around here, if you haven’t already spent time reading through our past blog posts to see what we have been covering. Either way, here at Nashville Bar Bike, we want all of our guests and new friends to have as simple of a time as possible when coming out to chill with us. Don’t believe us? Follow Nashville Bar Bike on Facebook or Instagram for videos and photos of our guests having the time of their lives when taking a tour with us on the #BarBike. This tour has got to be our favorite thing to do in Nashville, even if we are a teensy bit biased in that regard.
Don’t forget to bookmark this page and check back often to learn about Nashville and all that a visit here has to offer you. From Vegan Soul food and Happy Hour specials, to Museums and Family Fun in the city, there is something new and exciting happening every day and we are beyond hyped up to write about it for you. Here at Nashville Bar Bike, we know that planning a trip anywhere can be exhausting, especially when the place in question is consistently adding brand new venues and activities to consider. So if we can spotlight the options available and make the entire process seem less daunting than it once was, we have achieved our goal for the afternoon. Don’t hesitate to click through the rest of this site, especially the FAQ tab up top if there is anything we missed or any questions left. We can’t wait to get to meet you from the Bar Bike!