The Rites of Spring 2017 Survey was released Nov. 15, and while some of the artists are lesser known names, they aren’t far off from what you may be listening to now. Here is a quick guide to help you figure out who to vote for based on your taste.
Tier 1
The Shins– Grammy-nominated indie rock and pop group that writes catchy, guitar-driven songs.
For fans of: classic 60’s rock, The Beatles
Anderson Paak.–Mixes soul, R&B, and hip-hop with powerful vocals and tons of swagger, XXL magazine Freshman Class of 2016.
For fans of: Allen Stone, Bilal, BJ the Chicago Kid
Cage the Elephant– Swaggering garage rock with lots of attitude and catchy choruses. Famous for “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”.
For fans of: Cold War Kids, New Politics
Gucci Mane– Famed Southern trap-inspired rapper, extremely prolific and a collaborator of everyone from Lil Wayne to Mariah Carey.
For fans of: 2 Chainz, Jeezy
The Naked and Famous– Award-winning electronic-driven pop group with anthemic choruses.
For fans of: Grouplove, Passion Pit
Odesza– EDM/chillwave duo, nominated for a Grammy for their remix of RAC’s “Say My Name.”
For fans of: the Chainsmokers and other breezy, poppy EDM artists
Rae Sremmurd– Famous for the smash hit “Black Beatles”, southern hip-hop duo with smooth, bassy production and infectious hooks.
For fans of: Migos, Rich Homie Quan
The Head and the Heart– Indie folk and rock with big sing-along choruses.
For fans of: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, the Lumineers
Travis $cott– A prodigy and collaborator of Kanye West, Travis brings the sounds of Kid Cudi and Future together to make his own take on druggy, trap-inspired rap
For fans of: Future, Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky
Tier 2
Vulfpeck– Jazz/funk/groovy-as-hell music with arguably one of the best contemporary bassists.
For fans of: Allen Stone, BadBadNotGood, Snarky Puppy
A-Trak– Famed trap/EDM producer, commonly known for remix of “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
For fans of: Dillon Francis, Kill the Noise
Dr. Dog– Psychedelic yet eccentric rock with experiments in electronic instruments.
For fans of: Spoon, alt-J
Gallant- A powerful, soulful singer with jazzy, electronic instrumentals.
For fans of: Childish Gambino’s R&B side, BJ Chicago Kid
Kiiara- Pop singer with smooth, bassy, and sparse production, currently topping charts with single “Gold”.
For fans of: Tove Lo, Alessia Cara
Lil Yachty– Resembles the Autotuned rap style of Future and Young Thug over bright, colorful beats and catchy hooks. Recent hype from his verse on D.R.A.M.’s “Broccoli”.
For fans of: Young Thug, D.R.A.M.
Mac Demarco– Psychedelic pop and rock singer-songwriter with an eccentric edge, definitely for fans of the Beatles’ weirder side, the Doors
St. Lucia– Powerful, uplifting pop music with powerful male vocals and huge choruses.
For fans of: Joywave, Saint Motel
Sylvan Esso– Combining indie pop and electronic music, the duo brings catchy hooks and danceable beats.
For fans of: Phantogram, Purity Ring
Ty Dolla $ign– Rapper/soulful R&B singer, who favors smooth, bass-heavy production.
For fans of: Wale, Trey Songz
21 Savage– A collaborator of Drake, Future, and Metro Boomin, XXL Freshman Class of 2016. For fans of: Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert
