20 Watts

Taylor Swift shares a sound with plenty of indie artists out there

Taylor Swift may not have Kanye West’s approval, but the girl makes music people like. Swift was the first country artist to win an MTV Video Music Award, and her album Fearless has been wildly successful on the Billboard charts since its release last November. And, oh yeah, she’s just 19 years old — an age when most kids can barely do their own laundry, let alone front their own tour.

Despite her success, Swift seems to have managed to keep acting like a regular girl. In her video “Thug Story (w/ T-Pain)” she jokes about her love for her mom and the joys of baking cookies. On her Twitter page, she regularly discusses argyle socks, hanging with her friends and walking through Radio City Music Hall.

Basically if you like Taylor Swift, you’re probably drawn to her love-struck country ballads and cute-and-wholesome girl-next-door image. The only thing she’s missing is indie cred, which is why 20 Watts has compiled this list of similar indie artists — you’ll likely love them, too.

Thao Nguyen
Thao Nguyen is like a Korean version of Cat Power, but with happier songs.  Imaginative, lighthearted and lovable, her 2008 album We Brave Bee Stings and All established her guitar-driven folk-pop style and launched her to fame with the smile-inducing single “Bag of Hammers.”  Her third album, the wistful Know Better Learn Faster, was released on Kill Rock Stars on October 13.  And in concert, Thao fills time between songs with fun stories about stealing towels from hotel rooms and enduring her grandmother’s zany antics.  She may not be rocking the VMAs, but Thao is one of the most charismatic singers in the roots realm.

Jenny Lewis
Like Swift, Jenny Lewis found success early in life: she starred in “Troop Beverly Hills” at age 13 and enjoyed assorted bit roles in Jell-O commercials, sitcoms and made-for-TV movies.  Later she went on to lead indie pop faves Rilo Kiley and release two albums on her own.  Older Rilo Kiley albums like The Execution of All Things and Take Offs and Landings feature heartfelt songs about lost love, days on the beach and the Omaha music scene. Lewis’ solo albums, Rabbit Fur Coat and last year’s Acid Tongue, gave her an outlet for more soulful country songwriting, with sensitive lyrics and intimate vocals.

Neko Case
You may already know Neko Case from her work with Vancouver’s New Pornographers.  As a solo artist, however, Case loses the art pop gloss and sings huge, haunting rural lullabies fit for dark country drives.  For her most recent album, March’s Middle Cyclone, Case bought a farmhouse in Vermont and recorded in the barn.  She’s also known for her banter during live concerts, during which she discusses hot topics like a teenage relationship with the Grim Reaper. If Taylor Swift decided to leave Nashville for the Pacific Northwest, she’d probably sound a lot like Neko.

The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers are one of the best country-inspired bands in indie music today. Hailing from North Carolina, the band of two brothers, plus bass player Bob Crawford, play achingly romantic folk songs. They also mix up the act with a fast-strumming banjo in tracks like single “Kick Drum Heart.” Just like Taylor Swift loves her mom, the Avett brothers make family their priority in songs like “Murder in the City,” where they ask that their love for their families be revealed if they die.  Too bad both brothers are married!

Erica Scarano
Taylor Swift is so relatable — she’s really just like you. Who else is like you?  Erica Scarano, a Syracuse University senior and music education major, who named a song after her favorite Jimmy John’s sandwich and recorded an awe-inspiring Tegan and Sara cover in her dorm room. Scarano’s sweet, clear voice and delicate piano musings usually inspire intense clapping and laughing at her local shows.  Keep your eye out for her concerts in Schine’s Jabberwocky Café and at campus open mic nights.  You might just catch a glimpse of S.U.’s own Taylor Swift.

– Mary Cappabianca