Seattle's Bursting with Musical Pride From NPR Nods

Today NPR posted a story called "5 Artists You Should Have Known In 2010". Guess who's on there? I bet you're not surprised, but two Seattle groups made it on the list. Granted, Kevin Cole of our very own KEXP is the one to produce this list. Though, no favoritism is needed to choose both Macklemore and Head and the Heart for the top 5.

From personal experience, we can attest to Head and the Heart's universal appeal. We've known dedicated hip hop fans, country music lovers, and indie music aficionados alike that have fallen for HATH over and over again. They wear their hearts on their sleeves both in their music and at their shows as they dance, clap and hug each other on stage. That feeling is infectious when you are surrounded by hundreds of fans all singing the songs that haven't even been released yet (only in you tube and vimeo vids). A smile creeps across your face without warning and stays there for days. What can we say? We're in love.

Macklemore is arguably one of Seattle's best hip-hop artists, and this was his year to shine. His collaborative album with DJ/producer Ryan Lewis The Vs debuted a year ago, along with the powerful music video "The Town," a beautifully visual celebration of the 206 hip-hop scene. Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, followed up with live shows in Seattle including opening for Blue Scholars' double feature show in the spring, and a main stage spot at Capitol Hill Block Party, to name a few. Recently, Macklemore recruited local hip-hop artists and the Seattle community to star in his newest music video "Irish Celebration," a fun way to end an epic year for this popular Seattle artist. You can find a fantastic documentary/interview with DJ Michele Myers on the KEXP blog as well.