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Creator and Artist Stories

Music Tuesday: Under-the-radar artists, music from everyday objects and Making Friendz

By Sarah Bardeen

Music Community Manager

While Lady Gaga tears up the charts (and makes her entire album available on YouTube), we’re dedicating this week to the under-the-radar artists who pump creative juices into YouTube’s veins. We’ve got a treasure trove of talent, starting with Diego Stocco, the Italian inventor/composer/multi-instrumentalist who can make an instrument out of discarded pianos and a song out of a bonsai tree. Jeff Pianki is a young singer-songwriter who wins hearts the old-fashioned way: with sweet lyrics and catchy melodies. Sanders Bohlke, the folk artist from Mississippi, has videos as easygoing as his music. And finally, Yasuhito Watanabe is a Japanese singer-songwriter brimming with crossover potential. Check them all out on youtube.com/music today.

Music from Everyday Objects

Can you make music out of a blow dryer? A bicycle? A bonsai tree? It turns out that a lot more artists think so than you might expect. Diego Stocco’s inventive pursuit of new sources for sound got us curious about who else is corralling everyday objects to make music on YouTube. And what we found is delightful: music made from wine glasses, a bottle opener, an old Soviet camera, a refrigerator door, Game Boys and much more.

Making Friendz “Situtation” video premiere
Making Friendz is Tami Hart, the former folk musician-turned-party girl who claims to be ripping off her buddies No Age, found herself a member of the tranny/dance collective MEN earlier this year, and is now gearing up for a new release on June 21. The first single is a big, noisy party song that’s equal parts New Pornographers and Valley Girl-era sass. And it’s perfectly matched by a crazy video from the directing team Wildwoodils. It’s all gross-out, 1980s Nickolodeon humor -- and very worth your time.
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