After our previous list of bands under 1,000 monthly listeners, the temptation of discovering more underrated artists called to me like the Green Goblin mask. I read all the comments and wrote down all the recommendations, which I was delighted to find were plentiful and intriguing. But a singular request caught my attention. What about bands that have under 100 monthly listeners?
Obviously, I was up for the challenge. As before, one streaming platform’s data doesn’t represent the whole picture. We might as well play by Whose Line Is It Anyway? rules while we’re at it, because truly everything’s made up and the points don’t matter. But these artists still deserve attention and appreciation for their hard work. So, for the only person who asked, here are some incredible rock bands I found with under 100 monthly listeners.
Declaw
Declaw is a trio from Boston who put out their debut self-titled album in October 2025. They are Graham Lowenthal on guitar/vocals, Jovani Villegas on bass/vocals, and Nate Nickerson on drums. Their debut is a great example of how to bend a nostalgic sound into exciting new shapes, drawing on the distortion and fuzz of ’80s alt-rock and a bit of ’90s indie-rock vocals. But they can also shift into a grungier sound, as on the track “Hours & Hours & Hours.” On Spotify, they currently sit at 46 monthly listeners, so let this entice fans of mercurial indie rock to give them a shot.
fencing
Hailing from Halifax, fencing is a trio that put out their debut EP, A Mischief, in July 2025. The nine-track collection begins with the 38-second-long “Listen” as an intro, which will catch you off guard and make you wonder what you’re about to hear. But those 38 seconds keep you rooted to the spot, truly listening, so when fencing transitions abruptly into the explosive “Dribble,” you’re both ready for it and not at all. That was my experience of A Mischief. Their sound is reminiscent of early 2000s Midwest emo, which did have a big moment in Canada, but they’re also thoroughly their own thing. Sometimes breezy, sometimes melancholy, always transitory, migrating across a brief but beautiful soundscape. With 93 monthly listeners, they’re severely underrated in the broader audience.
UDDER
Formed in Athens, Georgia, UDDER is a trio making music that defies categorization. Sherri Brady Carter, Heather Lotti Jones, and Rick Stanziale originally formed in the ’90s, but reunited for a gig in 2025. With renewed creative interest, they’ve kept UDDER going, playing local shows, releasing a few rediscovered recordings, and planning an album for 2026. UDDER is a unique blend of discordant heaviness, punk attitude, and an arthouse mindset. The use of spoken-word cadence backed by dissonant post-punk noise is a fishhook to the cheek, reeling you in for a closer listen. They only have 33 monthly listeners, but I think they should be in the Pantheon of irreverent avant-garde punks.
Assisted Living
Assisted Living is a Philly slacker-rock band that’s bringing back the days of truly alternative alt-rock. Their debut album, IS COMING, dropped in October 2024, a sludgy, loose album that sounds held together with dirty shoelaces. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, or at all, really. Assisted Living makes effortless noise that’s still skillful, still artfully crafted to hit just right. There’s a slacker element, sure, but it’s not lazy. Instead, Assisted Living recalls a time when basement shows were in their prime, and maybe in Philly, they still are. Their 38 monthly listeners know what’s up, at least, but a wider audience is definitely missing out.
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