Chicago has been the proverbial fertile crescent of pop rock and pop punk bands since the turn of this century. From Alkaline Trio, to Rise Against; Allister to Fallout Boy; The Academy Is.. to the Hush Sound and The Plain White Tees, this bustling city stands as a towering beacon of catchy hooks, driving rhythms and a party in the crowd, every time.

So it is in this mold that the next in a long pedigree of musical heavy hitters comes from the very streets that shaped a generation of music. Farraday formed in the fall of 2010 as an amalgamation of the best parts of some of the most endearing local Chicago bands in the past five years. Aubyn Scolnick and Phil Serratore (formerly of Beauty and The Breakdown), Glenn Eck and Danny Casady (of Addison Park fame) and Nic Kaiser and William Scott (former members of Robot Love Story and How Bright The Sky) decided on one unusually warm November day to combine their talents and vast knowledge of movie quotes, and bring it to the people of Chicago and the world beyond.

Much like the circumstances that brought this eclectically diverse band together, the sound they produce is representative of the city they call home. A surprising fusion of pop, punk, hip hop, swing, indie, and garage rock all combine into a exhilarating live show that will fill you with an overpowering desire to pump your fist or nod your head in ecstatic approval.

Their first release: Farraday’s “The Fear Of Missing Out” takes everything they can muster live and throws it in your face with an explosion of sounds and textures to tantalize your ear buds, and shoot to the top of your Itunes most played list. Recorded in the winter of 2010/11 with Manny Sanchez (producer of Patrick Stumps new solo record), Farraday poured their heart, souls and lives into creating something special they wanted to share with friends, family and complete strangers. It is a testament to their love and dedication for their craft.

The best way to describe Farraday is a gang of best friends and excellent musicians laying it all on the line with every note and lyric on the stage and in your radio. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Up-and-coming alt-rock duo the Atlantic are no strangers to the scene. Vocalist Jessica Ess just lent her powerhouse pipes to Sleeping With Sirens’ new acoustic EP, joining frontman Kellin Quinn on the track “Don’t You Ever Forget About Me,” while guitarist David Newton previously played in pop-rock band the Best Week Ever and Screamo outfit, Thats Outrageous. The pair have now joined forces and are poised to shake up the standards of rock and post-hardcore with their new single, “Take Care.”

What is courage? When you’re a young rock ‘n’ roll band—courage is throwing yourself into your music fully and completely. It’s stepping onto a stage and just given’r. It’s touring new places far from home, and opening up, scars and all, to your fans. Courage is saying what you really think. It’s being unafraid of change, of becoming who you really are.

Courage My Love is all of these things.

The Kitchener, Canada band consists of twin sisters Mercedes Arn-Horn (vocals, guitar) and Phoenix Arn-Horn (drums. vocals) with their friend Brandon Lockwood (bass).

Call them a power trio, pop-punk, alternative metal. As you wish. They grew up on it all. But while you are jumping around and banging your head with abandon, don’t miss the message: They have no appetite for destruction. They do not seek to destroy. No, Courage My Love is here to uplift, inspire.

Becoming, the band’s new EP, produced by Chris Perry in Toronto, is eight tracks bled out of Courage My Love during a period of exciting changes. “Our first EP For Now came out when we were 17,” explains Mercedes. “When you’re our age, a lot can happen in two years.” Yes, many good things. Like heavy rotation on MuchMusic/MusiquePlus, more than 3.8 million YouTube views, and being on Alternative Press Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Bands to Know in 2012. “Before we went on tour we’d never been away from home,” says the guitarist. “You meet all these new people, and you learn about yourselves. We’ve all grown a lot. That was the inspiration for Becoming.”

Opening track “Skin and Bones” captures the fear and longing of leaving something behind. “We’re too old to die young,” they sing over thunderous beats, the heart of the matter. Hard- knocking first single “You Don’t Know How” cranks it up, intense and defiant: “Find out I’m strong enough on my own now.” By the time the EP closes with the haunting ballad “Dark Wood, Dark Water,” about finding the one thing that pulls you out of the darkness, Courage My Love’s mission is clear: rock out, be happy, stay true.

For this next generation of musicians, that means truly embracing social media. With their popular DIY podcasts and viral videos, Courage My Love not only connect with fans, they reveal more of their true selves. It’s all part of what they do best. “This whole band is about being yourself,” says Phoenix. “You don’t need to play by the book to be successful. Being a girl isn’t that big of a deal in music anymore. You don’t need to have a certain look. Break the rules, stand apart.”

Forever friends and now band-mates, Minor Wits (out of Chicago, IL) is a three-piece wind-surf-rock n’ roll band that started writing tunes together in the fall of 2011.

The band is comprised of twin brothers Brad (Percussion), Eric Nicpon (Guitar/Vocals) and Mike Nolan (Bass Guitar/Vocals).

Brad, Mike and Eric met through their local music scene in Arlington Heights, Il where every weekend they hung-out at DIY shows and venues in the city to catch bands like Spitalfield, Knockout and Fall Out Boy.

Around the ages of 13 and 15 the guys began to play in their own groups (The Local Scene, Upon Ember, Makai); they learned during that time that by writing sincere tunes, putting on energetic live shows and being themselves (on and off the stage) was what being a Chicago-based band was all about.

Fast forward 11 years, 3 college degrees and 3 full-time jobs and you have MINOR WITS.

[The name is something eric mouthed one day while studying the photographer minor white and started playing solo under the name MINOR WITS while opening for touring bands at the M-SHOP in Ames, Iowa]

In 2012 the band released their debut EP, “Bedroom Blues.”

Since then the band has played all over the Chicago scene– playing great clubs like Lincoln Hall, Double Door, Subterranean and Schubas on the regular. Keeping it cool while drinking brews, enjoying each others funnies and writing new tunes is what that band is currently up-to.

The band is set to record their second effort and will be in the studio this spring. Follow along as they do what they do — come and join them for spirits at a show and download the music for free.

It will continue to be Minor Wits for a long time.