THE BUNCHA BASTARDS
The Buncha Bastards are an acoustic harmony duo from Peoria, Illinois.
HULDER
Hulder’s darkness began to spread through the underground beginning in 2018 with the release of the Ascending the Raven Stone demo tape. A few more heavily traded and widely regarded cassette releases later, the band signed with Stygian Black Hand Records to release the first vinyl offering in the form of the EP, Embraced By Darkness Mysts…This solidified Hulder’s influence within the international metal scene but it wasn’t until the debut full length album, Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry (Iron Bonehead Records), that both underground and more broad audiences were captivated by Hulder’s black metal craft. The long awaited first live performances took place in Olympia, Washington and New York City in the autumn of 2021. It was on the Winter Solstice of 2021 that a new partnership was announced with 20 Buck Spin Records, and plans for a new mini-album and second full length album were unveiled. The year 2022 will mark just the beginning of Hulder’s powerful live performances throughout the United States and, eventually, to lands beyond.
HAIL THE DARKNESS
DEAD, DEAD SWANS
Folk band from the Midwest
CROWES PASTURE
A roots-infused, internationally touring folk duo, Crowes Pasture performs sometimes joyful, and oftentimes, poignant, songs that reflect a mutual passion, sense of discovery and celebration of the human connection.
BRANDON SANDERS FROM THE OPERATORS
D-BLOCK EUROPE
Platinum-selling South London collective D-Block Europe announce their highly-anticipated album, Lap 5, along with the release of their brand new single, ‘Fantasy’.
A summer anthem in waiting, ‘Fantasy’ arrives with a William Thomas-directed visual, displaying Young Adz and Dirtbike LB venturing into a high-spirited trance, enjoying the entertaining atmosphere.
Dropping on 16th September, Lap 5 magnifies D-Block Europe’s meteoric rise as they set their sights on global domination. Consistent in carving their own lane, Lap 5 is a celebration of the last five summers. Their upcoming record is the pinnacle of Young Adz and Dirtbike LB’s distinctive artistry and compelling penmanship. It will include previous servings, ‘Black Beatles’ and ‘Elegant & Gang’, both permanent fixtures in the Official Singles Chart, alongside a wealth of brand new material.
EXTC
For the first time in over 40 years, EXTC – featuring XTC’s original iconic drummer, Terry Chambers – is bringing the phenomenal XTC songbook to the stage. Fans can expect EXTC (named and approved by band leader, Andy Partridge) to equal the fire and passion of the original XTC line up, storming through hits and classics like Making Plans for Nigel, Senses Working Overtime, Sgt Rock, and many more.
BED
slow-fi
MOON TIDE GALLERY
Moon Tide Gallery is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Based out of Baltimore, Maryland
BEACH GOONS
Beach Goons is an alt-rock trio based out of San Diego, CA. They have described themselves as “Californian high school kids who love Bleeding Knees Club and watching Palo Alto while crying” and “Los vatostristes de Barrio Logan” (loosely translated, “the sadbois from Logan Heights”). They primarily make music in a genre they’ve dubbed “surf punk,” with lyrics in both English and Spanish.
UNREQVITED
As a result of journeying into his mind and collecting a wide range of emotions, 鬼 has included many lighter and more uplifting passages than previously on “Beautiful Ghosts”, although dark twists are balancing the score. New elements include a significant use of clean vocals throughout the album and there are even playfully progressive rhythms as in the opening track ‘All Is Lost’. The core elements that have shaped UNREQVITED in the past remain active as well. The massive anthemic refrains from “Mosaic I: L’amour Et L’ardeur” (2018) are equally present as the simple melancholic melodies from the 2016 debut album “Disquiet” and the orchestral grandeur of “Empathica” (2020). Ever since 鬼 conceived UNREQVITED as a special musical vehicle for his multi-faceted creative output and brought it to light in 2016, his project has been a constantly shape-shifting and stylistically wide roaming creature. With “Beautiful Ghosts”, the Canadian is at the same time gathering the strands of his previous works and taking an innovative step forward that makes it even harder to slap just one label onto his sound. “Beautiful Ghosts” applies a rich palette of musical colours, hues, and shades that are passionately blended together by the theme of “love”.
HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY
Mӕre – a malicious folk entity that creeps up on sleeping people’s chests during thenight and instils breathlessness and anxiety. It is this state of diffused terror and paralysis thathas been enshrined in HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY’s music ever since their 2012 debut album.January 2021 will see more tales from their feverish dreams ready to break out into the light ofday.With M.S.‘s captivating guitar melodies and J.J.‘s lyrics, ridden with trauma, delirium and loss,their unique mixture of black metal and post rock creates an inescapable maelstrom ofshattering screams and sudden acoustic guitar interludes.As pioneers of the “post“ movement, the Austrians have, ever since their conception in 2011,drawn fans and critics deeper and deeper into the depths of their melancholy, self-hate andanger.Their previous release “Arson” reached #29 in the German and #62 in the Austrian charts.”Mӕre” will be graced with several friends of the band who have entered into the intoxicatedworld of HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY to guest on the album; Alcest’s frontman Neige brings ahaunting flair to ‘Sing For The Damage We’ve Done’, the anonymous voice of Gaerea joins inon ‘Silver Needle // Golden Dawn’, and, as session drummer, the duo one again commit to noneother than Kerim “Krimh“ Lechner (Septicflesh, live-Behemoth). However, an act of HARAKIRIFOR THE SKY’s stature no longer needs to rely on namedropping to be noticed.“Mӕre“ was recorded during the spring quarantine of 2020, which may well have been thecause of the feeling of abandonment that permeates the ten songs. Self-loathing with numbingrestlessness will still echo through your bones long after the last note of the Placebo cover‘Song To Say Goodbye‘ has resonated. Recorded and produced by M.S. and mixed with thehelp of Daniel Fellner, this fifth oeuvre is another milestone in the history of the duo who willcelebrate their 10th anniversary in 2021.
NIKKI MORGAN
As the daughter of a minister and kin to a lot of church folk Nikki grew up listening to traditional gospel/christian music and spent much of her grade school days involved in school band playing clarinet and oboe. But, despite her early exposure to music, it wasn’t until the tender age of 28 when she finally began to start making music of her own.
Nikki was born and raised in North Carolina but Chicago is where she found her first home as a performer and songwriter. Starting out in the open mic scene it didn’t take long for her to garner local support and make her way to some great stages around the midwest: opening for acts such as Jaime Wyatt, Caroline Spence, Boo Ray, and Sean Watkins.
She is a former winner of the awarded Uncommon Ground Songwriting competition; she has been voted as a ‘Judge’s Pick’ in the Nashville Rising Song contest, and recently had her single Love.Save.Me make it to the semi-final round of the International Songwriting Competition.
Nikki finds a way to combine captivating melodies and insightful lyrics with a voice full of raw passion. Her music is unapologetic in it efforts to grapple with real life; and yet elegantly embodies the essence of her “Carolina Soul”.
NO MAGIC
Emo/Punk Trio from Chicago, Illinois featuring Vincent (drum), Isaiah
(guitar), and Jack (bass)
EXOSPHERE
For Fans Of: Mastodon, Yob, Neurosis, and Death
Exosphere is a Psychedelic Sludge band from Arlington Heights, IL comprised of Jackie Frank Russell III (Vocals, Guitar), Steven Graff (Guitar, Vocals), Henry Edwards (Bass), and Bill Kaszubowski (Drums)
SAWBÜCK
The band established the roots of Sawbuck through house shows with other post-hardcore sounds. These were intimate events that often came to capacity through invite-only and privatized methods of concealing the address. Nevertheless, this gritty scene made music accessible. But then, is that not the point of DIY?
But since their backyard show and small festival days in 2018, the band has changed. Now a five-piece with two guitarists and a drastic, more heavy change in sound. The difference is no spur-of-the-moment decision. While post-hardcore and math-rock bands such as the Fall of Troy, Animals as Leaders, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The broken rhythm and randomized cacophony are still prevalent in the newer material. The heavy guitar drops are more to elevate the Cathartic elements of the songs drawn from influences like the Chariot, Every Time I Die, and Vulvodynia.
Sawbuck plans on continuously changing and challenging its sound while maintaining that availability to its listeners as a DIY band.
K-DEATH
K-Death is a punk/metal/hard rock band with some hints of Arabic. Hailing from the Valpo region, the group is comprised of Eli Schott (bass), Don Orban (drums), and Panayotis Kaiafas (guitars and vocals)
EAST MOON
We are East Moon. Post Hardcore/ Emo core. Formed in 2020. Based in Chicago. Debuted Singles in 2023. Debut EP in 2024.
CORONARY
Hardcore punk. Rad Girlfriend Records. THE FUTURE IS NOW.
ANCIENT DAYS
Doom/horror band from Indianapolis Indiana. Lurking in the shadows always.
BONITA APPLEBLUNT
SKY JETTA
Sky Jetta is a international DJ-Producer.
The Detroit sweet-heart became a music selector in her hometown in 2014, after dropping out of school at Columbia College Chicago. Jetta sound is nostalgic, funky, and overall fly to death, with blends that will cut through the entire dance floor and energy to make her sets unforgettable. No matter the event or crowd, the open format styled DJ Sky Jetta knows how to put on a show for any audience.
In 2016 Sky Jetta opened up for artist Rich The Kid and in 2018 had the opportunity to play Atlanta’s ‘A3C festival’ opening up for various artist such as Lil Wayne, Wu-tang and Trina to name a few.
Since then she has traveled city to city, state to state and country to country while working her fanbase in Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, New York City, Toronto, London, and Montreal.
Sky Jetta is now the official DJ of grammy nominated — producer and songwriter Baby Tate.
Her objective is to encourage women from all backgrounds to be fearless in a male dominated industry —
POLICE STATE
TRASH FIASCO
Based in Chicago, IL, Trash Fiasco is a punk fueled garage rock trio littered with loud tendencies. As described by Redacted Magazine, “At their best, Trash Fiasco sounds like a mob of Neanderthals pillaging a music store, having never seen an instrument but making loud sounds nonetheless…”
Releasing their debut album, “Stay Miserable”, in August of 2021, the group put their range on display featuring everything from raucous punk to what Radio Wigwam DJ Christian John called “brilliant” and WPNA 103.1 FM Chicago DJ, Adela Skowronski, described as “serious Misfits vibes” and sounding “deranged and crazy”.
As the follow-up, Trash Fiasco released a series of three singles: In Your Blood, Maniacal Frenzy, and Bastard From a Basket. This single series highlighted the quirky, yet dark, stylings of the group. This didn’t mark a new direction for the band, but rather unveiled more of what you didn’t know they had.
Trash Fiasco is comprised of Lucas Fuechsl (drums), Alex “Frodo” Steinbach (bass), and Frank Bruno (guitar/vocals).
TK MAGYC
LEI DOMINIQUE
“I am not just one thing, I am everything” – Lei Dominique
Debut EP ‘Nostalgic Tear’ is out now!
POLYESTER THE SAINT
JAMS THE FLAVA CHILD
Chicago rapper, JAMS The Flava Child is a brilliant up and comer whose intense blend of hiphop beats with funk rhythms and his relatable themes has garnered him a loyal fanbase. In the past, he has sold out solo shows at Chicago’s notorious Schubas (250) and joined Kota The Friend on a sold out US tour in 2019. His latest release “Live From The Lac” hit the airwaves in July.
VEERS
English-born front man, guitarist, and principle songwriter Andrew Proctor moved to Los Angeles where he met Arizona natives Nick Lanata (bass) and Spencer Schuck (guitar), and Chris Neff (drums) who’d come from Portland, Oregon. Accomplished musicians all, the band’s chemistry was clear from the outset, and their electrifying concerts have allowed them to build a sizable and energetic fan base in Los Angeles.
Now, with all the pieces in place and the wind at their back, the band has stepped forward into an exciting 2022––with a new record deal, two new singles, a national tour and their debut album, Universe Reversal.
Check out singles “Wolf at the Door” and “Don’t Let It Be Me”
“(they) sound like they never stopped believing rock ’n’ roll could do the heavy lifting. ” – Buzzbands LA
CECE MARAVILLA
Originally from Wisconsin, 19 year-old producer and artist Cece Maravilla now calls Chicago home and finds it a haven to create vulnerable and emotional tracks, including their collab with Heartgaze on “Lose Myself”
MOHIT
Mohit brings a hip-hop vibe from New Delhi, India with lyrics spun over atmospheric beats, evident in 2021 singles “The One” and “Zaaya”
HEARTGAZE
Heartgaze is a pop artist with releases such as debut album “Hiding in Bleachers” and 2020 EP “Beauty Adorns Virtue”
FEAR
FEAR is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1978.
THURSDAY
Thursday is an American post-hardcore band, formed in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1997. The band currently consists of Geoff Rickly, Tom Keeley, Steve Pedulla, Tim Payne, and Tucker Rule.
ANBERLIN
Anberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.
GOODBYE SUNSHINE
From Chicago Illinois Goodbye Sunshine is bringing fun, quick pop punk hooks and hits. Goodbye Sunshine’s debut EP “Keep Failing, You’re Doing Great” was recorded and produced by the legend Joe Queer. This EP was recently voted by Independent Music Guide as one of the “Top 50” releases of 2022. Goodbye Sunshine is definitely for fans who likes Teenage Bottlerocket, the Queers, Masked Intruder, Screeching Weasel, Off With Their Heads, Capgun Heroes and 90’s pop punk.
SEAN BAIR FLANNERY
‘m a comic in Chicago. My first book, “Places I Can’t Return To” is available now on my website. I created & host The Blackout Diaries.
GEORGIA MOORE
Oil Lube & Filter Service
one silly gal
KILLER DILLER
SUPERSONIC SKA STEADY VIA DETROIT Featuring members of BOP (harvey), J. Navarro & the Traitors, Hillbilly Knife Fight, The Exceptions, Telegraph, Superdot, Planet Detroit Nonet, The Luddites, The Atomic Fireballs, THEATRE BIZARRE ORCHESTRA
THE ABRUPTERS
New Album Noticeably Cheerless coming summer 2022 on ASIAN MAN RECORDS. Ska/Soul/Reggae/Rocksteady
HIGHBALL HOLIDAY
20th and 21st century ska international and based in Wisconsin USA, Earth
ADVORSA
Advorsa is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2013. The band currently consists of guitarist Alan Russell, vocalist Angelo Hakey, guitarist David Krouwer, drummer Hector Huizar, and bassist James Lenten. While they possess a strong death metal foundation, they are an amalgamation of all things heavy. They strive to make each song unique and tell its own story. Some of the subject matter of their songs includes The Evil Dead, H.P. Lovecraft, Greek Mythology, and other horrific themes.
SIDE HUG
Raised in the backyards and basements of Chicago’s music scene, Side Hug got their start with late night songwriting and intimate jam sessions, laying the foundation for their debut EP, Also (2017). A nostalgic fusion of folk and indie rock, the EP’s anchor is “Velvet,” a song that balances upbeat rhythms with reflective, slower moments.
The addition of Allan Cardenas on lead guitar and Jon Reyes on bass began a new chapter for Side Hug, and saw the release of their sophomore EP, Wasted Summer (2019), via Chicago label Midwest Action. Exploring dreamy, reverb-soaked textures and driving rhythms, moodier tracks like “Blue Line,” “New York” and “Birthday” reflect on the complexities of love and loss – a showcase of Side Hug’s evolution as a band. Between 2020 and 2024, the band also experimented with a blend of indie rock and Americana, releasing a series of singles that captured an era of isolation.
Side Hug’s debut LP, recorded at Palisade Studio (2024), promises to be a bold exploration of post-punk, shoegaze and art rock – mirroring the despondent, emotional subject matter of singer Lyd Landor’s inner world. With a DIY ethos and a commitment to authenticity, Side Hug is unafraid to embrace the plurality of their sound as they set the stage for their new release.
GENTLEMAN SPEAKER
Playing at the intersection of indie rock and folk and hailing from Saint Paul, MN, Gentlemen Speaker released a self-titled album in 2019 and a sophomore album “The Well Between Continents” in fall of 2021. They’ve hit the road with their contingent of Tim Brecht – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Adam Fekete – Vocals, Guitar, Brian Nanoff – Bass, and Don Lavis – Drums.
8-BIT CREEPS
A psych-wave quartet in a polygamist marriage with new-wave synths, fuzzed out guitars and big beats. New sounds from old circuits for your daily bread and circus. Released a new album “Dress For The Future” on 8/5 with lead singles “Madness” and “Graveyard Thinker.”
RICK KING’S ROYAL HUSTLE
Southside Chicago Native Rick King has played drum set for KoKo Taylor, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, B.B. King and many more touring globally.
A founding member of the funk-soul-jam band Lubriphonic, he played and produced five records with the band.
These days Rick steps out from behind the drum set to front his own band on Vocals and Percussion.
The seven piece band with horn section plays feel good soul music inspired by his former employers with flavors of Chicago Blues, Memphis Soul, New Orleans Funk and Kingston Reggae.
COCHISE
no weapon formed against me shall prosper
YVNGXCHRIS
SSG KOBE
Colorfully stylish while pulling in intimate emotions and a delirious slew of inspiration from across generations, SSGKobe echoes the mystifying energy of the internet. Since creating his first songs five years ago, the Louisiana-born artist has unloaded bangers that vacillate between sullen and ecstatic, creating an Auto-Tune-drenched soundtrack for peers who process triumph and heartbreak by posting unfiltered captions on Instagram. In doing so, he’s cultivated a growing legion of fans—listeners, critics, and fellow artists as diverse as his influences.
Ko began to break out with “WYD,” a 2019 track that laced luxurious flexes and casual gunplay with artful randomness. He’s replicated that mix of refinement and hyperactivity with “MIA,” a song that lets loose exasperated yelps amid a tale of drug use, newfound wealth, and reluctant love. It evokes his mission to inspire listeners to find comfort in their identity but also to enjoy themselves. “I want my fans to be themselves and have fun,” says Ko, who, at 17, is preparing for not only a world in which he can play for those fans IRL, but his senior year of high school.
Raised in Centerville, Louisiana, SSGKobe’s road to musicianship wasn’t straightforward, but it felt inevitable. In many ways, it starts with a computer. Having jumped onto an HP desktop for the first time at just 3 years old, SSGKobe—whose name is derived from his Kobe Bryant fandom and a love of the Dragon Ball manga franchise—was born to be a star.
Because his friends weren’t always close by, he’d spend hours online, playing Flash games and listening to an endless stream of music, which would lead him to the sounds of Lil Wayne, local favorite Kevin Gates, and Chief Keef. Seeing Keef’s free-wheeling approach planted seeds of inspiration, and he soon realized that the web offered him a way out into the real world. “I think I really grasped that power. Knowing I could use the internet for anything,” remembers Ko.
SSGKobe began with a video game-focused YouTube channel that got a decent amount of subscribers, but his long game was music. For his first forays, he’d memorize Weezy lyrics and rap them to classmates. But soon enough, he was ready to try the real thing. Using a dancehall beat he got from a friend he met on Instagram, Ko wrote his first song in 2016. In order to record it, he waited until his mom was in the shower to use the voice memos app on her iPhone. He was too shy to show his friends the resulting song, which he presciently titled “Important,” but he did upload it to SoundCloud, and enough people listened to convince him the dream was viable.
By 2019, the secret was out, and by the time he dropped off his M3 project and songs like “WYD,” SSGKobe was on his way to stardom. After collaborating with Brockhampton for their album Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, he dropped “Calabasas,” an exuberant cut that became his biggest to date and featured a visual directed by Cole Bennett. All of which helped solidify his place as a one-of-one rap talent destined to move from web buzz to true fame.
Looking ahead, SSGKobe’s dreaming big. He hopes to make the best album possible and, eventually, become the best artist of his generation—no big deal. While his profile is rising and his abilities are only growing sharper, he knows he has higher plateaus to surmount, bigger goals to fulfill, and more untold sounds to explore. “I still think I’m just starting,” says Ko.
MYTYME JAZZY ZSOUL FUNK
MINKA
SON ROMPE PERA
Born and raised in Naucalpan, the deep outskirts of Mexico City, the Gama brothers and their band Son Rompe Pera have thrashed through all preconceived notions of what a marimba-centered band is, and have rendered the instrument inseparable from their punk ethos. Their shows have become home to the now-infamous marimba mosh pit across the globe, joining intergenerational audiences in moments of essential release and community around their hard-hitting, forward-thinking, unrelenting punk-infused cumbias. With two critically-acclaimed records under their belt, and hundreds of shows on some of the world’s most prestigious stages to a rapidly growing audience, the band consistently proves their boundlessness as far as where they can take the genre, standing vehemently by the fact that traditions are meant to be both honored, broken, and built again.
Son Rompe Pera is responsible for developing and coining the now-global genre ‘Cumbia Punk’- one rooted in their history which is steeped in deep-hearted rebellion. The Gama brothers began playing and performing the marimba when they were kids alongside their father, Batuco, at weddings, quinceañeras, and birthday parties on weekends to help generate income for the family. Teenagers being teenagers, the brothers rejected the notably un-cool and tourist-shop-bound instrument out of embarrassment, turning instead to punk. They spent some time playing in punk and psychobilly bands, but the instrument’s hold proved strong and they came back to it eventually, taking punk with them this time. They started to put their own punk twists on traditional cumbia songs, a wildly danceable fusion that’s come to unite global audiences in sweaty, respectful mayhem.
In 2016 the brothers’ father, Batuco, responsible for introducing them to the marimba and also for naming the band, was killed in an act of local violence. After that, the brothers nearly gave up on music all together, though a chance meeting with the legendary Chilean cumbia group Chico Trujillo in 2017 kept that from happening, and eventually resulted in the recording of their first studio album. The band spent 4 months in Chile recording and playing, reigniting a flame that would eventually become impossible to extinguish.
Batuco, their debut album named after their father, was released in 2020 via ZZK Records. When a pandemic rocked the world shortly after, the band naturally took what most of the world considered an obligation to stop as an opportunity to keep going. They breathed life into spaces that were left lifeless, popping up regularly for socially distanced performances in Mexico City’s Parque Mexico, fostering a sense of community when such a thing felt nearly impossible.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, when the world began to spin again, the boys hit the road, playing almost nonstop, including multiple dates in California with the legendary Panteon Rococo, at Los Angeles’ Levitt Pavilion, the famed Lincoln Center in New York City and on countless stages across the U.S. and Europe, as well as an absolutely earth-shattering performance on the mainstage of Vive Latino in 2022, one of the most important festivals in Latin America. Their audience expanded at light speed, and the demand for their infectious live experience grew stronger by the minute. In the beginning of 2022, the band began their next chapter. They headed to Bogota, Colombia, the birthplace of Cumbia, where they would spend a week recording their second album at Mambo Negro studio under the guidance of Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero, Ondátropica, and Las Pirañas). The album, named Chimborazo after a street the brothers live on, flips the script on their first album (which was all covers), delivering 12 original tracks and flying much closer to what the world has come to know of the band’s wild shows. It features collaborations from Macha, La Perla, Gil Gutierrez, among many others, and seamlessly blends Cumbia, tropical dance beats, hard-hitting punk, psychedelic guitars, traditional Mexican and Colombian rhythms, horns, and a pinch of dub and hip hop.
Chimborazo was released in March of 2023 via AYA/ZZK to acclaim from the likes of NPR, Billboard, AP, WNYC, KCRW, Songlines, and The Wire, who claimed that the album ‘steps with rough, full throttle cumbias dominated by the ribcage rattle of the marimba, while surf punk skeletons shake their way out of the closet’. The band, naturally, hit the ground running, with multiple tours in the U.S. and Mexico including stops at SXSW, Treefort Festival, Punk Rock Bowling, and their biggest hometown show yet- a sold-out date at the legendary Lunario theater just in the first half of the year. They’ve been on a seemingly endless tour since- stopping at some of Europe’s most prestigious festivals including Roskilde, Paleo, Rio Babel, and beyond, as well as countless stages across the U.S. and Latin America, continuing to take marimba punk to unheard-of heights, defying the confines that traditional music is often relegated to, playing, screaming, and singing in devotion to possibility, in honor of legacy, and focused on a future that is limitless, genre-bending, collaborative, loud, and for everyone.
DJ J SMOOTH
TYRIQ AND THE SOULFUL ONES
TYRIQ is a African-American Chicago-based Vocalist/Musician and Actor. He’s worked with the likes of 2x Grammy Awarding producer “Keith Harris” as his musical director for the #faceforwardproject here in Chicago, has opened for Local Chicago Artist “Erthe St. James” at city winery, and has recently been apart of the gospel choir called “music in the key of Chicago”. As a Performer, TYRIQ has performed at various Main places and stages such as Reggies Rock Club, City Winery, The 28th African Caribbean Jerk,Seafood, and Vegan Festival, Second City, Culture “live”, Next Showcase stages,Persona, and Lollapalooza. As well as local stages like Day21, Door 10, Aces Cafe, and many more. As an actor, he has performed in a D2 project play called U&I and devised piece for the People of Color project at Columbia Colleg Chicago. TYRIQ Also has 2 singles currently out called Nostalgic Mind ft. Charlie-Curtis Beard (prod. Jack Kapson and Charlie-Curtis Beard) and Love Reigns (prod. Jack Kapson). TYRIQ’s main music genres are Jazz,Gospel, Blues, Funk, R&B and currently plays the Alto Saxophone and the Piano. With a Focus in Vocal Performance and Minor in Acting, He truly values growth, love, passion, longevity, stability, acknowledgement, and teaching others.
CANYYN
( Pronounced Canyon) A power trio.
Heavy Stoner Doom Jams, Blistering Solos, Tight Grooves, Iommic Hendrixian Sonic Walls layered with Howlin Vocals from 3 Cavemen in Chicago. Debut Record Out Fall 2021.
PEN-15
“Hailing from parts unknown to any rational human being, PEN-15 is live, improvisational, interpretations of conceptual chaos. PEN-15 combines a mixture of early analog synth worship, with a lot of hard pounding beats, and blasting new synths for a batter that will leave you breathless.
PEN-15 will be coming in your earholes. Can you handle the magic?”
RIOT ACT
(Playing Riot “Fire Down Under” in full)
Riot Act features former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura, Don Chaffin-vocals, Paul Ranieri-bass, Claudio Galinski-drums. Riot Act is hard driving Rock-n-Roll! The band made their live debut January 2020 at the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame Gala. Their strong performance made a lasting impression on host Eddie Trunk. Catch it on Amazon Prime!
Riot Act tragically lost founding member Lou Kouvaris as the band was about to release an EP and embark on a European tour.After a few dark months and facing a world in quarantine, the band decided to go on, releasing a tribute video of the early Riot classic “Overdrive”. The band was ready to rock again!
Currently working on a new album and video, Riot Act ushers in a new era in hard driving rock! Stay tuned!
RYAN CURTIS
Ryan Curtis is a singer songwriter based out of Boise, Idaho.
COURT CAU$T
DAPPA
DAP DeBarge
“Thanks for Nothin 2” Out Now
GRIP
WESTSIDE BOOGIE
Boogie got his start in music after joining a church choir at the urging of his mother. He soon started writing lyrics and crafting melodies, and later enrolled in Long Beach City College to study recording. With his debut mixtape Thirst 48 arriving in June 2014, Boogie had his breakthrough with The Reach—a 2015 mixtape that spawned the Jahlil Beats-produced “Oh My,” whose viral success cemented him as one of the most refreshingly honest new voices emerging from the West Coast. Releasing Thirst 48 Pt. II in 2016, Boogie found his raw, unfiltered lyricism earning praise from artists like Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, who signed him to Shady Records in October 2017.
POUR CHOICES
Rooted in an amalgamation of punk, bluegrass, and folk, “Pour Choices” is the musical equivalent of a rant against capitalism by a drunken philosophy undergrad with a desk job. One part drinking anthems, one part millennial woes, two parts no idea what the fuck we are doing.
CLEAR COAT
Chicago post-pre-punk quartet. Full length album soon.
NORA MARKS
Not a punk band from Chicago
THE TYME MACHINES
4 Piece power pop band based out of Chicago, IL. Think rockin’ catchy tunes, infectious guitars and vocals. Light hearted fun lyrics and an upbeat exciting live show.
MATT DERDA & THE HIGH WATTS
Matt Derda & The High Watts, a Folk Rock group from the Chicago area, combines storytelling with resonant melodies.
Blending Rock N Roll riffs with Eastern Kentucky roots, they’ve created a unique sound that captures the essence of Johnny Cash’s Nashville and the grit of rock acts like The Replacements.
THE RUSTIX
TAL WILKENFELD
Tal Wilkenfeld is an Australian singer, songwriter, bassist, and guitarist. She has performed with artists including Jeff Beck, Prince, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, and Mick Jagger. In 2008, Wilkenfeld was voted “The Year’s Most Exciting New Player” by Bass Player magazine readers’ choice poll.
BEASTII
Occult rockers from another galaxy elaborating on the sacred sciences of punk & rock ‘n’ roll
JASON BLAKE OF AZIOLA CRY
Jason Blake is a Warr Guitarist from Chicago, Illinois. The Warr Guitar is a twelve-string instrument incorporating the range of a guitar and bass. It is played by tapping the strings, a technique known as touchstyle guitar.
Blake plays with the progressive metal trio, Aziola Cry (Sensory Records), Backward Sky Falling, and releases music under his own name (Wayfarer Records).