Japanese Whispers is the second compilation album by British group The Cure. It was released in late 1983 by Fiction Records. The title is a pun on the children’s game Chinese whispers.
It includes the singles “Let’s Go to Bed”, “The Walk” and “The Love Cats”. The other tracks are the B-sides of these singles, although “Mr. Pink Eyes” (the second B-side for “The Love Cats”) was not included. The songs were recorded when the band was in a transitional phase after bassist Simon Gallup left following a tour to promote the previous album, Pornography. Beginning with these singles, Lol Tolhurst switched from drums to keyboards, a role he kept until his departure in 1989.
For the tracks from the “Let’s Go to Bed” and “The Walk” singles, the Cure was a duo consisting of Tolhurst and Robert Smith, with the addition of session drummer Steve Goulding (a member of Graham Parker and the Rumour) for the tracks from “Let’s Go to Bed”. For “The Love Cats” single, a full band was assembled with the addition of bassist/producer Phil Thornalley, who had worked with the band on Pornography, and drummer Andy Anderson, a lineup which would continue for the Concert live album.
Since 2019 this Madison trio— Amber Moth (vocals/guitar), Gage Moth (drums), and Mac Moth (bass)— has been developing their own cosmic gumbo of pop hooks, grunge, and garage doom. Drawing heavily from their combined love of bands like Frankie and the Witch Fingers, and Windhand, their first full-length album, “Honestly, Maybe,” and 2022’s EP, “In the Mourning,” explores a wide range of themes and sounds including fantasy-laden lyrics, flippant sad girl rock, heartfelt indie love songs, and sludgy homages to their doom influences.
Their upcoming album, “Stranger” (Out May 25th, 2024), sees the trio focus their sound, drawing on a well soaked in grunge, distortion, and deeply personal lyrics disguised as pop melodies.
In a nutshell, Lunar Moth is for weirdos, by weirdos: Fuzzed-out doom and bloom.
Bear Williams’ Music is firmly rooted in the field hollers, spirituals, and delta blues of his ancestors. Bear’s parents were born in McGehee, and Tillar Arkansas respectively. The two moved with their families to Chicago in the 1930’s during the “Great Southern Migration” of Blacks to the North and West. The families came for jobs and a better life. They also came for freedom from the oppression of Jim Crow and the covert slavery that Sharecropping was. They brought their hopes, their dreams, and yes, their music. What you’ll hear from Bear Williams is a hybrid of the many styles of both traditional and contemporary Blues.
APOPHY is a 5-piece Extreme Metal band that formed in the summer of 2022. The music pulls elements from Death Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, and other heavy influences.
Founding members Coral Rosehill (Vocals), Jackson Arbogast (Guitar), Julius D. Johnson (Guitar, Vocals), and Django Wilson (Drums) bonded over a love of heavy music and compassion. With the addition of Nick Willis (Bass), the group steps forth into the world to deliver a scathing message, crushing riffs, and bludgeoning beats.
Comfort Eagle is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Cake. It was released on July 24, 2001, on Columbia Records, their first with the company.
Hailing from Homewood, in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ian Benjamin Welch p/k/a Benji. is a singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist
Asha Imuno is an artist, producer and songwriter from Moreno Valley, California. The 22-year-old multihyphenate’s creativity is a melting pot of inspiration, seamlessly blending nostalgic influences from classic Hip-Hop and R&B with a refreshing take on new age Soul & Funk sounds.
Custard Flux is Curvey, The Luck of Eden Hall’s main man, and his band of heavy Prog-Psych-Pop. PROG magazine Associate Editor Jo Kendall included Custard Flux in her Top 10 Best Albums in 2018 and 2019! “Chiming 60s charm!” -Classic Rock magazine. Their LPs, Helium, Echo, and Oxygen made the “Best Releases” of 2018, 2019, and 2020 in critic Dave Thompson’s Spin Cycle in Goldmine magazine. “Some of the greatest psych pop in operation right now!” “Poignant” “Impassioned” “Kick-ass!” PROG Magazine, June 2024
Performing all over the midwest, loudernow will bring you back to the glory days of skinny jeans, studded belts, EYELINER, band shirts, vans, and screaming along to all of your favorite emo and pop-punk songs. The scene is back.
Covering your favorite songs by Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Panic! AT THE DISCO, A DAY TO REMEMBER, NEW FOUND GLORY, and many more!!!
Go Betty Go is an all-female pop punk band from Los Angeles that, along with bands such as Union 13, Los Abandoned, The Dollyrots, and Left Alone, have been prominent in the Southern California Chicano Punk scene that started in the mid-2000s and continues today.
Clamor & Lace Noise Brigade is a glam marching band in Chicago, Illinois, working to bring music written and/or performed by people of marginalized genders to the forefront of Chicago’s brass band scene.
Jane Getter Premonition, “a stunning prog rock/jazz fusion outfit reminiscent of stylistic darlings like King Crimson and The Mahavishnu Orchestra”…. (ProgReport) is excited for the 1st leg of the critically acclaimed Cherry Red/ Esoteric Recordings album “Division World”’s tour. Led by guitarist, singer and award winning composer Jane Getter, JGP has carved out a niche at the intersection of rock, jazz, metal and singer song-writer. JGP features brilliant and masterful playing by keyboardist Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Steven Wilson), bassist, singer Paul Frazier (David Byrne, Nile Rodgers & Chic), drummer Gene Lake (Marcus Miller, Nile Rogers) and guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale (Stratospheerius, Thrilldriver). Each night is guaranteed to be filled with killer grooves, blazing solos and inspired songwriting!
As one half of New York duo City Morgue, rapper SosMula (“Sleezy”) helped to pioneer the trap-metal subgenre, providing a grittier, slicker counterpart to the raw energy of collaborator Zillakami. After finding global success in the late 2010s with albums like Vol. 1: Hell or High Water and Vol. 2: As Good As Dead, he ventured into solo work, issuing 13 Songs 2 Die 2 in 2021 and 2 High 2 Die in 2022.
Taking his stage name from his birth name, Vinicius Sosa, rapper SosMula grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, before moving to the U.S. at the age of eight. Having met fellow vocalist Zillakami through a tattoo parlor, SosMula began rapping alongside his collaborator as City Morgue. Pioneers of the trap metal subgenre, the duo worked heavily with producer Thraxx to build heavy guitar lines and thundering drums into a trap-based sound. Under this umbrella, SosMula issued successful albums including Vol. 1: Hell or High Water (2018), Vol. 2: As Good As Dead (2019), and Toxic Boogaloo (2020), with his faster-paced, more nasal vocals proving a deft counterpart to Zillakami’s thrashing voice. While the pair retained their abrasive, fusion-based sound throughout these releases, they expanded the repertoire into more introspective, melodic material, too, issuing moody tracks like “Screaming at the Rain” and “Peeling Scabs.”
SosMula issued his first full-length solo release, 13 Songs 2 Die 2, in 2021. Hosted by mixtape mainstays Trap-A-Holics, the tape pushed further into Sleezy’s acidic, uncompromising vision for the trap genre. A third volume of City Morgue, Vol. 3: Bottom of the Barrel (2021), soon followed. In 2022, SosMula issued his sophomore set, 2 High 2 Die; the rapper’s second mixtape leant heavily into rage beats, scoring his outlandish verses with more electronically led production. ~ David Crone, Rovi
Two years on from their acclaimed third studio album, Nightmare Withdrawals, Christchurch, New Zealand’s BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS have returned and intend to leave an indelible mark on the landscape of extreme music in 2023. The quintet will be releasing their fourth full-length, and Prosthetic Records debut, Rejecting Obliteration on May 19.
Navigating cycles of abuse and trauma, whilst actively reaching for resolution through resilience, the aptly titled Rejecting Obliteration is a testament to and declaration of endurance through hardships and loss. Lyrically conceived by Stace Fifield (vocals) and Stuart Henley-Minchington (guitars and vocals), Rejecting Obliteration’s ten tracks share a common narrative thread of finding identity and light outside of personal hurt and psychological harm. The pair’s primary focus on inner strength and resilience serves as an unwavering foundation of who BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS are in essence.
Whilst despairing in its subject matter Rejecting Obliteration refuses to concede to a predestination of further anguish, opting instead to shun all notions of defeat, which in and of itself is vital to BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS’ long fought for and claimed identity.
During the night of April 26th in 1986, a world-changing accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Inspired by this catastrophe and its consequences, a highly radiated German band called CYTOTOXIN pulverized the death metal world in 2010. In 2011, the band released their self produced full-length album PLUTONIUM HEAVEN. Only one year later they entered KOHLEKELLER STUDIOS (Aborted, Benighted) to forge their highly appreciated second record. Since the release of RADIOPHOBIA via UNIQUE LEADER RECORDS in 2012, CYTOTOXIN played Europe-wide club and festival shows. In January 2017, the band recorded their extremely anticipated third album GAMMAGEDDON. After several European tours, the nuclear quintet strikes back with their most versatile yet straight and brutal fourth album NUKLEARTH. Better keep your gasmask at hand as the radiation finds its way over planet earth.
Wunderhorse are Jacob Slater, Harry Fowler, Peter Woodin & Jamie Staples.
2022 saw the release of their debut album Cub, a collection of songs which found fans in Zane Lowe, NME, and BBC Radio 1, and took the band on tour with the likes of Fontaines D.C., Pixies, Sam Fender, and Foals, whilst also selling out their own headline slots along the way.
Their new album Midas will be released on 30th August 2024.
Laura Hugg is a Chicago-based stand up comic. She is also a writer and performer of sketch comedy, story telling, and improv. Laura has performed at Zanies, Laugh Factory and CGs to name a few. Currently she produces and hosts a comedy variety show in Chicago called, “Keep Coming Back”, teaches stand up at The Laughing Academy and hosts their open mic at Ten Ninety Brewing in Glenview IL!
With their crisp melodies, Pete Shelley’s biting lyrics, and Shelley’s and Steve Diggle’s driving guitars, Buzzcocks were one of the most influential bands to emerge in the initial wave of British punk rock. Largely eschewing politics, they instead brought an intense, brilliant vigor to the three-minute pop song, powered by Shelley’s alternately funny and anguished lyrics about adolescence and love, backed by melodies and hooks that were concise and memorable. They released two albums in 1978 (Another Music in a Different Kitchen and Love Bites) that tightened up and refined their sound, then delivered the more experimental A Different Kind of Tension in 1979 before the fast pace of their career and problems with their record label led them to break up in 1981. When Buzzcocks re-formed in 1989, they launched a long string of tours and albums that exhibited the same spirit the group had shown from the start, starting with 1993’s Trade Test Transmissions and continuing to The Way in 2014, which was Shelley’s last album with the band before his 2018 death. After a short break, Diggle rallied the troops and went on, touring and releasing an LP titled Sonics in the Soul in 2022. The group’s powerful punk-pop proved to be enormously influential and timeless, with echoes of their sound resonating in bands like Hüsker Dü, Nirvana, and the Exploding Hearts, along with almost every band who ever blended the hooks of pop with the energy of punk.
Very few bands manage to last decades, and for the ones that do, it’s often easy to settle down and get a little too comfortable. But there’s nothing comfortable about Devourer, the explosive new album from Cursive. The iconic Omaha group is known for their intensity, ambition, and execution, and has spent 30 years creating a bold discography that’s defined as much by its cathartic sound as its weighty, challenging lyrical themes. And Devourer is as daring as ever. Full of intense and incisive songs, the album proves exactly why Cursive have been so influential and enduring–and why they remain so vital today.
In the years since their 1995 formation, Cursive developed into one of the most important groups to emerge from the late-’90s/early ‘00s moment when the lines between indie rock and post-hardcore began blurring into something altogether new. Albums like Domestica (2000) and The Ugly Organ (2003) became essential touchstones whose echoes can still be heard in new bands today. The pull of nostalgia can be strong over time, but Cursive’s work has often felt like a rejection of those comfort zones; the band has continually pushed themselves, with frontman Tim Kasher’s artistic restlessness steering them ahead. In fact, for Kasher, whose pointed observations always begin with looking inward first, it was an interrogation of this voracious creativity that planted the seeds of Devourer.
“I am obsessive about consuming the arts,” he explains. “Music, film, literature. I’ve come to recognize that I devour all of these art forms then, in turn, create my own versions of these things and spew them out onto the world. It’s positive; you’re part of an ecosystem. But I quickly recognized that the term, ‘Devourer,’ may also embody something gnarly, sinister.” Devourer delves into that darker space. The characters populating the album have bottomless capacities for consumption, whether it’s resources, material goods, art, or even each other. Then they are consumed by larger forces, whether it’s humanity, Earth, dreams, time, or life itself. “Maybe a better word for it is imperialism,” Kasher says. “But it’s in many different forms. It’s not just the political. It’s personal imperialism and the imperialism of relationships, the way we imperialize one another, even ourselves.”
Fans have come to expect such heady topics from Cursive, but Devourer sets a new standard. The glibness of the First World toward the problems of others. The eternal struggle to stay on the straight and narrow. The eager acolytes exploited by their leaders. How anxiety can compound with age. How self-expression can warp into self-indulgence. Beginning with “Botch Job,” a propulsive banger shaking with anxiety and regret, the album seldom relents. Songs like “The Avalanche of Our Demise,” “What The Fuck,” “Bloodbather,” “Consumers,” and “The Age of Impotence” hit hard, hooking listeners with the unique blend of deep melody and discordant sounds Cursive does so well. Even as songs like “Up and Away,” “Imposturing,” and “Dead End Days” lean more into a poppier sound–or “Dark Star” and “The Loss” tone down the intensity–the album’s underlying disquiet remains. But as always, Cursive is here to wail, not wallow. As Kasher sings in “Bloodbather,” “Life’s an abscess or apple pie / So shut those demons up / And devour your slice.”
Devourer being filled to the brim thematically and musically is unsurprising considering Kasher wrote an astounding 69 compositions after songwriting began in the fall of 2020. About 20 made it to the practice space, with a curated 13 ending up on the final album. Wrangling it all at Omaha’s ARC Studios was Marc Jacob Hudson, who co-produced the album with the band after running live sound on Cursive’s recent tours. Hudson’s lengthy discography includes working with Against Me!, Thursday, and Fireworks, among others, but the musical touchstones he shares with Cursive sealed the deal. “We just got along well and had this kind of shared music history that I found so comforting,” Kasher says. “We were introduced to music in similar ways and, being the same age, share a musical knowledge. It was just so fun and refreshing.”
Now seven members strong (“We seem to be collecting band members over the years,” Kasher jokes), Cursive had a large musical toolbox to use on Devourer. Beyond the core trio of singer/guitarist Kasher, bassist Matt Maginn, and guitarist/vocalist Ted Stevens, there’s keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Newbery, cellist Megan Siebe, recording/touring drummer Pat Oakes, and founding drummer Clint
Schnase (the two trade drumming duties across Devourer, but join forces for a two-pronged percussive force in “Rookie”).
Cursive had self-released their two previous albums on their label, 15 Passenger, and initially planned to release Devourer the same way–but ultimately decided to put out some feelers as well. “We got interest and it made it all feel like, ‘Yeah, we should do this,’” Kasher recalls. The group arrived on Run for Cover Records, who were excited to work with a band who has such a deep discography and storied history; it’s a fitting home for Cursive, with new labelmates like Fiddlehead, Citizen, Teen Suicide, and Self Defense Family that share a same DNA of emotionally and sonically biting music. “It really is the first time that we’ve gone off to another label since we started in 1995, when we signed to Crank! Records,” Kasher says. “So there’s a certain excitement to that. It’s no longer the excitement of, ‘We just got signed! I wonder what’s going to happen with this record?!’ It’s more like we’re doing something different–nothing feels rote.” Maginn adds, “More than most bands, our labels have been part of our history. We did it ourselves for years with 15 Passenger, so it’s a big deal to us to take on and trust new partners.”
While Cursive’s music hasn’t gotten any more comfortable, perhaps its being released into a world that’s at least a little more shaped in their image. Devourer sounds urgent and fresh, the work of a band still experimenting, still hungering to find new creative heights. On album highlight “Consumers,” the protagonist bemoans, “I saw our future and I want to go back.” But Cursive are only moving forward.
Slanging rock n’ roll out of Orange County, LOVECRIMES mine the rich traditions of roots music and Americana with deep respect for the Delta Blues and a taste of punk-rock swagger.
Rock n’ roll at its core and versatile enough to summon everything from rockabilly to late ‘70s groove, the songs by singer/songwriter Julian James Ness are confessional, intimate, and unapologetically honest.
Julian James Ness fell in love with music hearing Lucinda Williams at his mom’s house and pressing buttons on his dad’s vintage jukebox, pulling up country classics by the likes of Buck Owens and Johnny Cash. He took saxophone lessons from Jason Freese, a multi-instrumentalist session player whose resumé boasts Green Day, Jewel, and Goo Goo Dolls. Julian experimented with bass and drums until, at age 10, he got his first guitar from his dad, who showed him his first few chords.
Julian’s dad is the iconic leader of the trailblazing Social Distortion. “From the time I was four or five years old, people told me I had to carry the torch,” the younger Ness explains. “There’s been this lifelong pressure on me. I avoided it out of fear and insecurity, not feeling like I was good enough.”
A week after his 18th birthday, Julian started a year-long jail sentence, the result of teenage years spent battling alcohol and drug addiction. While a resident at a post-prison treatment center, he was allowed a fateful outing to see his father play a show, where they performed “Prison Bound” together.
“It was a high that no other drug could give me,” Julian remembers of those few minutes onstage. “It filled me with purpose. I told myself in the past that drugs and alcohol were contributing to my creativity, but they weren’t. I was going to the pawn shop and pawning my guitars. I wasn’t doing anything proactive. That show was a monumental moment in my life. I knew I wanted to do this.”
Not long after his release from rehab, Julian joined The Dead Relatives. After that, he played with Jade Jackson, a country singer signed to ANTI-. “I spent the next two and a half years touring with her. It was a huge challenge because I was used to playing the same couple of Chuck Berry riffs and punk rock bar chords. Suddenly I was learning all of these Greg Leisz guitar parts from Jade’s records.”
Armed with a handful of his own songs, Julian cut around eight demos at his dad’s studio, backed up by Mike’s band: guitarist Johnny “2 Bags” Wickersham, drummer David Hidalgo Jr., and bassist Brent Harding. They recorded the songs old-school style, live in the room, with no elaborate multitracking.
While working a day job as a substance abuse counselor, Julian set about putting together a band.
“We have a couple of more punk songs, but my music is more rootsy, singer-songwriter stuff, so it was important to find people who could do both,” he points out. Enter drummer Josh Roosin. “He’s been playing since he was a little kid and had a jazz background. He’s very much a ‘feel’ player. He’d heard what I’d done with The Dead Relatives and was super stoked about the demos I played him.”
Next came Trevor Lucca, a guitarist with punk legends D.I. since 2018, based on a recommendation from producer Davey Worsop (Matt Skiba, Dave Hause, Throwdown). “Since he played lead guitar for D.I., I knew he could play punk. Then I scrolled through his Instagram feed and saw him playing some Lucinda Williams and Justin Townes Earle. And I thought, ‘This is perfect.’”
Bassist Colin Schlesinger, a childhood friend and bassist of The Line and Ruby Haunt, completed the LOVECRIEMS line-up. “I feel so grateful and blessed that not only are all of them great at what they do, they are all really great people.”
LOVECRIMES made their first few live appearances at The Pike Bar in Long Beach, Hotel Café in Los Angeles, and The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa. In December 2022, the band opened for Social Distortion on a few of their year-end dates at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California.
Shortly after launching the band, Julian opened a substance abuse and mental health program called California Treatment Collective, offering the care and resources needed by folks in crisis.
“It’s amazing to watch him,” Mike Ness told The Orange County Register. “He wanted to do his own thing. He was coming to me with some really, really good songs, and there were a couple that, in my opinion, were as good as anything I’ve ever written, so that’s how we bond now… I saw him play guitar in a band at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, and I just couldn’t deny that he had presence up there.”
Some things never go out of style. Emerging from the London punk scene with a high energy blend of Oi! hooks and hardcore stomp, The Chisel have a sound that’s as timeless as it is exhilarating. Now on their sophomore album, What A Fucking Nightmare, the band somehow cranks the dial further into the red witha whopping 16 tracks that are even more aggressive and even more anthemic.The Chisel formed in 2020 out of the same pool of talented friends and collaborators that bore bands like Violent Reaction, Arms Race, and Chubby & The Gang. After a series of singles and EPs, the band–whose current line up is vocalist Cal Graham, guitarists Luke Younger and Charlie Manning Walker, bassist Momo, and drummer Lee Munday released their debut full-length, Retaliation, in 2021 and secured their reputation as one of the most exciting new punk bands coming out of the UK. With more attention often comes more pressure, but The Chisel approached their second album with something very key in mind: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” says Younger, explaining, “after we recordedthe first record we just didn’t stop writing. So by the time it came out we already had even more new songs.” That prolific streak didn’t stop and the result is What A Fucking Nightmare–a behemoth of a punk record that doubles down on everything that makes The Chisel such a compelling band.What A Fucking Nightmaregrabs the listener by the head and doesn’t let go. Recorded by James Atkinson and produced by Jonah Falco (Fucked Up, High Vis, Chubby & The Gang), the album hones The Chisel into the keenest and most effective version of themselves where the hooks are bigger and the bite is sharper. The heart of their sound draws on elements of old school hardcore, UK82, and other corners of aggressive punk, but it’s The Chisel’s ability to pack a melodic punchthat makes them stand out from the pack. Graham’s biting-yet-tuneful delivery is key to the band’s ability to swing from eye-bulging street punk ragers to triumphant singalongs that even the most faint-of-heart rock and roll fan couldn’t help but enjoy. What A Fucking Nightmareis the kind of album that reminds listeners of all the things that are so impactful and enduring about punk music: there’s a vitality to these songs, tangible sweat, blood, and bootprints that leave a mark long after they’re done. There’s absolutely no doubt that this is The Chisel’s world–and we’re just living in it.
BowDizz is a songwriter, rapper, producer, musician and overall creative mind. As a kid he moved from state to state constantly until he was 11 and his family settled down in Minnesota. In 2016, he graduated with a degree in Marketing from Winona State University. Since then he’s learned to produce his own beats and also considers himself hands-on with every step throughout the creative process. In 2019, as an independent artist, BowDizz released his first full conceptual album Stimulated for streaming services. In 2020, he released his EP titled Villa Views entirely produced by him. Since then he’s consistently dropped new music, merch and content.
American Deathcore/ Horror band, Larcenia Roe, brings forward a brutal spin on the horrors of life with an uneasy sound, chainsaw cadences, and viscous vocal range.
Slamming Brutal Death Metal brought to a whole new level.
Extermination Dismemberment is a Slamming Brutal Death Metal band from Minsk, Belarus known for its extremely brutal music and unforgettable crushing live shows.
The band’s current lineup includes Arseniy Kovalchuk (guitar), Vladislav Martirosov (vocals), Viktor Kanashevich (bass) and Alexandr Kazakov (drums).
Extortionist is an American deathcore band formed in Idaho in 2013. The band consists of vocalist Ben Hoagland, guitarist Juan Hernandez III, bassist Kip Treeman, guitarist Jared Suku, and drummer Dominic Guggino.In 2014, the band signed to We Are Triumphant, releasing their debut EP, The Black Sheep on March 25 of that year. On February 17, 2017, the band released their debut full-length studio album, The Decline. On March 22, 2019, their sophomore album Sever The Cord, was released through Stay Sick Records. The same year, the band released their self-titled second EP, Extortionist on May 24, 2019.[3]The band split after their final show on October 5, 2019. The band reunited in 2020, and immediately began writing new music, releasing the single “Once More in Torment” on October 5, 2021, exactly 2 years after their initial split. They currently operate in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ralph Raymond’s evolution embodies resilience and reinvention. His narrative symbolizes the struggle against stagnation and the pursuit of artistic redemption, resonating effortlessly in Chicago’s diverse yet gritty music scene.
Born on Chicago’s Southside, Ralph Raymond embarked on his musical journey as a teen. After an attempt at college, he quickly came to realize that traditional education wasn’t helping shape his musical ambitions, so immediately he decided to drop out. However, five years fighting to break into Chicago’s 2010’s “Drill Rap” filled music scene, his social media and performance efforts, left him confronting burnout and despair, leading him to voluntarily step away from music entirely.
Despite the hiatus, Raymond’s itch for music lingered. In 2023 he showed up again, inspired by the new wave of alternative music and his new found love for playing drums. Admiring artists like Travis Barker, Dave Grohl, Kenny Hoopla, MGK and Jxdn, this newfound enthusiasm fueled his reinvention, blending rap roots with punk influences thus reshaping his entire artistic identity in all.
Within two years, Raymond released two EPs, four singles, three music videos and a vast amount of content on social media, catalyzing a rebranding journey and receiving admiration from seasoned Chicago artists. On top of these efforts, to kick off summer/2024, he organized a well attended release show for his new single/video “Endlessly” at renowned Chicago clothing boutique, Jugrnaut, where fellow Chicago heavyweight “Chance The Rapper” held his critically acclaimed “Acid Rap” project years prior.
As Raymond’s trajectory unfolds, his story promises continued growth and innovation, fueled by an unwavering determination to redeem himself after all the previous years of discouragement and self-conflict
Kepi is a genius. This ex-Groovie Ghoulies frontman is KEEPIN’ IT REAL, with his all new band and solo project. He’s been on tour for like 12 years straight. If you see them play and don’t like them, then you must hate fun. The terrorists win. Buy albums now. Don’t wait.
Formed in 1991 by drummer Matt Fish & guitarist Ben Wrecked. Building a strong fan base by regularly playing locally ®ionally. They perfected their unique fast & aggressive yet melodic sound in 1996 with the addition of Mike Slapface on Bass and Brett Moore on 2nd guitar. The band initially called it quits in 1998. In 2023 they are playing music again joined by Peter Woodward on Bass.
Santa Rosa, CA, punk revivalists Diesel Boy (not to be confused with the techno DJ Dieselboy) formed in 1993, recording their first 7″ single in 1996 for Fat Wreck Chords. The full-length Cock Rock was released by Honest Don’s Hardly Used Records later that year, featuring a lineup of vocalist/guitarist Dave Lake, guitarist Justin Werth, bassist Greg Hensley, and drummer Mike Schaus. Second album Venus Envy followed in 1997, after which Schaus was replaced by Geoff Lackey, formerly of Shyster. This new lineup issued Sofa King Cool in 1999. Rode Hard and Put Away Wet followed in early 2001 with the help of producer Ryan Greene (NOFX, Lagwagon), as the Double Letter Score split with Divit appeared that October through Berkeley’s Coldfront Records. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
THE FIRST TIME I SAW A HARP, I WAS SWEPT WITH AN UNCONTROLLABLE URGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. I WAS 7 YEARS OLD, AND MY PARENTS THOUGHT I WAS ABSOLUTELY NUTS. “WHY NOT THE FLUTE?” MY DAD WOULD ASK WHENEVER I’D BRING IT UP… BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENT I WAS OBSESSED WITH WAS NOT JUST A SIMPLE PURCHASE. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, AND THAT LITTLE GIRL PERSISTED, THE PARENTS GAVE IN. (THANKS MOM AND DAD.) FROM DRIVING ME TO EACH HARP LESSON, MAKING SURE THEIR NEXT CAR COULD HOLD MY LARGER THAN LIFE INSTRUMENT, THEY MADE SURE THAT THAT YOUNG HARPIST COULD PURSUE HER DREAMS. I WAS CLASSICALLY TRAINED FROM THEN ONWARD, JOINING MY HIGH SCHOOL’S ORCHESTRA AND PROUDLY PLAYING RECITALS. EVENTUALLY I STOPPED FINDING MYSELF IN CLASSICAL MUSIC, AND STEPPED AWAY FROM MY HARP TO TRY OTHER OUTLETS WHERE I COULD BETTER EXPRESS MYSELF. A COUPLE YEARS PASSED, I DABBLED IN PHOTOGRAPHY, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, COOKING, ALL THINGS I STILL LOVE TIL THIS DAY… BUT I FOUND MYSELF REALLY MISSING MY HARP. I ENDED UP RESTRINGING THE OLD GAL, AND GIVING HER ANOTHER SHOT. (YES, MY HARP IS A LADY, A NAMELESS BEAUTIFUL LADY.) THE JOURNEY TO WRITING MY OWN MUSIC ON HER STARTED WITH COVERS, AND QUICKLY TURNED INTO ME RECORDING DEMOS OF MY OWN MUSIC IN GARAGE BAND. I STARTED ATTENDING OPEN MICS ALL OVER CHICAGO SEEING HOW PEOPLE WOULD RESPOND, WHILE ALSO TRYING TO GET OVER MY VERY REAL AT THE TIME STAGE-FRIGHT. AT THE OPEN MICS I ENDED UP MEETING A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PRODUCERS AND ARTISTS IN CHICAGO WHO WERE LOOKING TO COLLABORATE, THUS STARTING MY CAREER AS A STUDIO MUSICIAN. TIME PASSED, AND GARAGE BAND DEMOS TURNED INTO ABLETON MASTERS. NOW, I WORK REGULARLY IN ABLETON WITH MY HARP, STILL SEARCHING AND DIGGING FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SOUNDS WE CAN MAKE. I’VE FOUND REAL HEALING WITH MY HARP. I’VE FOUND A REAL COMMUNITY WITH MY HARP. I’VE NEVER FELT SO FILLED WITH LOVE AND LIGHT UNTIL I INCORPORATED MY PASSION INTO MY EVERYDAY. AND NOW, ALL I COULD EVER HOPE FOR, IS TO PASS THAT ON TO YOU. WE ALL COULD USE A LITTLE HEALING, BECAUSE HEALING IN ITSELF IS AN ONGOING PROCESS. I HOPE THAT I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT JOURNEY FOR YOU. I HOPE YOU KNOW, THAT ON THIS DAY, YOU ARE LOVED. AND I’LL DO MY BEST TO MAKE YOU FEEL THAT WITH THESE 33 ELECTRIC STRINGS OF MINE. THAT IS MY PROMISE TO YOU. CHEERS TO THE JOURNEY. YOURS, MINE, AND OURS. SINCERELY, YOMÍ
The Hellp are an electronic/experimental music duo situated in Los Angeles, comprised of members Noah Dillon (vocals) and Chandler Ransom Lucy (producer & composer
Noah Malik Lee, better known as TheHxliday, is a musical artist that uses his art to create a true sound that is beyond this world. The young musical genius was exposed to his love for music at an early age with the help of his mother. Growing up in PerryHall, Maryland, he watched his mother practice daily with her band ChicFlick, nurturing him to the joys of making music. From toddler to seventeen-year-old, he grew into an instant performer. Hxliday’s first audition ever was a cover for the Maryland State Boys Choir where he sung “When I Was Your Man ” by Bruno Mars. This was followed by his next significant audition, performing Glory by John Legend. From there, his story became ideal in spending every day since working solely on elevating music. The youngest child of this single parent home realized that in order to become the musical legend he was meant to be, that a sacrifice would have to be made. At an early age, Hxliday decided to leave Joppatowne High School and go through home schooling in order to dedicate more time to elevating his craft. TheHxliday isn’t just a singer, a songwriter or a producer, he is alien with an out of this world vibe seen in not only the synths in his sound but the swag in his style. TheHxliday’s energetic sounds transcends the standards heard in today’s music, making it impossible to categorize the super nova. Welcome to The Hxliday Szn.
Chicago bred creative Manny 10x is a Mexican American Musician, songwriter, and sound engineer who consistently defies the conventional. Inspired by the grit and creativity of Chicago native Chance The Rapper and witty presence of Blink-182, Manny began his journey. By blending raw life experiences with live instruments and experimental synth sequences 10x has created an innovative fusion of rock and hip-hop.
Manny’s unique hybrid sound is a daring mix of punk and metal guitar riffs, trap hi-hats and 808s, and traditional rock/punk drums. Effortlessly transitioning songs from genre to genre, his cutting-edge production style, developed alongside long-time collaborators KGB and Kado, crafts a sonic landscape that blends familiar sounds with innovative elements, offering listeners a sound that feels both comforting and refreshingly new.
Manny “ten times’” voice is a crucial element of his artistry. Raspy yet soft, with a playful twist reminiscent of Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus, Manny’s vocal delivery is both unique and versatile. He bends words in unexpected ways—turning “here” into “heeeeuuurrr” and “time” into “tooiimme”—and seamlessly transitions from melodic singing to rapid-fire poetry. With a vocal range that spans from Travis Scott’s distorted depths to Young Thug-inspired falsettos, Manny keeps his audience guessing and always engaged.
Over the years, his DIY approach to music—producing, mixing, directing, and designing—has earned Manny 10x a reputation as a true multidimensional artist. He personally curates each performance to produce a unique experience that captivates and inspires each listener.
With each new release, Manny continues to push the boundaries of his craft, solidifying his place in the music industry.
Prepare to be transported into Manny 10x’s world, where every note, every word, and every beat is a testament to his unique self expression, boundless creativity and passion for music.
Self Deception is a modern rock band from Stockholm, Sweden, known for their dynamic sound that merges classic rock elements with a fresh, anthemic modern metal flavor. The band has released two studio albums, with chart-topping singles such as “Fight Fire With Gasoline” and “Hell and Back” that have resonated with fans worldwide. With a reputation for delivering unforgettable live performances, Self Deception is one of the leading forces in today’s rock scene from Scandinavia. After touring across the world beside legendary European acts like Electric Callboy and Dead By April, Self Deception is now poised to make an unforgettable first headline tour in the US (including festival appearances at Louder Than Life in Louisville, KY and Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, CA).
Self Deception are:
Andreas Clark (Vocals)
Ronny Westphal (Guitar)
Patrik Carlberg Hallgren (Bass)
Erik Eklund (Drums)
Formed in 2004, See You Next Tuesday made their mark in the world of extreme metal with the release of their albums Parasite and Intervals, both on Ferret Music. Pushing forth on controlled chaos, the band has been able to evolve since their initial output and Distractions finds them delving into a modern grindcore sound. The 13 songs on the record are full of fast and heavy guitars and an invigorating vocal performance from Fox. The true standout is in the drum work, provided by Slavik, displaying a maniacally bold use of blast beats that perfectly intertwine with his home-made samples. Distractions was recorded at Slavik’s home studio where he also handled production and mixing, and was mastered by Josh Schroeder.
Much of the material on Distractions focuses on struggles with mental health, while a few songs explore more sensual themes. Leaning into the euphemism of the band name, the opening track “How Sensitive” reclaims what some might deem as offensive and makes it just a word. Lead single “Hey Look, No Crying” fixates on the feeling of slowly moving towards your death, encompassing the sonic energy of descending into the afterlife. Songs like “Glad To Be Unhappy” and “Call Me Irresponsible” use synthesizers for more frantic moments, while “Day In The Life Of A Fool” feeds into that more structured mayhem. Following suit of closing with a slower song on the band’s previous releases, the record ends with “Strange Music”, a nearly eight-minute long track fueled by doom.
An outfit conceived by Chris Moore (Repulsion) and Josephine Olivia (Blacksage) in Washington DC, VOSH explodes with sexual energy, aggression, longing and sheer power. Layers of electrifying guitars, heavy synths, thunderous drums, and Josephine’s unmistakably commanding voice create a haunting landscape. Built on muscle and sweat, VOSH is synchronized, like an industrial machine, fusing the grace and finesse of a living breathing force. Their debut album, ‘VESSEL’ is a testament to that force, summoning something sinister and sexy, blazing their own trail in the darkwave / goth / industrial arena.
LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS, L.A. EXES HAS ARRIVED. THE REFRESHINGLY CLEVER QUEER QUARTET (JENNY OWEN YOUNGS, SAM BARBERA, STEPH BARKER, RACHEL WHITE), TOGETHER WITH GRAMMY-NOMINATED PRODUCER JAKE SINCLAIR (FALL OUT BOY, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, WEEZER), BLENDS SIXTIES SONICS WITH A MODERN EDGE TO BRING YOU GOOD VIBES FOR DARK TIMES. THOUGH THEIR LYRICS ARE CHOCK FULL OF VULNERABILITY AND BITING WIT, THE EXES ALWAYS BRING THE PARTY. OPENING TRACK “SKINNY DIPPING” AND “TEMPORARY GOODBYE” HANG INTRICATE BEATLES-EQUE HARMONIES ON A FRAME OF JANGLY SURF POP, WHILE THE MORE CONTEMPLATIVE “WEST KEYS” AND “I GOT HALF A MIND” FIND THE BAND NEGOTIATING THE FINE LINE BETWEEN “I MISS YOU” AND “I HOPE YOU DIE.”
Ben Folds set performed by Brian Harris from Simply Elton
ELTON JOHN’S “17-11-70” BY SIMPLY ELTON
Brian Harris is a virtuoso pianist, trained at Hartt School of Music in Connecticut and is also an experienced jazz pianist and at his core a true rock-n-roller. Brian created the Simply Elton show in 2012, envisioning a tribute to Sir Elton John that captured the magic and energy of the icon’s live performances. He performed over the years as a solo pianist and backing keyboardist/backing vocalist in many bands. Brian also served three years as a Sergeant in the Fourth U.S. Army Band stationed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, performing as the band’s primary pianist. In 2012, it was time for him to step out front. And there has been NO looking back! Brian has performed hundreds of Simply Elton shows thrilling audiences all over, and looks forward to MANY more in the years to come. Brian and Simply Elton have performed internationally in the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Ireland, Mexico and China, along with a steady schedule of performances in the midwest and throughout the United States. The essence of the Simply Elton act is that it brings together Brian’s energy, finely-tuned “Elton” vocals, love of wearing wild outfits on stage, and of course his virtuoso piano technique to make Simply Elton a fitting tribute to the rock & roll genius of Elton John.
Simply Elton is backed by the Mad Hatters Band, a group of seasoned and talented rock & roll professionals that set the foundation for Simply Elton to fly over. Brian and the group are based in the Chicago area, yet perform literally anywhere/everywhere in the world that an over-the-top Elton show is desired! He also enjoys performing intimate solo performances on occasion (as did Sir Elton himself as well).
