Kill the Circus exploded onto the Chicago rock scene in 2012, gaining an instant fan-base with their single, Everything Will be Alright. They continued to fuel their popularity with a number of tours throughout the Midwest. Their genre-defying EP, Stress Sessions, boasted the collaborative efforts of Maxwell Steger, and created a solid following for the band with its release in January of 2013. In the following months, their undeniable charisma and stage-presence earned Kill the Circus new fans with every live show.

Entirely at home on a stage, lead singer Mark Wendell has devoted his life to music since age fifteen. He considers Kill the Circus to be his crowning achievement, and dedicates himself to the music with a passion that can only be described as religious. Wendell made the decision to form Kill the Circus when he noticed the raw talent of drummer Sean Fagan, while the latter was only seventeen. Along with guitarist Adrien Lestat, Cody Carpenter on bass, Kill the Circus proved their intuitive chemistry on Stress Sessions. Since their inception only a short time ago, the band has continued to produce music that eludes categorization without sacrificing natural appeal.

As Wendell himself says of the band’s sound, “When we started writing for the EP, we were inspired by so many different artists.” Their music blends together rock influences with hints of alternative and punk rock influences. Kill the Circus stands out with their commitment to an authentic sound, described by fans as one of the most addictive up-and-coming bands around. Kill the Circus is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the rock music scene.

Though Stress Sessions highlighted not only Wendell’s skill and diversity as a songwriter, but also the band’s natural cohesion and talent, Kill the Circus has really found their footing through writing their new EP, to be released in early Summer 2013. With an already impressive influence for such a new band and unmistakable potential, it is hard to ignore the passion and drive of Kill the Circus. Their pure love of music comes through in every song, making Kill the Circus a powerful new addition to rock n roll.

The rustic regions of the Tallgrass Prairies hold a myriad of veiled gems, and budding with roots along the Illinois River is Flannel Mouth, a four-piece rock ensemble with high aims in sight. Hailing from Glasford, a town only a thousand strong, Flannel Mouth has emerged as a vengeful small town boy with big city dreams, evidenced by their debut release, “Pull in Your Horns,” via SwitchBitch Records.

Old-timey for “sharptalker” or “one having a way with words,” Flannel Mouth holds true to definition with searing lyrics still warm from the firing hammers of frontman Luke Myers, who croons of audacious malcontent and paints vicious imagery unto his listeners. His blunt-yet-elaborate rhythms are melodized by Zachary Hartman, intricately woven throughout arrangements characterized by the bouncy bass lines of Ryan Batalon, and the pointed stylings of Tyler Jamsa on drums.

The near future holds exciting and hard work for the boys of Flannel Mouth, and even if the apocalypse truly is nigh, expect the music to cut right through.