PDA, Atta Guns, Superkick
PDA is an alternative rock band from Chicago. They draw influence from acts such as The Pixies, Interpol, and Grouplove. Atta Guns is 5 piece band from Chicago with an energetic sound that sits on strong rhythmic foundations and weeping leads. AG integrates influences from western garage rock bands such as The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, as well as Japanese rock staples such as Asian Kung Fu Generation, The Pillows, and Tricot. The result is a sonic bridge between two worlds: a performance that is teeming with novelty and emotional depth. Superkick is Alternative PowerPop Trio from Chicago IL. Superkick is Vocalist and guitarist Mike Vaughn, Vocalist and Bassist Joey Youngs, and Drummer Tom Ruby. They bring together a wide range of influences from bands like Jawbreaker, The Strokes, The Cure, The Descendents, and more. The band name Superkick came to fruition when they realized they all shared a mutual love for ridiculous spectacles. They thought of no more beautiful of a spectacle than Sweet Chin Music, AKA a Superkick.
Bug Charmer, Horror Movie Marathon, The Violet Hearts
Bug Charmer is an indie folk-rock group based in Chicago. With comparisons to trailblazers like Big Thief and Weyes Blood, the group doesn’t shy away from their genre blending songs combining aspects of folk, indie rock and slow core to create their unique sound. They find inspiration in nature and their personal experiences. Their music is defined by Kristin’s haunting vocals and visual lyrics, Evan’s cozy guitar solos, and Dan’s sensitive drumming. The songs on Horror Movie Marathon’s new album, Discount Death Mask, paint a colorful swath of human emotion, but what solidifies their staying power is the synergistic magic produced by Will’s stripped-down guitar parts and Dash’s tender-yet-confident performance on the keys. The instrumentation presents as its own fraught family dynamic, while Rutledge and Flach’s vocal harmonies melt into one another with a palpable sense of trust, love, and understanding. The atmosphere of the records runs the gamut between speedy, tongue-in-cheek punk songs (“NYC Traffic” & “Crying & Laughing”), bluesy piano rags (“Did It Do Anything At All” & “Conners Color TV”) and hauntingly tender ballads (“Living Hard” & “Town Car Death Drive”). The Violet Hearts is a genre-bending collective of friends who love to swap instruments and try new things.
BAUGS, VNYTS, Local Memory
BAUGS brings a distinct brand of toe-tapping dark pop through lush synthesizers L, spacey vocals, and the more-than-occasional harp. VNYTS – experimental new wave band in chicago Local Memory is a six-piece indie/alt-country band from Chicago, Illinois. Led by songwriter Amy Myers and her pal and collaborator Matt Ciani (both with honky-tonk roots in Meg and the Wheelers). Guitarist Lucas Chamberlain, drummer Nico Ciani, pianist Nicole Murray, and vocalist Lydia Cash—who also shines as a solo artist—round out the project Their EP, Greatest Hits, dropped on May 30, 2025.
Crime in Antarctica, WOOF, Cherry Decay
Crime in Antarctica – Heavy post-punk. A Band Called WOOF is known for crafting emotionally charged, post-punk-inspired tracks with a raw and rebellious edge. With a passion for blending gritty soundscapes and reflective lyrics, WOOF creates music that explores both human and personal transformation themes. WOOF’s work reflects a deep connection to inner growth while staying true to a rebellious spirit. https://www.youtube.com/@abandcalledwoofThey’re all about showing people how to embrace their shadow especially if they’re outcasts, misfits and black sheep. Directly inspired by bands of the 90’s like Hole, Nirvana, and the Breeders, Cherry Decay is an alternative rock band from the heart of Chicago that slams with a fuzzy, grungy sound that takes you back.
The P.A.’s, bugoff!, Mourning Star, Pazzo
The P.A.’s are a Psychedelic rock band from Massachusetts. They are characterized by their raw energy, cryptic and mystical affect, with lyrics that follow a concrete and brutal fantasy narrative. bugoff! – we play punkish music Mourning Star – We are an indie shoegaze band from suburbs of Chicago. We specialize in dreamy guitar tones, flowy bass lines and emotional woman lead vocals. Pazzo is an alternative metal band from the suburbs of Chicago, who blends nostalgia and genres with each track they write. With an attempt to make every song sound fresh, you’ll be guessing the next step these young gentleman take with art.
PONS, TV Buddha, Model Living
IF YOU STOP YOU DIE -Rock n’ Roll will never be a lazy game. PONS is here to set the record straight.Following in the footsteps of the masters of the road that came before them, PONS’ takes a relentless, “NO MERCY” approach to DIY touring. Burning more calories on stage in one night than most bands do in one year, PONS is an undeniable first of sound heading for the throat of culture.No life is spared at a PONS show. Supporting notable acts such as Gogol Bordello, Lambrini Girls, Laura Jane Grace, Geese, Vundabar, and A Place To Bury Strangers, PONS leave it all to bear on stage; a deluge of smashed gear, contorting bodies, bright lights, throttling beats, and glam rock bravado.Taking cues from artists like Iggy Pop, Suicide, LCD Soundsystem, and Crystal Castles, PONS spew the digital bile of our dystopic, internet-fuled hellscape right at the listener; simultaneously embracing and deriding rock n’ roll’s most brash and over-the-top tropes.The “lost” PONS album “Heavens to Peter” is releasing on tape in September 2025 via Dedstrange Records (a new label run by Oliver Ackermann of A Place To Bury Strangers & Death By Audio). Recorded with a previous iteration of the band, Heavens to Peter is a righteous conclusion of the “old” guitar-driven PONS sound.BEAR WITNESS TO PONS. TV Buddha is an American rock band. Model Living are a Chicago-based post-punk quartet formed in spring 2023. Their angular songwriting & urgent-yet-poetic lyricism seek to capture life in Your City (USA) & the ever-encroaching doom surrounding them.
Bursting, HORSEBOY, New Grass, Displacer
Bursting is a new Chicago band from members of Stress Positions, Thou, C.H.E.W., Yautja, Coliseum, Ands, etc. Their music may remind you of bands like Quicksand, Hot Snakes, Jawbox, or Shiner, but it also may remind you of bands like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, or Incubus. Bursting’s first EP is capital “A” Alternative rock; highly melodic yet crushing in a way that sheds light on its members’ projects and influence. HORSEBOY Energetic Equestrian Endorsed Rock Music from Kansas City, Missouri. On Tour promoting their debut LP “Ugly, Passionate, Wild”. New Grass is a three piece from Chicago that used to sound like screamo but we’re aging so we’re calling it post-hardcore now. We’re angular, dynamic and musically engaging. Displacer – 4 piece heavy noise rock band from Chicago
Windy Pop Weekender – 2 Day Pass
Windy Pop Weekender brings together Chicago’s twee and indie pop community for two days of music and other revelry October 18th and 19th. The fest showcases Midwest and Rust Belt artists playing indie, shoegaze, dream pop, power pop, and of course, twee pop. The weekend pass includes a tote bag and more! The lineup: Idle Ray (MI) Julia Steiner (of Ratboys) The Garment District (PA) Tambourina (MI) Humdrum Modern Cults Holy Pinto (WI) Nectar (IL) Gentle Brontosaurus (WI) The Feeders Monogamy Emily Jane Powers For full details, visit the Windy Pop Weekender site:https://www.windypopweekender.com
Dreamgoats, Bronco Bama, Rami Atassi’s Cosmic Dance Band
Dreamgoats is a strange but sweet psych/folk band made up of a bunch weirdos who really just like playing together. It’s singer-songwriter meets wild, synth-y textures and raucous percussion. It’s just dreamy enough to be delightful and goat-y enough to buck you in the balls. Most importantly, Dreamgoats is Joy and the gate is always open. Bronco Bama- Deep Fried Americana Psych Super Group featuring members of The Curls, Tobacco City, The Francos and Nude Sunrise. FFO: Velvet Underground, Dwight Yoakam, Crazy Horse, Clairo Rami Atassi’s Cosmic Dance Band- “The Cosmic Dance Band sounds like what might happen if you had a left-field mix of psychedelic and jazz artists—Mdou Moctar, Wes Montgomery, Cave, the Natural Information Society—in your blunt rotation.” – Hannah Edgar, Chicago ReaderThe Cosmic Dance Band is an eclectic ensemble that plays the original music of Rami Atassi. Born from the Chicago music scene, they represent the wide range of sounds and influences that converge in the city’s vibrant artistic community.From groove-oriented spiritual jazz to Middle Eastern melodies to desert guitar grooves, The Cosmic Dance Band reflects Rami Atassi’s global music influences.
Wax Jaw
Wax Jaw built their sound on a drive to play high-energy shows that would leave no audience member standing still. Born within Philadelphia’s expansive music scene, the band fuses dynamic and fast-paced punk tunes with emotionally charged lyrics, inspiring fans to search their hearts while sweating it out on the dance floor. The five-piece outfit has captured the raw emotion and electricity of their on-stage performances in their debut album, It Takes Guts!, which is set to be released via Born Loser Records on October 10, 2025. It Takes Guts! holds joy and suffering in the same breath. The album explores themes of addiction, sexual liberation, and self-worth, offering an authentic reflection of lead singer Shane Morgan’s lived experience as a transmasculine person. Despite its heavier themes, It Takes Guts! playfully embraces the ironies of life and the undeniable catharsis that comes from choosing to be sexy or sleazy when the mood strikes. The instrumentation of the record mirrors its lyrical duality, stitching together jagged punk riffs and new-wave danceability. It’s music that invites both movement and introspection, with each track built to hit home and blow out your speakers.