Oh My Lover, Judson Claiborne
Oh My Lover is a passionate homage to the incomparable PJ Harvey, paying tribute to the raw, unapologetic energy that defined her illustrious career. Formed from a shared love for Harvey’s groundbreaking soundscapes, Oh My Lover is more than a mere tribute band; they are torchbearers of her legacy, channeling the essence and spirit of PJ Harvey’s music with electrifying authenticity.Oh My Lover is a collective of Chicago music scene veterans, Christy Nunes (the Locals), Ripley Cane (solo), Joanna Vassilatos (The Punch), and Carlan Johnson (The Addy Janes) who meticulouslyrecreate the sonic tapestries that made PJ Harvey an icon. From the gritty, angst-laden tracks of ‘Dry’ to the evocative, soul-stirring melodies of ‘Rid of Me’ and the experimental brilliance of ‘To Bring You My Love,’ Oh My Lover flawlessly captures the essenceof Harvey’s diverse discography. Their live performances are a visceral experience, transporting audiences back to the ’90s alternative rock scene with a thrilling blend of searing guitar riffs, thunderous rhythms, and raw, emotive vocals. Each show is animmersive journey through PJ Harvey’s evolution as an artist, leaving fans both mesmerized by the authenticity of the tribute and awestruck by the band’s ability to revive the raw intensity that made Harvey’s music so iconic. Judson Claiborne is the folk-rock music project of Chicago-based songwriter and DJ Christopher Claiborne Salveter. Raised in a Missouri river town-turned suburb, his earliest musical influences were the androgynous voices on oldies radio and MTV’s 120 Minutes. The Chicago indie record labels and bands of the late 90s beckoned him to relocate there in 2000. Soon after, he started the group Low Skies, who released four records and toured as the support act for Neko Case, Explosions in the Sky, and Band of Horses. Low Skies’ final record, All the Love I Could Find (2006) received an 8.1 on Pitchfork.Salveter’s storytelling ranges from the romantic to the heartbreaking, from the autobiographical to the biographical, and from the tender to the gritty. Now eighteen years and five Judson Claiborne records in, Salveter is set to release Live Active Culture, Vol. 2 in Spring 2025.
Do the Needful, Karmick, Surfing Bird
Do the Needful is a punk Bollywood ensemble that filters retro Indian pop music through the prism of ghostly burlesque, post-punk, and blues into something entirely unique. Featuring Hindi vocalists, Bansuri, guitar/fuzz organ, bass, and drums, DTN’s hypnotic beats fill the dance floor while shards of folk melodies and moody improvisation transport listeners to a different space. We evoke Bollywood’s rich past and present a powerful modern masala that is a distinct product of Chicago’s musical melting pot. Karmick is the Sikhest rock band you know. Harboring the sound of two brothers chopping up their background in Indian Classical music with loud drums and ethereal guitars – this duo knows how to rock out and when to pull back for a more intimate and personal experience. Karmick’s wide array of influences across genres colors their unique sound. Based out of their home town in Chicago, Karmick stands for the values of unashamedly living your truth and finding your authentic expression. Surfing Bird describes themselves as Charlie Parker meets the ventures! Chicago’s only surf jazz group!
Lovely Little Girls, PROBLEMS, Shrift
Lovely Little Girls (Skin Graft Records) is a theatrical art-rock band from Chicago that features members of Cheer-Accident and The Flying Luttenbachers. They specialize in odd harmonies and catchy melodies served with a histrionic flair. Started as “a chaotic and noisy one-off performance piece inspired by Johanna Went, The Kipper Kids, Henry Darger, and “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”, Lovely Little Girls evolved over the years into a juggernaut of prog/punk/no-wave absurdity featuring intricate arrangements of dramatic psychodrama. PROBLEMS Has toured Europe, New Zealand, and America extensively. I have opened for Peaches, Dan Deacon, Pile, death’s dynamic shrout, Lightning Bolt, Wolf Eyes, Plack Blague, and many others. I have played at Meow Wolf in Denver, and several fests including Camp A Low Hum (NZ), Laektro (DK), No Coast Fest (TX) and the Petfest and Lincoln Calling fests in Nebraska.My new 12” LP “Enter The Annals” was released this year on The Record Machine. I have previously worked with Orange Milk Records and Geertruida (NL).I make composer driven electronic music with live vocals that is sometimes very fun and is sometimes very beautiful and is always interesting. Shrift unites the smooth bass of toxic nerd Jill Lloyd Flanagan (Forced into Femininity, Cb Radio Gorgeous), the vocals of local funnyman Carly Wicks (Dog Problem), electrical saxophone by the large-mitted Sonia Monet (Nakamura Lock) and the punishing beats of museum replicator Janice Lim (Gula Gila) into a semi-coherent sound; Shrift is the band your mom would favorite on Soundcloud and add to her Mixcloud favorites. Whether you’re a creator, a disruptor or just ruining the city for fun, get ready to nod your head vigorously to their up-tempo sound. ROLL AND ROLL 4ever!
Blucone, Jax will be Jax, Nothing But Silence, Light Blue Lines (solo)
blucone is an R&B/indie-pop band from Columbus, Ohio. They started as a group of friends from different musical backgrounds experimenting with new sounds. The first result of this experimentation was their single, “Torn”. The positive reception that followed encouraged the group to continue writing, and to take the songs live.Listeners have dubbed blucone’s music as jazzy-futuristic, noting how the group’s high-quality production and dreamy vocals interlace with its lush instrumentation; the audience is sure to sway. blucone has appeared at Summer Camp Music Festival ’23, at Solshine Reverie ’24, and on Fab Dupont’s Mix Fix Live series. Jax ‘jax will be jax’ Ovalle is a Guatemalan-American multi-instrumentalist and songwriter heavily influenced by Latinx indie and post-rock. Their music explores emotional vulnerability through lush, atmospheric textures and introspective lyrics. Jax spent the last ten years writing original material and supporting various artists, including Girl Ultra, City Mouth, and Lester Rey. In their current concept project, ‘andromeda’, Jax seeks to combine their work as a musician and filmmaker to tell stories in a new way. Nothing But Silence is Darkwave/post-punk/ mainly vibes & stuff Light Blue Lines is an alternative indie folk band
Cool Heat, Talking to Shadows, Sungaze, The Warm Fuzzies, The Shimmer DJs
COOL HEAT is the dream pop project of Chicago-based musician and photographer Eden Sierotnik. In 2024 he released his second full length album Abandon on Spirit Goth Records and subsequently went on his first tour. “Multi-faceted and effortlessly modern, the project’s name is apt; with every single track in his discography, Sierotnik proves with his highly meticulous, maximalist synth work that it is entirely possible to balance opposing ideas, sounds, and textures with finesse.” – kid with a vinyl Talking to Shadows crafts a sound that’s both heavy and hypnotic, blending reverb-soaked guitars with ethereal vocals. Hailing from the underground music scene of Baltimore, MD, the group has made a name for themselves with songs that capture the nostalgia of ‘90s grunge, but with a contemporary dreampop and shoegaze flavor. Sungaze, the dreamy genre-bending project helmed by Ian Hilvert and Ivory Snow, is hard to pigeonhole. With a sound that is simultaneously grounded and ethereal, their audiences can expect to be captivated by lush soundscapes, soaring guitar riffs and haunting vocals. Drawing from a wide array of influences, it is not uncommon for a Sungaze record to feature a heavy grunge-laden track followed by an upbeat dream pop anthem with a country lilt–no matter which end of the musical spectrum, each song is sure to pack an emotional punch. Sungaze have released three albums independently, garnering praise from the likes of CLASH, EARMILK, and more. The Warm Fuzzies is a Chicago local duo with a throwback 90s industrial alternative sound. The Shimmer DJs, the duo Scary Lady Sarah and Philly Peroxide, spin a soundtrack of sonic incandescence, warm fuzzy walls of sound, and face melting guitars. Their monthly Shimmer club night is devoted to the absolute best current and classic shoegaze/dreampop/psych & more.
Inkjet, Giant Pit of Glass, Hearthands
Inkjet is a Chicago rock band that everyone is talking about and you should be very excited to see. Giant Pit of Glass describes themselves as soft and sometimes grungy emo slow core. For fans of deadharrie, duster, stove, and diiv. Hearthands is a Chicago-based musical project comprised of Madeline Haynes, Mike Higgins, Abigail Miller, and Jacob Wolf. The music blends elements of slowcore, shoegaze, and dream pop with songwriting inspired by Elliot Smith and many Numero releases.
Blind Adam and the Federal League, Bong Mountain, Rat Chasm
Chicago’s Premier Anti-Fascist Rock and Roll Experience. Blind Adam and The Federal League released their 3rd LP, The Fields We Know – produced by Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls, in December 2023. The Fields We Know is an 8 song LP inspired by the fight for a better world, life in the 2020’s, the rapid descent of the USA and much of the world into fascism and all of those who dedicate their lives to fighting fascism. In 2024 Blind Adam and The Federal League was awarded a Chicago DCASE grant to produce the Chicago – A History of Resistance music video for “The Sower” , the band collaborated with Doug Dean of Wall-to-Wall studios, INDECLINE and Ryan Brandoff. Bong Mountain describes themselves as “crying in the shower pop while listening to Cain Marko” Rat Chasm are Post-Hardcore/Skramz from Chicago. If you like angry songs filled with distortion, blastbeats, and screaming, you’ll like us. Debut album, “First Feed,” out now on Don’t Panic Records. Rats and rats and rats and rats and rats.
Strapped, Kenmujo, Home Entertainment, Constant Headache
Strapped are queer noise rock goblins from Chicago KENMUJO is a wild jet engine of tube amplified, howling feedback-laden acoustic guitar driven songwriting & noise performance, involving people there as drummers, screamers, etc. to create musical climax together. It’s a loud, aggressive, creative adventure that brings out the inherent energy of humans. Home Entertainment are described as “The Roaches of Rock and Roll” – Space Age Punk from Chicago, IL. Constant Headache are Folk-punk? Americana-emo? Idk. We like to sing and yell and dance, and we hope that you do too!!
Mr. Phylzzz, Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes, Tension Pets
mr.phylzzz is a wild two piece noise pop rock band from Chicago Illinois who you may have seen opening for the Melvin’s or Boris all over the US or maybe from instagram where they have amassed over a million plays. Phylzzz explosive and insane live show has pushed them to the top of being the live band to see in 2025! They aren’t just a band. They are a cult. Join us. Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes make fun, energetic, raw punk with eccentric flair. Tension Pets creates energetic synth fried punk from Chicago
Bull Heather, King Sans, Solemn Grey
Bull Heather is a musical project and persona that is as much inspired by glam and drag culture as she is alt metal or 2000s diva pop music, performing songs that explore the experience of queerness in our current tumultuous era through the lens of heavy and off-kilter rock music influenced by acts such as Black Dresses, the Pixies, and Mitski.Backed up at live shows by her band, The Bloodflowers, Bull is energetic, passionate, irreverent, and, most of all, loud as hell. King Sans is gothic noisepunk from the shadows of chicago Solemn Grey is Post Hardcore with skramz influence. FFO Touché Amoré, Deafeter, One Step Closer, Title Fight