Holy Joke, Janet Blackwell, Dogcatcher
Holy Joke is an alt-country band from Chicago, IL. They are celebrating the release of their second EP.Janet Blackwell is a musical artist based in Chicago. Her music explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, with a sound that blends elements of folk, rock, and pop. Heavily influenced by the mysticality of 70s rock lyricism and its imagery, upcoming music has direct influence of the gritty Riot Grrrl movement–with a folk rock twist.Dogcatcher’s sound ranges from the loud and loose ferocity of a modern-day Crazy Horse to the pin-drop silence of a Big Thief show.
Adjy, Patrick Jasper, Slow Riser
Adjy is a musical mythopoic apparatus based in undisclosed locations in Appalachia.Patrick Jasper is a Chicago based guitarist and songwriter. Drawing from his roots in folk, math-rock and experimental rock, his new project tumbles into new sonic territory while maintaining a down to earth musical sensibility.Slow Riser is a Chicago-based dark indie-pop project comprised of two longtime musical collaborators, Ian Young and Claire Watkins (Scout Ripley, Morning Arms).
The Cancellations, Genevieve Heyward, All Weather Sports
The Cancellations make depression you can dance to.Genevieve Heyward delivers brutally honest lyrics with a saccharine rasp, effortlessly blending Americana influences into enthusiastic pop music.
The Umbrellas, Pleasant Mob
The Umbrellas are four renegade romantics crafting irresistible indie pop hymns. The band’s self-titled 2021 debut album became a breakout moment, winning critical praise and sparking an international tour. Follow-up LP ‘Fairweather Friend’ goes a step further – absorbing the sonic attack of their live shows, it balances this with studio finesse, allowing the San Francisco four-piece to become the band they’ve always aspired to be. At a glance Pleasant Mob evokes a carefree spirit, but below the surface, their uncluttered compositions are a comforting utopia. Their judicious use of tone, color, and melody strike the perfect balance between masculine and feminine energy – take that Piet Mondrian. Their clarity and resolved tension has smoothed down the sharp edges of rock and roll into a joyous flower powered jangle.
St. Marlboro, 96 Cougar, Sunvolume
St. Marlboro is a Chicago rock ‘n’ roll band influenced by twangy classic country, ethereal indie rock, and the grit of Chicago punk. The four-piece band creates a unique urban-gothic sound, reminiscent of early 2000’s folk-rock powerhouses.
A Very Cole’s New Year’s Eve featuring: Colm Lennon, Mold, CW, Emil and the Skinny Hendrixx Experience, DJ Juan M.
Mangoland, Triplets of Gonzo, Winefred RT
COCOJOEY, Kitty Litter, Anita Hart
Chrissy Corazza, Curt Oren, Extravision
Chrissy is an Iowa-born Chicago musician who plays bass for a variety of local acts including Janet Blackwell, The Megan Esther Band, and b.lake. Primarily, she sings, writes, and plays bass for the highly collaborative six-piece band Public Ritual.Extravision is a band from Iowa and makes psychedelic prairie music. Their new album “Temporary Fountain” explores a blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation and experiments with glitchy textures a la Animal Collective, Bon Iver, and Frank Ocean.
somesurprises, Twin Talk, RAYS
somesurprises is the musical project of Egyptian/English American songwriter and guitarist Natasha El-Sergany. Born in Letterkenny, Ireland, and raised in the north of England before moving to Florida at age ten, El-Sergany eventually found home in the evergreen mist of Seattle, WA. What began as a bedroom project focused on spectral balladry and late-night exploration has evolved into a dynamic four-piece band. Motorik beats, reverb-drenched vocals, washes of fingerpicked guitars, and hazy synths expand El-Sergany’s delicate and blissful songwriting.For over a decade, Chicago’s Twin Talk has steadily drifted from the conventions of the saxophone trio. While reedist Dustin Laurenzi, bassist-singer Katie Ernst, and drummer Andrew Green are deeply rooted in jazz tradition, they’ve spent their time on the band stage together making their music more elastic, spontaneous, and open, embracing new inspirations without stifling the improvisational heart of their work. Twin Talk uses live performances as opportunities to stretch—expanding on composed material and ditching set lists in favor of calling tunes on the fly.RAYS is a new band of Chicago music scene stalwarts Andrew Scott Young, Jake Acosta, Skyler Rowe, and Brian Sulpizio. They’re throwing improvisation and composition right into the KitchenAid™️ Stand Mixer and you will not be dissatisfied by the dough they pull out of there. And maybe the oven is the stage or something. The music is the bread or cookies I guess?