Seth Beck, Morvern Hum, Half Scratches, Twocell
Combining elements of Indie Rock, New Wave, Shoegaze and Dream Pop – Seth Beck creates an ethereal and enveloping world of driving dreamscapes and shining, sparkling fuzz.Morvern Hum is a new shoegaze/dream pop band based in Chicago influenced by bands from the 90s such as Rocketship, Swirlies, and My Bloody Valentine, as well as newer groups like Men I Trust and The Marías.Half Scratches is Chicago art-popLauren Kenyon (Twocell) began her minimalist indie-rock mischief in her childhood bedroom while being trapped by the suffocation that only living in a small town in Colorado can bring. Starting with her phone and the garageband app, she slowly developed her sore-throat sound that only the D.I.Y approach can elevate. The Twocell sound has been likened to that of simplistic folk rock following artists like Brittle Brian, Alex G, and Angel Olsen.
VANG!, Rareforms, Acceptor
Consisting of 4 old time pals who are no strangers to the Chicago Music Scene (Mystery Actions, Bleach Party, Heart Shaped Hate, Absolutely Not, Youth Dekay), started as a one-off Halloween cover band of The Lunachicks. They decided to whip up some raucous tunes of their own and hit the ground running in 2023.
O.P.E., The Bart Attacks, The Marty Bennett Band
O.P.E is an original rock band based out of the Chicagoland area that delivers a high energy sonic experience. O.P.E pushes the boundaries of genre, bringing in elements of rock, fusion, and funk with an emphasis on improvisation to create songs uniquely their own. The Bart Attacks play an eclectic songbook of covers and originals, including the Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and traditional Americana. Marty Bennett Band play folk rock
Gosh Diggity, Sparkling Urbana, Wyldfire
Gosh Diggity is 3 piece chiptune rock from the Windy City.Sparkling Urbana blends 90’s queercore energy with folk and punk storytelling for grungy songs with a melodic crunch. You + Sparkling Urbana: Reminders that existence is resistance. Wyldfire is hyperpop with Synth undertone duo of Danelle’s soulful vocals and Naomi’s poppy beats. Making the slutty trashy trans pop music you never knew you always needed.
Oddysseys, Linneas Garden, Hell Trash
Linnea’s Garden plays glam punk rock you can dance to. Imagine the angular guitars of Television, primal bass lines of The Clash, danceworthy grooves of Blondie, and otherworldly songwriting and stage show of David Bowie, fronted by a queer singer/songwriter/scientist. Loud, shiny and full of distortion: they do it cuz they like to do it. They say the things people are afraid to say. Linnea’s Garden is currently touring in support of their new single, “Chaotic Bisexual Summer,” which comes out June 14, 2024.There’s no such thing as taking it easy when it comes to Oddysseys. The Chicago-based trio has always operated under a strong DIY ethos and work ethic. The band has forged their own organic growth in the underground music scene, leaving their impression on basements, warehouses, and legendary venues across the U.S. and Canada, offering dynamic performances that take their audience on a journey through a sonically diverse discography – leaving plenty of room for moshers, dancers, and arm-crossers alike.Hell Trash: Formerly Philadelphia, now Chicago. Four absolute sickos out to lunch.
Harvey Waters, Drook, Thro
Harvey Waters is Earth Tone Goth.Drook is a pop band from Richmond, Virginia.
King Sans, Killmoves, Bull Heather + The Bloodflowers, Damage Dames
Chicago’s altrock/noisepunk duo: King Sans set out with each performance to combine visceral raw energy with melancholic lulls to deliver a night you won’t soon forget.Killmoves is a 4 piece alternative/post-hardcore band founded in Chicago in 2022.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.Damage Dames is a catchy two-piece lofi dance punk with a skosh of weirdness.
Pudding, SCUF
Secret agents by day, whistleblowers by night. Enter the viscous and demented world of Pudding. They got synths, slap bass, a virtual horn section… and they’re wearing sunglasses. When they’re not mingling with extraterrestrial hippies, dodging teleporting mall cops, or honking horns on the information superhighway, Pudding is on the move. And they have the documents to prove it.SCUF is a band from the South Side of Chicago.
Deserta, Sunshy
Deserta: Through a patchwork of reverb-tinged textures – drone guitars, lingering synths and driving percussion – the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Doty weaves together stories of care, frustration and catharsis that ultimately stretch to a gentle resolve. On new album Every Moment, Everything You Need, Doty chronicles the kind of year we all fear, full of uncertainty, tension and sustained pressure, and transforms it into a celebration of perseverance. It’s an essential reminder that we have the power to shape the stories we tell. The LP was mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, Mogwai, Interpol), with Beach House and Slowdive producer Chris Coady engineering and co-producing.Sunshy is a noise pop band from Chicago. Their sonic signature weaves together swirling, distorted chords, searing guitar riffs, and captivating vocals, conjuring a cathartic tapestry of ethereal chaos.
Neil Jendon, Dead Bandit, Vertonen, Dungeon Blossoms
Neil Jendon plays solo modular electronic minimalist drone. Get comfortable.Dead Bandit is Ellis Swan and James Schimpl — the former a noted solo singer-songwriter from Chicago with a penchant for eerie, witching hour murder ballads and the latter an accomplished Canadian multi-instrumentalist with a bias towards heartworn, roaming soundscapes. vertonen has been the solo project of Blake Edwards since 1991. His most recent work has focused on reappropriating and manipulating dead and dying media to accentuate communication and its various limitations / frequent failings.