The Soul Rebels
Brass sensation The Soul Rebels started with an idea – to expand upon the pop music they loved on the radio and the New Orleans brass tradition they grew up on. They took that tradition and blended funk and soul with elements of hip hop, jazz and rock all within the style of a modernized and contemporary brass band. The Soul Rebels built a career around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums in a party-like atmosphere. The eight-member collective frequently appear on major record label releases with star artists including Sony Music artist GEazy’s single ‘When You’re Gone” featuring Lil Wayne, Def Jam artist Dave East and Nas’ “Godfather 4”, Big Freedia and Icona Pop’s “Pipe That” and Warner Music Group artist Phony Ppl’s new album. The Soul Rebels have scored original music for Walt Disney’s 2023 movie Haunted Mansion and appeared on the official soundtrack for Universal Pictures’ hit comedy Girls Trip. The Soul Rebels have impressed viewers with two appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk series with Wu Tang Clan front man GZA, and headlined the global TED Conference. The Soul Rebels are riding high in 2024 after receiving national attention following the release of their new album, Poetry In Motion. The Soul Rebels continue to expand their international reach touring four continents including Europe, Australia, China, South Korea and Japan. Their explosive stage presence has led to live collaborations with the likes of Katy Perry, Nas, G-Eazy, DMX, Robin Thicke, Macy Gray, Portugal. The Man, Robert Glasper, Pretty Lights, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Matisyahu and most notably their new supergroup with the legendary Wu Tang Clan. The Soul Rebels continue to chart new territory and are respected for their ability to combine topnotch musicianship with songs that celebrate peace, love and soul. Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud
Post Animal
When Post Animal stepped into the studio for their new album, it was the first time all six original members were in the studio together for nearly a decade. Three band members had recently relocated away from Chicago, not to mention Joe Keery having left the band in 2017 to focus on acting. In the end they started right back up at the beginning, rediscovering that uncompromising closeness of connection they all shared from those endless hours spent in practice spaces and the late-night diner runs that follow. Prolonged stretches of time together not only reinforced the strength of their friendship—it reinvigorated their music. “If you want to get one hour of good painting in, you have to have four hours of uninterrupted time,” David Lynch once said. The product of a few straight weeks together, IRON (due July 25th) not only finds them reunited with Keery but is the embodiment of 30 days of camaraderie and unbound musical exploration, their renewed connection ironclad.After 2022’s sublime Love Gibberish, their first independent record, Post Animal found themselves sunk deeper into their work than ever before. They toured extensively, both on their own and with UK psych band Temples. By the time things settled down, guitarist Javi Reyes and drummer Wesley Toledo were back home in Chicago, while guitarist Matt Williams moved to Los Angeles, bassist Dalton Allison decamped for Ithaca, and multi-instrumentalist Jake Hirshland relocated to Brooklyn. “There was some burnout happening,” Allison says. But then Keery showed up at a New York tour stop, and the idea was hatched that they cut another record—all six band members together again, for the first time since 2017’s When I Think of You in a Castle. “That was near the start of Stranger Things, and now with it kind of coming to an end in my own life, we all felt it’d be great to do something like that again,” Keery says. “It was a labor of love.” The group focused on the experience and ignored any pressure. “We all agreed that even if we went and just hung out, we’d be happy with it,” Toledo says. “There was a real positivity and optimism among us.” They would set up camp at the Indiana home of their friends, tucked into some woodlands.The creativity driven by comfort is apparent from the opening instrumental track; “Malcolm’s Cooking” was recorded in part on a balcony overlooking the foliage, complete with the humid wind, insect whirring, and euphorically clinking bottles. Lead single “Last Goodbye” follows, a slow-loping look at the end of a relationship, a point in time somehow both uneasy and familiar. There’s a vintage AM radio glow to follow-up “Pie in the Sky”, a giddy-up bass and thumping percussion giving way to layered harmony. “Make me wanna sell my soul for just a bit of your shine/ How am I gonna fill this hole, if your heart ain’t mine?” they sigh in a fit of honest, unadorned adoration.“This record felt like a revitalization of our friendships and our band,” Hirshland says. “We always work collaboratively, but it’s amazing how reintroducing Joe into the mix brought back that dynamic from 2017.” Keery agrees, noting both how close they’ve remained despite so much change. “I was just appreciative to be spending this time, knowing we might not get another chance,” he says. “The record reflects that enjoyment, and you can feel the fun.” Website | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Six Foot Blonde
Six Foot Blonde is the rare combination of earnest and exciting, the synthesis of front-woman Julia Rusyniak’s tremendous vocal talent and heartfelt lyrics with a 90’s-alt-washed take on soul pop that is lush, tight-knit, and brimming with energy. The kind of band that means what they say in every song and dances with you to every word, Six Foot Blonde burst out of their local midwestern scene with enough excitement to draw crowds across the country in under three years. In 2024, the band finished their first national headlining tour, followed by the release of their debut album, “Ask Me How I Am.” Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Billy Raffoul
Telling universal stories soundtracked by unshakable melodies, Billy Raffoul strikes an intimate chord, tapping into the feelings and experiences we all share no matter where we call home. This relatability has consistently engaged listeners, yielding hundreds of millions of streams and sold-out shows around the globe for the award-winning Ontario singer, songwriter, and producer. Billy naturally absorbed a lifelong passion for music from his old man, Jody Raffoul, who shined as a singer-songwriter himself. Perfecting his songcraft and voice, he dropped music at a prolific pace, including the 1975 EP, The Running Wild EP, Live in June, and the full-length LP, A Few More Hours at YYZ. Among many highlights, “Acoustic” eclipsed 87.3 million-plus Spotify streams, and “Easy Tiger” reeled in 25.7 million Spotify streams. He progressed with For All These Years, featuring “Better,” “I Wish You Were Here,” and “Bliss.” He notably performed alongside Kings of Leon, Phoenix, and American Authors, in addition to collaborating with Amistat, Katelyn Tarver, and JJ Wilde. Plus, he garnered the 2021 SOCAN Songwriting Prize for “Western Skies” and the 2023 INDIES “Song of the Year” for “We Could Get High.” Concluding 2023, Billy canvased South Africa on tour. The experience affirmed the boundary-breaking power of music. Upon his return, he initially penned ideas at home before decamping to Los Angeles, where he worked with producer Davis Naish. Now, he makes his closest connection yet on his forthcoming self-titled album, Billy Raffoul. Website | Instagram | YouTube
Brooks Nielsen (of The Growlers)
Brooks Nielsen, celebrated frontman of The Growlers and now a critically acclaimed solo artist, has firmly established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in independent music. As the frontman and creative force behind The Growlers, Nielsen helped define and popularize the Beach Goth movement—a genre-blurring, countercultural wave that left an indelible mark on modern rock. Over more than a decade, The Growlers built a fiercely dedicated international following, performed at major festivals, and sold out venues around the world. Their celebrated discography and electrifying live shows cemented them as one of the most influential underground bands of the 21st century. In addition to their music, The Growlers also founded and curated the Beach GothFestival, a groundbreaking event that brought together a wildly eclectic mix of artists—from Patti Smith and Bon Iver to Doja Cat and Mac DeMarco—making it a defining moment in the cultural landscape of the 2010s. Now, as a solo artist, Nielsen continues to push boundaries with the same fearless spirit. Since launching his solo career in 2022, he’s released four records—three of them in 2024 alone. His latest, A Ride I’m Waiting For, features the haunting duet “Without Eyes” with Sierra Ferrell and has been praised for its cinematic scope and emotional depth. On stage, Nielsen delivers an experience unlike anything else. Backed by a powerhouse band—Growlers drummer Richard Gowen, keyboardist Cole Riddle, and guitarists J.D. Carrera and Elyadeen Anbar—Brooks crafts a set each night that’s entirely its own. Drawing from his extensive solo catalog, deep cuts, Growlers classics, and unreleased material, his shows are long, loose, and alive. With no opening acts and performances stretching two and sometimes three hours, fans are invited into a world that feels as spontaneous as it does deeply curated. This Fall 2025 run is Brooks’s most ambitious solo tour to date, featuring first-ever solo plays in small towns, Aspen and Fort Collins, CO; Carrboro and Asheville, NC; Madison, WI; Ferndale, MI; New Haven, CT; St. Louis, MO; Boise, ID; Tulsa, OK; and Nashville, TN. There’s also a rare and intimate upstate New York show at the newly revived Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock—a venue rich with music history. In New York City, Nielsen will headline the legendary Webster Hall for the first time, marking his biggest solo show in the city yet—and in Chicago, he’ll play the iconic Metro, a rite of passage for generations of boundary-pushing artists. The 28-date tour wraps with the now-iconic Helloween shows at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on October 30 and 31—two surreal, sweat-soaked nights that have instantly become a rite of passage for Nielsen’s most devoted fans. Every year, Beach Rats from across the country—and around the world—make the journey for this once-a-year celebration of the strange and the sacred. It’s more than just a show: it’s a Mecca for the hardcore fanbase, a chance to mix with fellow travelers, share stories from the past, and revel in a night of music, mystery, and magic. If you know, you go. Website | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube | Growlers Spotify
Larry
Larry — Larry found their current form in a ladies’ bar bathroom during the 2024 Hopscotch Fest. Featuring Emma Bouck on guitar and vox, Joe Porco on drums, Brendan Finn on bass, and Alex Dixon on guitar, Larry roughly resembles four overgrown kids in a trench coat wandering the streets of Carrboro, NC. Since releasing their freshman EP Puddle! in December 2024, the 4-piece has graced the stage with touring acts like Dogwood Tales and Downhaul, delivering a cathartic mix of sickly sweet romanticization and hellish obsession that lands like sour candy. At a Larry show, only two things are certain – Larry is everyone, and we are all Larry. Instagram | Bandcamp
The Legendary Pink Dots
Way way back in the early days I used to say a lot about ‘The Terminal Kaleidoscope’ , a concept comparing the fragile planet we live on to a drowning human being with life flashing before his or her eyes, the images constantly accelerating. It’s 2024, a little over 2 decades since the turn of this unbearably turbulent century and the concept appears to have become an unlikely soap opera where we are the cast. Let’s hang in there….. – Edward Ka-Spel SO LONELY IN HEAVEN – THE CREATION ‘So Lonely in Heaven’ is The Legendary Pink Dots’ second album since the World stopped for a Global Pandemic.With members scattered across three countries and two continents, our guilty confession is that quite a few Air Miles were consumed in its creation.Ideas were spun across Cyberspace for months, but the magic happened collectively in small spaces with the tape running. SO LONELY IN HEAVEN – THE MESSAGE The machine is everything we are. It sees everything, hears everything, knows everything and feeds, speeds, drinks us down, spits us out – we lost control of it at the instant of its conception. You may cough, curse and die, but the machine will resurrect you without the flaws, at your peak, smiling from a screen, bidding someone in a lonely room to join you. It’s an invitation from Heaven, where anyone can be anything they want to be, but it’s a Nation of One. You’ll be everything we are. You’ll be a shadow of yourself. You’ll repeat yourself- endlessly. You’ll be desperate for some kind of explanation . You’ll be lonely. So very lonely… credits released January 17, 2025 Erik Drost- Acoustic and Electric Guitars, bass guitar; Randall Frazier- synthesisers, devices; Edward Ka-Spel – Voice, devices; Joep Hendrikx – live electronics, devices. Simon Paul – Cover design and layout. Raymond Steeg & Peter Van Vliet – mastering. Thank you Alena for your enduring support! Website | Bandcamp | Spotify
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – The Hard Road World Tour
“Ingram plays guitar with dramatic, searing tone and sure-handed authority. And that’s just in the studio; he’s even scarier live.” –NPR Music “Muscular guitar and gorgeous vocals…[there is] an intense rolling melodicism in Ingram’s singing and soloing” –AllMusic “Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram has already made his mark as one of the best, and undoubtedly most exci3ng, blues guitarists in the world.” –Guitar World GRAMMY-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the globe, the young blues star has already headlined multiple U.S. and European tours, and amazed fans in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and India. Selected in summer 2022 to open for The Rolling Stones in London’s Hyde Park, Kingfish has also performed and toured with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell, Steve Miller and Buddy Guy, a mentor of his, with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits. Since he burst onto the scene in 2019, Ingram has been nominated for 12 Blues Music Awards and won them all. Rolling Stone declared, “Kingfish is one of the most excitingyoung guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.” In September 2023, Kingfish released his jaw-dropping, GRAMMY-nominated, third album, Live In London. Recorded on June 6, 2023, in front of a sweaty, sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the famous UK club, The Garage, Live In London is the guitar-driven live album Kingfish’s fans around the world have been clamoring for since they first watched him perform as a teenager on YouTube. Sparked by his non-stop touring, writing and recording schedule, Kingfish’s natural talent just keeps growing. With his jaw-dropping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the- collar vocals, he performs every song with unmatched passion and precision. To see him live in person is an onstage snapshot of the young singer, songwriter and guitarist creating musical magic in real time, leaving his listeners spellbound and always wanting more. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
The Rattletraps
RattletrapsFormed in Chapel Hill, NC, The Rattletraps is a band of songwriters who create a culmination of roots rock, country and blues music. With songs about bar fights, working dead end jobs, and the streets of New Orleans, The Rattletraps find ways to create anthems that are bitter, cynical, and just the right amount of pissed off. Instagram Ol’ Joey Scrums Ol Joey Scrums is a high-energy string band out of Raleigh, North Carolina, blending the raw grit of Appalachian bluegrass with the soulful storytelling of Americana. Fronted by Joe Ralli on guitar and vocals, the band features Dakotah Kelly’s groove-driven banjo, Ian Klug’s driving bass, and Martin Noffsinger’s rock-solid drumming. Known for their foot-stomping live shows and tight harmonies, Ol Joey Scrums delivers original tunes that balance modern edge with timeless tradition. After a memorable show at the Raleigh Pour House, they’re gearing up to release their second album in May 2025—an honest, hard-hitting collection that captures the spirit of the road and the heart of home. Instagram Johnny Sunrise Hailing from Western Massachusetts, Johnny Sunrise is an indie folk rock singer-songwriter who draws inspiration from love, longing, the “quarter-life crisis,” and the uncertainty of life. Although Johnny grew up with music primarily as a drummer, his unforeseen travels up and down the east coast and the isolation caused by the COVID pandemic brought him closer to his neglected guitar. Johnny is now joined by the uber talented duo Gabby Messner (bass) and Jake Richter (drums) whose contributions take the live show to another level. Johnny has carved a place in the NC triangle music scene over the past year or so performing original songs with honest lyrics and a soulful voice. Always with a smile and a healthy dose of banter. Instagram
Arcy Drive
With time to kill and an attic to jam in, Arcy Drive, a group of four good buds from Northport, New York began forming their scratchy but spirited sound.Traveling in a 1989 Toyota van, they shared their music locally which they coined “Attic-Rock.” After a summer in their hometown and newfound passion of playing live, the four renovated an old school bus and began touring the US before their first official release. Many dive bars and music halls later, their “Barefoot Tour” landed the band a new cult following. So far, the group has released a live album, ‘Attic Sessions’, a studio EP ‘Beach Plum’, and 7 new singles into the release of their debut studio album ‘The Pit’. They have amassed over 20 million combined streams and sold-out headline shows in NYC (Bowery Ballroom), LA, Boston, Chicago, Nashville, Philly & more – including sets at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees, Kilby Block Party & more. The debut studio album from the band, ‘The Pit’, will be released on April 18th this year. This project was compiled over months of time spent all over the country. From the abandoned winter on Nantucket Island, to Nashville, to Georgia, to recording at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY. This project was produced by 71-year-old legendary producer, Angelo Petraglia (Kings of Leon, Black Keys). It includes a guest appearance by 80-year-old songwriter and frontman of The Lovin’ Spoonful, John Sebastian.‘The Pit’ consists of 13 tracks that will take you on a journey through Arcy Drive’s lens on the genre of ‘Attic Rock’ . Be on the lookout for their biggest touring year yet this Fall!-Nick, Pat, Brooke, Austin Website | TikTok | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
