As the daughter of a minister and kin to a lot of church folk Nikki grew up listening to traditional gospel/christian music and spent much of her grade school days involved in school band playing clarinet and oboe. But, despite her early exposure to music, it wasn’t until the tender age of 28 when she finally began to start making music of her own.
Nikki was born and raised in North Carolina but Chicago is where she found her first home as a performer and songwriter. Starting out in the open mic scene it didn’t take long for her to garner local support and make her way to some great stages around the midwest: opening for acts such as Jaime Wyatt, Caroline Spence, Boo Ray, and Sean Watkins.
She is a former winner of the awarded Uncommon Ground Songwriting competition; she has been voted as a ‘Judge’s Pick’ in the Nashville Rising Song contest, and recently had her single Love.Save.Me make it to the semi-final round of the International Songwriting Competition.
Nikki finds a way to combine captivating melodies and insightful lyrics with a voice full of raw passion. Her music is unapologetic in it efforts to grapple with real life; and yet elegantly embodies the essence of her “Carolina Soul”.
For Fans Of: Mastodon, Yob, Neurosis, and Death
Exosphere is a Psychedelic Sludge band from Arlington Heights, IL comprised of Jackie Frank Russell III (Vocals, Guitar), Steven Graff (Guitar, Vocals), Henry Edwards (Bass), and Bill Kaszubowski (Drums)
The band established the roots of Sawbuck through house shows with other post-hardcore sounds. These were intimate events that often came to capacity through invite-only and privatized methods of concealing the address. Nevertheless, this gritty scene made music accessible. But then, is that not the point of DIY?
But since their backyard show and small festival days in 2018, the band has changed. Now a five-piece with two guitarists and a drastic, more heavy change in sound. The difference is no spur-of-the-moment decision. While post-hardcore and math-rock bands such as the Fall of Troy, Animals as Leaders, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The broken rhythm and randomized cacophony are still prevalent in the newer material. The heavy guitar drops are more to elevate the Cathartic elements of the songs drawn from influences like the Chariot, Every Time I Die, and Vulvodynia.
Sawbuck plans on continuously changing and challenging its sound while maintaining that availability to its listeners as a DIY band.
K-Death is a punk/metal/hard rock band with some hints of Arabic. Hailing from the Valpo region, the group is comprised of Eli Schott (bass), Don Orban (drums), and Panayotis Kaiafas (guitars and vocals)
The Detroit sweet-heart became a music selector in her hometown in 2014, after dropping out of school at Columbia College Chicago. Jetta sound is nostalgic, funky, and overall fly to death, with blends that will cut through the entire dance floor and energy to make her sets unforgettable. No matter the event or crowd, the open format styled DJ Sky Jetta knows how to put on a show for any audience.
In 2016 Sky Jetta opened up for artist Rich The Kid and in 2018 had the opportunity to play Atlanta’s ‘A3C festival’ opening up for various artist such as Lil Wayne, Wu-tang and Trina to name a few.
Since then she has traveled city to city, state to state and country to country while working her fanbase in Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, New York City, Toronto, London, and Montreal.
Sky Jetta is now the official DJ of grammy nominated — producer and songwriter Baby Tate.
Her objective is to encourage women from all backgrounds to be fearless in a male dominated industry —
Based in Chicago, IL, Trash Fiasco is a punk fueled garage rock trio littered with loud tendencies. As described by Redacted Magazine, “At their best, Trash Fiasco sounds like a mob of Neanderthals pillaging a music store, having never seen an instrument but making loud sounds nonetheless…”
Releasing their debut album, “Stay Miserable”, in August of 2021, the group put their range on display featuring everything from raucous punk to what Radio Wigwam DJ Christian John called “brilliant” and WPNA 103.1 FM Chicago DJ, Adela Skowronski, described as “serious Misfits vibes” and sounding “deranged and crazy”.
As the follow-up, Trash Fiasco released a series of three singles: In Your Blood, Maniacal Frenzy, and Bastard From a Basket. This single series highlighted the quirky, yet dark, stylings of the group. This didn’t mark a new direction for the band, but rather unveiled more of what you didn’t know they had.
Trash Fiasco is comprised of Lucas Fuechsl (drums), Alex “Frodo” Steinbach (bass), and Frank Bruno (guitar/vocals).
Chicago rapper, JAMS The Flava Child is a brilliant up and comer whose intense blend of hiphop beats with funk rhythms and his relatable themes has garnered him a loyal fanbase. In the past, he has sold out solo shows at Chicago’s notorious Schubas (250) and joined Kota The Friend on a sold out US tour in 2019. His latest release “Live From The Lac” hit the airwaves in July.
English-born front man, guitarist, and principle songwriter Andrew Proctor moved to Los Angeles where he met Arizona natives Nick Lanata (bass) and Spencer Schuck (guitar), and Chris Neff (drums) who’d come from Portland, Oregon. Accomplished musicians all, the band’s chemistry was clear from the outset, and their electrifying concerts have allowed them to build a sizable and energetic fan base in Los Angeles.
Now, with all the pieces in place and the wind at their back, the band has stepped forward into an exciting 2022––with a new record deal, two new singles, a national tour and their debut album, Universe Reversal.
Check out singles “Wolf at the Door” and “Don’t Let It Be Me”
“(they) sound like they never stopped believing rock ’n’ roll could do the heavy lifting. ” – Buzzbands LA
Originally from Wisconsin, 19 year-old producer and artist Cece Maravilla now calls Chicago home and finds it a haven to create vulnerable and emotional tracks, including their collab with Heartgaze on “Lose Myself”
Thursday is an American post-hardcore band, formed in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1997. The band currently consists of Geoff Rickly, Tom Keeley, Steve Pedulla, Tim Payne, and Tucker Rule.
ANBERLIN
Anberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.
SUPERSONIC SKA STEADY VIA DETROIT Featuring members of BOP (harvey), J. Navarro & the Traitors, Hillbilly Knife Fight, The Exceptions, Telegraph, Superdot, Planet Detroit Nonet, The Luddites, The Atomic Fireballs, THEATRE BIZARRE ORCHESTRA
Advorsa is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2013. The band currently consists of guitarist Alan Russell, vocalist Angelo Hakey, guitarist David Krouwer, drummer Hector Huizar, and bassist James Lenten. While they possess a strong death metal foundation, they are an amalgamation of all things heavy. They strive to make each song unique and tell its own story. Some of the subject matter of their songs includes The Evil Dead, H.P. Lovecraft, Greek Mythology, and other horrific themes.
Side Hug formed in 2017, when three of the four members met while scooping ice cream on the North Side of Chicago. During a cold winter, when the ice cream shop was closed, the band recorded some of their first pop-tinged folk songs. Those songs later appeared on “Also,” their first EP. Two years later, with the addition of a fourth member, Side Hug took on a dreamier sound with their second EP “Wasted Summer” – evoking the nostalgia of a blazing and heartbroken Chicago summer.
Their newest single “Conversations” – featuring Lyd Landor (vocals/guitar), Allan Cardenas (lead guitar), Yuda Goldbloom (bass), and Christian Ovalle (drums) – continues to embrace themes of unrequited love, adding layers of grit to their sentimental sound. Where the band’s name hints at awkwardness, these boys bring a sound that’s anything but.
Side Hug has played with acts such as Jungle Giants, Tallies, and Chicago locals Beach Bunny.
Playing at the intersection of indie rock and folk and hailing from Saint Paul, MN, Gentlemen Speaker released a self-titled album in 2019 and a sophomore album “The Well Between Continents” in fall of 2021. They’ve hit the road with their contingent of Tim Brecht – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Adam Fekete – Vocals, Guitar, Brian Nanoff – Bass, and Don Lavis – Drums.
A psych-wave quartet in a polygamist marriage with new-wave synths, fuzzed out guitars and big beats. New sounds from old circuits for your daily bread and circus. Released a new album “Dress For The Future” on 8/5 with lead singles “Madness” and “Graveyard Thinker.”
Southside Chicago Native Rick King has played drum set for KoKo Taylor, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, B.B. King and many more touring globally.
A founding member of the funk-soul-jam band Lubriphonic, he played and produced five records with the band.
These days Rick steps out from behind the drum set to front his own band on Vocals and Percussion.
The seven piece band with horn section plays feel good soul music inspired by his former employers with flavors of Chicago Blues, Memphis Soul, New Orleans Funk and Kingston Reggae.
Colorfully stylish while pulling in intimate emotions and a delirious slew of inspiration from across generations, SSGKobe echoes the mystifying energy of the internet. Since creating his first songs five years ago, the Louisiana-born artist has unloaded bangers that vacillate between sullen and ecstatic, creating an Auto-Tune-drenched soundtrack for peers who process triumph and heartbreak by posting unfiltered captions on Instagram. In doing so, he’s cultivated a growing legion of fans—listeners, critics, and fellow artists as diverse as his influences.
Ko began to break out with “WYD,” a 2019 track that laced luxurious flexes and casual gunplay with artful randomness. He’s replicated that mix of refinement and hyperactivity with “MIA,” a song that lets loose exasperated yelps amid a tale of drug use, newfound wealth, and reluctant love. It evokes his mission to inspire listeners to find comfort in their identity but also to enjoy themselves. “I want my fans to be themselves and have fun,” says Ko, who, at 17, is preparing for not only a world in which he can play for those fans IRL, but his senior year of high school.
Raised in Centerville, Louisiana, SSGKobe’s road to musicianship wasn’t straightforward, but it felt inevitable. In many ways, it starts with a computer. Having jumped onto an HP desktop for the first time at just 3 years old, SSGKobe—whose name is derived from his Kobe Bryant fandom and a love of the Dragon Ball manga franchise—was born to be a star.
Because his friends weren’t always close by, he’d spend hours online, playing Flash games and listening to an endless stream of music, which would lead him to the sounds of Lil Wayne, local favorite Kevin Gates, and Chief Keef. Seeing Keef’s free-wheeling approach planted seeds of inspiration, and he soon realized that the web offered him a way out into the real world. “I think I really grasped that power. Knowing I could use the internet for anything,” remembers Ko.
SSGKobe began with a video game-focused YouTube channel that got a decent amount of subscribers, but his long game was music. For his first forays, he’d memorize Weezy lyrics and rap them to classmates. But soon enough, he was ready to try the real thing. Using a dancehall beat he got from a friend he met on Instagram, Ko wrote his first song in 2016. In order to record it, he waited until his mom was in the shower to use the voice memos app on her iPhone. He was too shy to show his friends the resulting song, which he presciently titled “Important,” but he did upload it to SoundCloud, and enough people listened to convince him the dream was viable.
By 2019, the secret was out, and by the time he dropped off his M3 project and songs like “WYD,” SSGKobe was on his way to stardom. After collaborating with Brockhampton for their album Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, he dropped “Calabasas,” an exuberant cut that became his biggest to date and featured a visual directed by Cole Bennett. All of which helped solidify his place as a one-of-one rap talent destined to move from web buzz to true fame.
Looking ahead, SSGKobe’s dreaming big. He hopes to make the best album possible and, eventually, become the best artist of his generation—no big deal. While his profile is rising and his abilities are only growing sharper, he knows he has higher plateaus to surmount, bigger goals to fulfill, and more untold sounds to explore. “I still think I’m just starting,” says Ko.
Born and raised in the deep outskirts of Mexico City, the Gama brothers are keeping alive the rich legacy of marimba music running through their family with their latest project, Son Rompe Pera. While firmly rooted in the tradition of this historic instrument, their fresh take on the folk icon challenges its limits as never before, moving it into the garage/punk world of urban misfits and firmly planting it in the 21st century.
Originally performing alongside their father at local events since they were kids, their
absolute unique blend comes from a typical youthful rebellion, when as teenagers they left behind their upbringing on the marimba and began to play in various punk, rockabilly and ska bands. Now they’ve gone full circle with the marimba back leading the way, and their live shows are a sweaty mess of dancing fans, with their authenticity shining through as they give their modern interpretation of Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian classics, as well as their own original material and some surprise covers. The contrast of the traditional marimba with their youthful attitude and street sense connects the audience to the past while they dance into the future.
Their debut album was released on the ZZK Records imprint AYA on March 1, 2020 –
right as the pandemic began, thus denying the group any chance of travel to support a
record that landed on many year-end “best-ofs” for 2020. But travel restrictions didn’t stop the band from growing their fanbase over the past year. They had to cancel 2 US tours and 3 trips to Europe (including performances at WOMAD UK and Fusion Fest), but they still were able to partake in streaming events, and they virtually performed at the Barbes in the Woods Festival in NY, the Mole de Mayo Festival in Chicago, a special end-of-year World Music Insititute concert, Digital Carnaval from Cartagena, Colombia, as well as the Womex festival that was originally to take place in Budagest, Hungary, amongst many more.
DJ J SMOOTH
TYRIQ AND THE SOULFUL ONES
TYRIQ is a African-American Chicago-based Vocalist/Musician and Actor. He’s worked with the likes of 2x Grammy Awarding producer “Keith Harris” as his musical director for the #faceforwardproject here in Chicago, has opened for Local Chicago Artist “Erthe St. James” at city winery, and has recently been apart of the gospel choir called “music in the key of Chicago”. As a Performer, TYRIQ has performed at various Main places and stages such as Reggies Rock Club, City Winery, The 28th African Caribbean Jerk,Seafood, and Vegan Festival, Second City, Culture “live”, Next Showcase stages,Persona, and Lollapalooza. As well as local stages like Day21, Door 10, Aces Cafe, and many more. As an actor, he has performed in a D2 project play called U&I and devised piece for the People of Color project at Columbia Colleg Chicago. TYRIQ Also has 2 singles currently out called Nostalgic Mind ft. Charlie-Curtis Beard (prod. Jack Kapson and Charlie-Curtis Beard) and Love Reigns (prod. Jack Kapson). TYRIQ’s main music genres are Jazz,Gospel, Blues, Funk, R&B and currently plays the Alto Saxophone and the Piano. With a Focus in Vocal Performance and Minor in Acting, He truly values growth, love, passion, longevity, stability, acknowledgement, and teaching others.
( Pronounced Canyon) A power trio.
Heavy Stoner Doom Jams, Blistering Solos, Tight Grooves, Iommic Hendrixian Sonic Walls layered with Howlin Vocals from 3 Cavemen in Chicago. Debut Record Out Fall 2021.
“Hailing from parts unknown to any rational human being, PEN-15 is live, improvisational, interpretations of conceptual chaos. PEN-15 combines a mixture of early analog synth worship, with a lot of hard pounding beats, and blasting new synths for a batter that will leave you breathless.
PEN-15 will be coming in your earholes. Can you handle the magic?”
RIOT ACT
(Playing Riot “Fire Down Under” in full)
Riot Act features former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura, Don Chaffin-vocals, Paul Ranieri-bass, Claudio Galinski-drums. Riot Act is hard driving Rock-n-Roll! The band made their live debut January 2020 at the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame Gala. Their strong performance made a lasting impression on host Eddie Trunk. Catch it on Amazon Prime!
Riot Act tragically lost founding member Lou Kouvaris as the band was about to release an EP and embark on a European tour.After a few dark months and facing a world in quarantine, the band decided to go on, releasing a tribute video of the early Riot classic “Overdrive”. The band was ready to rock again!
Currently working on a new album and video, Riot Act ushers in a new era in hard driving rock! Stay tuned!
Boogie got his start in music after joining a church choir at the urging of his mother. He soon started writing lyrics and crafting melodies, and later enrolled in Long Beach City College to study recording. With his debut mixtape Thirst 48 arriving in June 2014, Boogie had his breakthrough with The Reach—a 2015 mixtape that spawned the Jahlil Beats-produced “Oh My,” whose viral success cemented him as one of the most refreshingly honest new voices emerging from the West Coast. Releasing Thirst 48 Pt. II in 2016, Boogie found his raw, unfiltered lyricism earning praise from artists like Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, who signed him to Shady Records in October 2017.
Rooted in an amalgamation of punk, bluegrass, and folk, “Pour Choices” is the musical equivalent of a rant against capitalism by a drunken philosophy undergrad with a desk job. One part drinking anthems, one part millennial woes, two parts no idea what the fuck we are doing.
4 Piece power pop band based out of Chicago, IL. Think rockin’ catchy tunes, infectious guitars and vocals. Light hearted fun lyrics and an upbeat exciting live show.
Matt Derda & The High Watts, a Folk Rock group from the Chicago area, combines storytelling with resonant melodies.
Blending Rock N Roll riffs with Eastern Kentucky roots, they’ve created a unique sound that captures the essence of Johnny Cash’s Nashville and the grit of rock acts like The Replacements.
Tal Wilkenfeld is an Australian singer, songwriter, bassist, and guitarist. She has performed with artists including Jeff Beck, Prince, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, and Mick Jagger. In 2008, Wilkenfeld was voted “The Year’s Most Exciting New Player” by Bass Player magazine readers’ choice poll.
Occult rockers from another galaxy elaborating on the sacred sciences of punk & rock ‘n’ roll
JASON BLAKE OF AZIOLA CRY
Jason Blake is a Warr Guitarist from Chicago, Illinois. The Warr Guitar is a twelve-string instrument incorporating the range of a guitar and bass. It is played by tapping the strings, a technique known as touchstyle guitar.
Blake plays with the progressive metal trio, Aziola Cry (Sensory Records), Backward Sky Falling, and releases music under his own name (Wayfarer Records).
The Snozzberries are a hi-energy psychedelic rock band based in Asheville, NC. Since their formation in fall of 2017, The Snozzberries have quickly gained notoriety for their electrifying live performances where melodic songcraft is interwoven with wild improvisation and technical wizardry.
Their infectious grooves have taken storm across the region, with 2019 highlights including Sweetwater 420 Festival, Resonance Music & Arts Festival, Warren Haynes Xmas Jam-By-Day, Dark Star’s Pisgah Jubilee, and many more. The Snozzberries hosted official afterparties for The Disco Biscuits, Lotus and Papadosio. The band also tours extensively, mesmerizing audiences across the states with their esoteric fusion of old-school rock with modern psychedelia.
The brainchild of Oleg Gitarkin/Guitaracula of St. Petersburg, Russia, Messer Chups was conceived in 1998 as a side project to his prime output Ein Messer Für Frau Müller. A guitarist extraordinare, he took his love of 50’s rockabilly and 60’s surf, wrapped it up in the sounds of the all-night inner-city grind-house and added the trashiest ingredient to the mix – himself. The Chups got into full swing with arrival of Zombierella – a bass player with the looks of a vintage pin-up model. The duo became the core of a band that, through various incarnations, would welcome many other talented collaborators. The group’s albums never fail to amuse, oozing musical cocktails that range from the electronic exotica of the band’s early work, Miss Libido and Crazy Price ( Ipecac), to the exotic surf of Hyena Safari and Zombie Shopping. The fact that they are the hottest band around is beside the point. Live they are simply beautiful: guitars drenched in reverb, snippets of horror movies and burlesque acts on the screen, bass and drums pumping a steady backbeat to their nocturnal emission…MC and their fans had their heads shrunk by late-night b-movies. Take any good old Dracula, throw in some Orgy of the Dead and Dance of the Damned, blend it with the surf beats of The Ventures and the like and you are not even close, but you are on your way. This is the sort of music you would expect to hear coming from a car abandoned in a graveyard at midnight during a real-life Twighlight Zone.
Today’s Children is the recording project of Nick Arger. The band’s roots can be traced to the DIY scene of Urbana, Illinois. The band consisted of Nick, Robert Audino, Cameron Kern, and Alex McAfee, all of whom were students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The boys started playing together in September 2018 after Nick started teaching the group some of his original songs. The band started to grow a small following by playing local house parties, bars, and clubs, and eventually they found their way up to Chicago, playing to escalating crowd sizes at Subterranean in Wicker Park, Safari Lounge in Rogers Park, and The Curragh in Edison Park for a benefit concert. Upon returning back to Urbana, the group booked two radio appearances, one for WEFT in Champaign, and the other for WPGU, the University of Illinois student-run radio station. After performing for 3 nights at The Canopy Club in Urbana towards the end of April, Nick, Cameron, and Alex graduated from the University and played one final show together at the Tonic Room in Chicago. After graduation, the band members are all in different locations, with Nick working in Chicago, Cameron and Rob still in Champaign, and Alex in his hometown of Peoria, IL. Now with a new lineup consisting of Nick, Derek Rice, Jake Kay, and Alex O’Malley, the band hopes to continue to grow its fanbase by playing shows all across the country and to steadily release new songs. As the primary songwriter, Nick has been steadily writing material for the band’s streaming debut. The first single, “Things You Wish,” was released on Friday, August 7, 2020.
Influenced by the style and swagger of hip-hop as well as the soulfulness of R&B and singer-songwriters like Bob Marley and Tracy Chapman, soul hop is a new genre of music unlike any you’ve heard before.
But soul hop as a genre is fairly new and Tulani, who began working full time as a musician two years ago, had a long journey toward the sense of purpose he now feels in his work.
Tulani was born in Kenya and came to the United States at age 4. His mother is Kenyan but his father is from Chicago, so his family eventually moved here. Tulani grew up in the Roseland neighborhood before moving to the south suburbs at 15
Music has been a passion of Tulani’s for most of his life. His father was a percussionist and Tulani largely grew up listening to music from the Congo. Tulani’s parents wanted him to play piano to acquire a variety of music-making skills beyond guitar or voice. Tulani took the leap to a full-time music career in 2014 at 19, after receiving approval from his parents. He’s now 24. “I hate doing the same thing every day, but I do like the adventure of being an artist,’ he said. His diverse musical and cultural background led Tulani to create soul hop, a name that came to him a year into his career.
“I would often get the question, ‘How would you describe your music?’ And I had the hardest time describing to people what it was,” Tulani said. “It made me want to make up a name for it instead of having that generic answer in which I kind of rap or kind of sing.” He calls it Soul Hop. (Chicago Tribune)
