Will Bennett & The Tells conjure a delicious mix of supercharged country and toe-tapping rock & roll. The result is a sound that will resonate just as well with fans of The Replacements’ literate barroom rock as those of cowpunk stalwarts such as the Old 97’s and Lydia Loveless. At the heart of it all are instantly memorable tunes—infectious without being syrupy, clever without being obtuse—that dig into the marrow of murky, mid-twenties love and loss.

The band’s debut album Wichita, released in 2016, has garnered high praise from a variety of genre tastemakers, ultimately landing at #40 in the No Depression Year-End Readers Poll and earning a spot on Americana Rock Mix’s “Best of 2016” podcast. In the past year, Will Bennett & The Tells have released a standalone single “Tumblin’ Down” and opened for national alt-country acts such as Cory Branan and the Yawpers.

Will Bennett & The Tells formed in 2014 when the singer-songwriter packed up his guitar and left his hometown of Grinnell, Iowa for Columbus, Ohio, where he joined forces with drummer Daniel Martinson. Now based in Chicago, the Tells are rounded out by Ethan Kenvarg on bass and Wilson Brehmer on guitar.

Blind Adam & The Federal League is:

Adam Gogola – Vocals/Guitar, Alex Simotes – Bass/Vocals, Nick Cvijovic – Lead Guitar/Vocals, Tim Schuman – Guitar/Vocals Athen Erbter Drums

Founded in 2017 in Chicago, has developed into something of an anti-fascist punk rock family band. Founding members (Blind) Adam Gogola and Alex Simotes turned a handful of Adam’s acoustic demos into what would become the band’s self titled debut LP before playing a single show. By 2019 the band had played all over the midwest on regional tours, small festivals, and as support for Anti-Flag, Ben Nichols (Lucero), Ever Clear, Bowling for Soup, CJ Ramone, Dog Party, and more.

After several lineup changes and a 7” on Anti-Flag’s A-F Records, the band headed to Pittsburgh to record An Act of Desperation with Chris “2” Barker of Anti-Flag at the helm as producer/engineer. The plan was to release An Act of Desperation in early summer 2020 and spend the year on the road, but plans changed with Covid-19. The band quickly shifted gears to support mutual aid and survival programs, hosting a nine-week livestream series raising over $10,000 for community relief efforts. The band spent 2020 and 2021 in the streets in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter uprisings and mutual aid projects around Chicago. With the fall 2021 release of An Act of Desperation, the Federal League played a handful of shows around the midwest with bands like The Copyrights, The Dopamines, and The Eradicator. The Bouncing Souls invited the band to join their spring 2022 tour alongside Pkew Pkew Pkew, but Covid-19 cases forced both openers to cut the tour short.

After a busy fall playing DIY shows, FEST 20 in Gainesville, and a run with Anti-Flag, The Suicide Machines, We Are The Union, and The Gully Boys, the band is looking forward to a busy 2023, starting the year in Asbury Park to work on a new record with Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls.

Baby Money is the brainchild of Chicago based songwriter Pamela Maurer. What started as a solo project has evolved into a 3-piece band based in the Windy City. Her original songs, ranging from gritty, sparse arrangements, to soulful, roof-shaking foot-stompers, are inspired by 1960s girl-groups, soul, old time revival, gospel, and traditional rhythm ‘n’ blues. Want to hear more? Baby Money’s new EP, which features local heartthrobs, the Bribes as a backing band is out now! Get your hands on a hot copy of surfy and surreal ‘shy-CITY,’ VOL. 1:pyramid!, or Baby Money’s first full-length record, In Memory of John Doe, released in May 2014 at www.babymoney.bandcamp.com.