“96 Tears is the best Rock ‘n Roll song ever” – John Lennon. .. ..Question Mark & the Mysterians were the first band to be described as punk rock. .. .. In October 1998, QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS topped the bill at New York City’s Cave Stomp, a garage music blow-out that included such luminaries as the Lyres, the Hentchmen, the Fleshtones, the Nomads and loads more garage bands. The two night affair was a total gas, but the whole deal went into rapid overload with the appearance of the MYSTERIANS on stage at 3:15 in the morning. They started out with the instrumental intro workout to “Do You Feel It”, in the midst of which the insanely gorgeous QUESTION MARK came bolting out like the perfect brat spawn of James Brown and Ronnie Spector! Oh, my lord! .. .. They totally rampaged through a set that had people’s gourds being blown straight off, they were simply the perfect band, in perfect form, as though they recorded their anthem “96 Tears” last weekend instead of 30+ years ago! They look great, sound insane and simply ARE the wildest and most fabulous human beings ever to walk this planet’s surface! Anyway, upon leaving New York, the guys left to crisscross the country, playing everywhere from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Austin, Texas to Chicago and all spots between! Everywhere they went, they slayed the locals! .. .. If you haven’t witnessed the majesty of QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS yet, then get ready to go where you’ve gotta in order to grab an earload and an eyeful of the unbelievably sensational QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS!

“If the Ramones had ever decided to make a children’s CD this is what it would have sounded like. There will be no stoppin’ the kiddies from hoppin’ after listen to this music.” – Monte A. Melnick, Ramones Tour Manager & Author of “On The Road with The Ramones”

“In the kids’ rock world, nobody’s rockin’ it harder than The Boogers” – ChiIL Mama, Chicago Parent

“Slamdance kids! The Ramones spirit lives on…in a children’s band.” – Cookie Magazine

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, singer-songwriter Kirby Kaiser delivers the retro melodies and lush harmonies of a 60’s girl group combined with bubblegum-sweet lyrics, often tinged with the melancholy of teen romance.

Only 19 years old, Kirby’s first-ever EP, both self-released and self-titled was released at the end of August 2011. Her lyrics are inspired by the likes of the Ronettes, Fiona Apple and Lesley Gore— the singer/songwriter prides herself on blending various genres to produce a sound that is all her own.

About Mathien—the nucleus of the band was formed at Southern Illinois University Carbondale around the magnetic personality of singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Mathien. Bassist Mike Schiff and drummer Aaron Bouslog were initially drawn to Mathien’s sharply observed lyrics and eclectic musical influences. After signing with Midwest Music Group, relocating to Chicago and releasing their debut “Hello Again” the band took to the road and became a formidable live act selling out venues in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.

Classic soul meets rock and roll in this dynamic eight-piece collective from Chicago. The Congregation features Gina Bloom, a singer whose raw and powerful vocals are underscored by Charlie Wayne’s dynamic guitar riffs, the band’s rock and soul rhythms (Dan Wendt on drums, Chuck Sansone on keys and Steve Schuster on bass) and the lively call and response of a three-piece horn section (Justin Amolsch on trumpet, Erik Eiseman on sax and Nick Nottoli on trombone). When it comes to the songwriting, you won’t find any sugarcoated love songs here–you’ll get a little bit of longing and a whole lot of wronging.

While the release of Right Now Everything marked the band’s full-length album debut, The Congregation has been steadily gaining steam since the release of its seven-song EP, Not for Sleepin’, in late 2010. The band was named by the Chicago Tribune as one of “11 Bands to Watch in 2011”, and was recently featured in Paste Magazine as one of “10 Illinois Bands You Should Listen to Now”. The Congregation’s stop-and-take-notice sound earned the group the opportunity to share a triple stadium-bill with Grammy-winning band Wilco and critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird as well as another all-star ballpark lineup with the Flaming Lips and Garbage in the summer of 2012. In 2013, The Congregation appeared as an official showcasing act at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX and appeared on an episode of Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.

.The marriage between old west folk and the ambiguous genre of “indie rock” makes the songs of Dastardly a palatable playlist for those who aren’t normally attracted to cowboy crooners. In fact, by the sound of the screaming girls heard at Subterranean, we’re pretty sure the band was responsible for converting quite a few pop princesses into banjo loving broads. Experimental enough to feel fresh but traditional enough to feel familiar even to first timers, Dastardly is band that asserted itself as notable early in the game and now can enjoy the steady rise to local fame they’re guaranteed. ..—reviewsic.com……Dastardly is a Chicago outfit that plays americana music with just the right ratio of “sticky-sweet” to “fuckin’ shit up.” Every note is deliberate and controlled, but just barely masks an urgent and immediate sense of existential, frantic terror that must be slowly driving them mad. ….-am3r1cank1ds.tumblr.com…. ….Their indie-folk, Americana sounds is perfect for a 2010 Hoedown (meaning PBR and cigarettes). The band has no shortage of instruments including lap steel, dobro, or accordian. Their tunes have a top side of bluegrass, finger-lickin’ pickin’, but there’s always a seemingly modern undercurrent whether it’s the echo-y lead guitar line of “Excercises In Self Loathing” or the big, tribal beat outro of “Brief Thoughts On Death” ..—loudlooppress.com..

White Mystery is brother-sister rock’n’roll duo Miss Alex White & Francis Scott Key White from Chicago. The siblings tour worldwide, earn rave reviews from MTV, VICE, Sound Opinions, Pitchfork – and currently represent the Levi’s #equipped campaign. Their fourth full-length DUBBLE DRAGON is available on double vinyl and iTunes now.