Neva Dinova

Neva Dinova’s reinvigorating full-length Canary features a new lineup, fresh perspective and a sound more urgent than anything they’ve created in the past. Recast after 15 years of inactivity and newly energized by a tour offer from longtime Omaha friends Cursive, songwriter/guitarist/singer Jake Bellows started sending demos to drummer Roger L. Lewis and just-recruited bassist Megan Siebe. They began woodshedding new songs, and the latest incarnation of Neva Dinova was born. After an East Coast run, the band returned to Omaha to record Canary at Make Believe Studios. “I’m trying to cover a lot more space in the band now because there’s only one guitar, so I write a little differently in order to cover that space.” (An understatement considering the previous lineups of the band featured three guitarists.) The result is an album that is more focused while still allowing for the occasional Neil Young-inspired guitar solo or unexpected sonic flourish. The songs on Canary were honed on the road allowing for a largely live recording session that captures the visceral energy of the band.  There’s a beauty in the imperfections: The subtle buzzing of the amp, the finger noise on the strings and Bellows’s voice rising above all of it in a way that’s distinctly Neva Dinova. Canary is a raw and unfiltered glimpse of Bellows’s psyche and an electrifying batch of songs — unpretentious, empathetic, weathered, and wizened. It also marks a second act for one of indie rock’s most underrated acts.

The First 48 Blunts

with Bobo Thuh Breadboy, Forest, The High Hats, Race Coakley, Thuggy Yuxk and Dj Surreal the MC with Host Strawstone

Friko

Friko, a trio that’s cemented itself as a stalwart in the Chicago music scene, is frontman Niko Kapetan, and drummer Bailey Minzenberger. Their most recent release, “Crimson To Chrome,” is an anthemic offering, Kapetan’s vocals incendiary. It received glowing praise and attention from Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan, and Consequence, who wrote “Friko toggle between loud and quiet, thoughtful and self-deprecating, while never expressing anything less than the unbridled joy of noise.”  FLOOD wrote the Chicago-based power-pop group is “certain to stand out among the hundreds of acts gracing the various SXSW stages this year.” And that they did. The band took SXSW 2023 by storm, playing packed showcases over several days that made their Austin-debut a must-see occasion. Bolstered by the unwavering support from Chicago’s music scene, the buzz around new music, and the pure excitement witnessed at SXSW, the interest from labels is voracious and ever-increasing.  Friko’s music is complex and dynamic, flickering between explosive rock, chamber pop, and serene sonics. It becomes even more pronounced in their live performances, where a crowd frenzied by wailing guitars finds itself minutes later collectively holding its breath, enamored by hypnotic strings and Kapetan’s emotive vocals. As the band plays out sweeping melodies, held up by thrashing guitar and punchy beats, it feels as if Kapetan sings to you. Crooning about stories you know, memories you had but have somehow forgotten. 

Real Estate

A band for 15 years now, with a half-dozen records to its canny name, Real Estate knows how the press cycle inevitably goes: Someone somewhere at last had a realization about what their songs needed to say and how they should sound, so (at least according to brief biographies like this one) they finally made the best album of their career. But here’s the thing: Real Estate has been so consistently compelling for those 15 years, with their coruscant indie rock shuffles perfectly reflecting the spellbinding glow of suburban ennui, that they know when they have done it. That is, they know when they have written songs that shimmer and fetch and radiate despite or because of the gloom lurking in their grooves. It is the gift and curse of self- awareness, of sticking together since childhood. So Real Estate, in turn, needs you to know that Daniel—their sixth full-length album, recorded in an ebullient nine-day spree in RCA Studio A, in Nashville with celebrated producer and songwriter Daniel Tashian—is quite possibly their best album. In 11 compulsively tuneful songs, they connect the uninhibited wonder of their earliest work with the earned perspective of adulthood. What more could you need from Real Estate at 15? — Heaven Schmitt, the front person of Grumpy, keeps their friends close and their exes closer. The keyboardist and bassist are Heaven’s ex girlfriends, the drummer is their ex-husband (the guitar player and Heaven never dated but there was one night when Heaven thought they might kiss but they didn’t). Originally based in Nashville, where Schmitt studied songwriting at Belmont University, before relocating to Chicago, Schmitt released a debut LP called Loser under the Grumpy name in 2020. Although it garnered a cult audience, Schmitt felt that due to a lack of confidence during the recording process the album never truly represented what they thought their band should be. It all fell into place when Schmitt moved to New York in 2022. On the East Coast Grumpy has transformed, leveling up adjacent to a buzzy corner of the Brooklyn scene. The current Grumpy backing band includes Austin Arnold on drums, Lane Rodges on keys, Anya Good on bass, and Diego Clare on guitar. Being in an act with numerous exes isn’t always easy. However, Schmitt feels that it leads to an honest, nurturing dynamic. “I’m really drawn to people who — no matter what they’re going through, or what we’re going through — have a clear baseline of respect and care and love,” Schmitt says of their bandmates.

Kxllswxtch & SXMPRA

Known for his range of style and skilled songwriting, Kxllswxtch has become a household name in the underground community, and has become even more well-known in recent years with his debut album “KILL!”, followed by his 2021 album “DISORDER”. Since the release of these projects, Kxllswxtch has gather over 25m streams and performed a 32-city tour alongside his close friends Pouya, Jasiah, and Lu Baby. Whether it be emotional alternative rock or heavy-metal raps, Kxllswxtch is able to adapt to any style and create a world of his own. While his identity has been shrouded in mystery since emerging in 2018, cult-favourite phonk rapper SXMPRA is an enigmatic force in the underground rap world letting his music speak for him. Raised on rock and metal before finding underground rap in his teens, when he started making his own DIY music alongside self-made artwork and visuals, he then worked his way backwards to pivotal 90’s acts like Three Six Mafia, who helped pioneer the new generation phonk subgenre that SXMPRA continues to trailblaze today with his gritty and sinister sound. After releasing a consistent series of singles since 2018, in 2021 SXMPRA unleashed his biggest track to date, ‘COWBELL WARRIOR!’ which today has garnered over 201 million Spotify streams alone and a remix with Ski Mask The Slump God – who is just one of a long list of collaborators that also includes Juicy J, Lil Darkie, Pouya, Shakewell, HAARPER, 1nonly, and more. In 2023, SXMPRA embarked on his first headline tours in the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, taking his dark underground sound to the world stage.

MIKE

MIKE is a quintessential old soul. The 24-year-old artist’s wisdom is evident in both his calm delivery and measured questioning, even if he doesn’t always understand the depth of his words until they’re written. “All of these random ideas come to my head, but always end up making sense after it’s done,” the NY-based rapper-producer says about his method. Known for introspective, subtly profound rhymes that explore grief, family, and identity, and melt over muffled, soul-seasoned samples, on his expansive new record Burning Desire MIKE reaches new heights far above the sonic foundation he laid with his previous project.

Cable Network

Cable Network is a rock ’n roll band from Omaha, Nebraska. Their debut, self-titled EP was released in December 2020. Their second record, Cable Network II, was released in January 2022. The band is currently working on their third album. Cable Network is composed of Charlie Ames (vocals, keys), Braden Larsen (guitar), Ben Rickers (bass), Charlie Encell (vocals, guitar), Jordan Opere (vocals, percussion), and Pat Stutzman (drums.) — A product of high school and college friendships, Bad Self Portraits write indie-rock songs that tackle the uncertainties of growing up and finding stability. The band was formed in 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska, and released their latest EP, “Amsterdam”, in December 2023. Bad Self Portraits is: Ingrid Howell (vocals/bass), Cole Kempcke (guitar), Connor Paintin (guitar/keys), and Jesse White (drums/vocals).

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