Rosali
North Carolina-based artist Rosali makes songs that take their time in revealing their full power. What might first appear to be restrained, introspective compositions will stretch slowly outward, snagging your attention with a subtly sideways guitar lead or an exceptionally raw lyric you didn’t catch the first time around. A child of two musicians, Rosali grew up as part of a large family that sang together and taught themselves various instruments, finding the earliest forms of her musical voice harmonizing and making up songs with her sisters. As an adult, Rosali merged this musical upbringing with an active involvement in Philly’s experimental and D.I.Y. community. Her 2016 solo debut Out of Love was released on Siltbreeze, a long-running label that champions abstract noise and challenging listening. While Rosali’s earliest work was far nearer to folk-informed rock than harsh sonics, it held an intensity of its own in its strange angles and unexpected vulnerability. Second album Trouble Anyway expanded on the debut with clearer production and more involved arrangements. A host of friends from Philly’s freak scene contributed to the album, including appearances from ambient harpist/pianist Mary Lattimore, Purling Hiss/Birds of Maya shredder Mike Polizze, glistening lap-steel from Mike Sobel, understated percussion from War On Drugs drummer Charlie Hall, and several others. Trouble Anyway brought Rosali a new level of exposure, with a flood of positive critical press and tours supporting acts like The Weather Station and J Mascis. Along with her solo work, Rosali’s output has materialized as a broad spectrum of disparate collaborations, including the hypnotic garage trio Long Hots, slow-burning psych scrawl in duo Monocot with Cloud Nothings drummer Jayson Gerycz, and Wandering Shade, a three guitar improv act with Headroom’s Kryssi Battalene and Thrill Jockey artist Sarah Louise. Aspects of the more free-floating side of Rosali’s oeuvre inform her songwriting process, with songs often emerging from the ether of lengthy improvisation sessions, new ideas congealing through a boundless exploration of possibilities. Brought to life with help from Omaha’s David Nance Group as the backing band, 2021’s song-centered No Medium was a sharply realized example of Rosali’s distinctive synthesis of metered songwriting and unfettered searching. Around the same time, she offered a completely separate side of her craft with cassette release Chokeweed, a collection of auburn-hued solo guitar improvisations. She followed that in 2023 with the acclaimed improvisational guitar album Variable Happiness released under the moniker Edsel Axle. In whatever form it takes, Rosali’s softly glowing music is malleable and deceptively fluid, able to appear patient and refined or at the edge of unraveling depending on how closely you chose to look. Bite Down, Rosali’s new album made in collaboration with Omaha’s finest David Nance, James Schroeder, and Kevin Donahue, and Destroyer collaborator, Ted Bois released March 22, 2024 on Merge Records.
Glitterfox
Adam Melchor
Adam Melchor’s journey thus far has been far from conventional. Long story short, this proud Jersey boy picked up a guitar and eventually fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a musician in Los Angeles. But in reality, he got there by singing for mobsters “well-suited insurance guys” at pizza parlors, getting an Opera degree, playing thousands of hours in various dives, churches, and restaurants (sometimes in the same day), and driving across the country to the West Coast in an old Toyota Camry (twice). Moving to Los Angeles during 2018, he had sessions with everyone from Charlie Puth to The Chainsmokers, and has also toured alongside Mt. Joy, Dodie, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and JS Ondara. Picking up steam, his single “Real Estate” gained impressive traction leading up to the 2020 SUMMER CAMP EP. After racking up more than 40 million streams and garnering acclaim from NPR, Wonderland Magazine, Billboard, Atwood Magazine, and more, he properly made his debut earlier this year with Melchor Lullaby Hotline, Vol. 1.
French Police
Formed in Chicago, French Police is a darkwave ensemble led by vocalist and guitarist Brian Flores, lead guitarist Manny Herrera, and bassist Rolando Donjuan. Since 2019, their music has encapsulated indie and post-punk audiences with rhythmic guitar & synths, proving to be melancholic dance music for the passionate and romantic. Riki is the Los Angeles based dark synth-pop outfit commandeered by the mysterious Niff Nawor, a visual artist and musician active in the deathrock / anarcho-punk scenes of the California bay area (formerly a member of Crimson Scarlet), before founding her solo endeavor as Riki in 2017.
Clayton Ryan
Amanda DeBoer Bartlett & Ben Eisenberger
Amanda DeBoer Bartlett Amanda DeBoer Bartlett is a Chicago-based soprano and singer-songwriter recognized for her virtuosic interpretations of contemporary classical repertoire and her adventurous approach to programming. Her debut album of original songs, The Bones Still Glow, was released in February of 2023, and her sophomore album, Braided Together, will be released in June 2025. Along with her solo work, DeBoer is a member of Ensemble Dal Niente, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and Hasco Duo. More info at www.amandadeboer.com Fiddle In The Middle Fiddle In The Middle formed in 2021 during a tour of the southwest and west coast states when the players instantly recognized their unique and infectious synergy as a group. The band members are based in the Chicagoland area and draw inspiration from deep roots and fresh interpretations of Irish, Celtic, and world music. Fiddle In The Middle brings you the energy and emotion of traditional Irish folk music, played with passion, heart, and irrepressible joy! www.fiddleinthemiddle.band Ben Eisenberger Ben Eisenberger is a guitarist and songwriter based out of Omaha, Nebraska. Most recently focused on writing and releasing original folk songs, Ben has also played in bands of various genres, and also plays guitar for several musical theater productions every year.
nightlife
Dubbed “one of the most exciting bands in the alternative scene right now” by MTV, nightlife tests rock music’s boundaries by weaponizing retrofuturism, golden-era soul, and modern rock sensibilities to make a soulpunk sound that drips with groove, catharsis, and swagger. the band burst onto the alt underground in 2021 with a thesis statement in “new low,” a rose-colored, disco-tinged take on the thick, bottom-heavy post-hardcore popularized by bands like Issues, Sleep Token, and Bad Omens in the late 2010s. every song they’ve released since has sent a shockwave through the rock & r&b communities, seamlessly blending different forms of current r&b and soul into their ever-evolving sound & leading Kerrang! Magazine to call them “one of the artists shaping rock music right now.” The band has quickly built a reputation as a show-stopping live act, bringing their unique approach to tours with the likes of Rain City Drive, Outline in Color, FOXCULT, and more. powered by guitarists Julian Lofton (he/him) & Dan Macon’s (he/him) fluid basslines and drummer Isaiah Walker’s (he/him) pocket-based beats, nightlife’s rhythmic backbone meets vocalist Hansel Romero’s (they/them) dynamic style and experimental production to create music that feels alive – that scratches an itch only nightlife can.
Diva Bleach
Diva Bleach is a “sparkly pop-rock” duo consisting of bassist/vocalist Sydney Roten and Brie Ritter from Phoenix, Arizona. Wearing their hearts on their sleeves, Diva Bleach shares stories of heartbreak, loss, friendship and more through their music. Music has always been an important part of their lives, taking music lessons at the same school and then ultimately teaming up to create Diva Bleach in 2021. The band has appeared at Zona Fest on the main stage with Portugal, The Man and has played alongside bands such as The Front Bottoms, Poolkids, Twin XL, Sundressed and more. The duo has now joined the InVogue Records family and are set to tour this spring with Young Rising Sons and 44 Blonde, and will be on the Sad Summer Festival tour this summer.
Carver Jones & The American Dreamers
Messiahvore
