Five New Bands at Day Two of Riot Fest

Riot Fest 2016 by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands

Chicago – Day two of Riot Fest went off without a hitch. That is to say, Morrissey showed up and performed. Although, he did go on late after projecting video clips for over thirty minutes straight… but according to his die-hard fans, that’s just his regular “intro.” Whatevs. To each is own, right? Luckily, none

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Joey Purp and Saba Heat Things Up

Joey Purp by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands

Chicago – While for most, Labor Day Weekend marks the end of summer, relaxing with a cold one and some barbecue, in Chicago, LDW ushers in North Coast Music Festival, which calls for one last stand in Union Park, having fun and soaking in the sun. Chicagoans party all day and then well into the

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Jagwar Ma Previews New LP at The Independent

Jagwar Ma by Corey Bell for BEST NEW BANDS

San Francisco – “Don’t worry, prosperity will knock on your door soon,” bassist Jack Freeman of Jagwar Ma happily read from a fortune cookie fortune during a lull early on in the band’s Wednesday night set, briskly followed by an impromptu reggae version of a few bars from Joy Division’s “Transmission,” cheerily delivered by frontman Gabriel Winterfield. Both of

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New Bands at Afropunk Fest Brooklyn 2016

Afropunk by Julia Drummond for Best New Bands

Brooklyn – Every summer, since 2005, Afropunk Fest ascends on one of our favorite New York City boroughs: Brooklyn. The festival was named after James Spooner’s 2003 documentary Afro-Punk, and was created as a means to give people of color, but specifically black men and women, a safe space to build a community within the punk subculture. The

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Hockey Dad Doesn’t Disappoint

Hockey Dad by Sarah Hess for Best New Bands

Chicago – Have you ever found yourself falling in love with a new band, only to discover said band lives oh so far away – we’re talking on another continent – and won’t be touring near you any time soon? Yeah, it’s the pits, right? Well, that’s my experience with Australian band Hockey Dad. While

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Parquet Courts Brings The Heat

Parquet Courts - Best New Bands

Brooklyn – Let’s talk about the heat. And no, that’s not in reference to the fiery passion Parquet Courts brought to the stage at Market Hotel on Saturday, August 13th (though there was that). No, that’s about the literal heat, made even warmer by the packed crowd who showed up at the sold out show to see the

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5 New Bands on Day 3 of Outside Lands 2016

OSL by Corey Bell for BEST NEW BANDS

San Francisco – Sunshine. Muppets. Girls with flowers in their hair. The third day of Outside Lands 2016 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park saw all three of these things, as the sun was finally strong enough to burn off the stubborn Pacific fog banks that had plagued the area since the first morning. As everyone scrambled to make

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