5 New Bands to See at Riot Fest 2016

Riot Fest by Sarah Hess

Chicago – Ah, yes, it’s that time of year again – time to experience all four seasons while attending one of Chicago’s best music festivals: Riot Fest. For some, the chances of getting rained on, spending the weekend slowly walking through mud, and on the daily experiencing an Autumn morning, humid afternoon, and then a

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Local Natives Speaks Truth with ‘Sunlit Youth’

Local Natives by Renata Raksha - BEST NEW BANDS

San Francisco – The number two: it’s powerful, yet submissive.  It’s strong, yet unpredictable.  It’s stalwart, yet malleable.  It seeks comfort, yet it aches for dissonance.  An album’s second track holds a powerful role, as it anchors the cohesiveness of an entire piece without demanding immediate satisfaction.  Los Angeles-based outfit Local Natives has no qualms

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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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Riot Fest Featured Artist: Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes - Best New Bands

Chicago – Once again, in preparation for Riot Fest 2016, we’re featuring an up-and-coming band performing at the festival: U.K. punk rock band Black Foxxes. Last month, this phenomenal trio, comprised of Mark Holley (guitar, vocals), Tristan Jane (bass), and Ant Thornton (drums), released its powerful debut LP I’m Not Well. The emotional album often focuses on frontman Mark Holley’s brave journey,

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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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