Through his deconstruction and recontextualizing of Black musical motifs, this Nashville multi-instrumentalist lives up to his moniker with strident power.

Abstract Black Bandcamp

Los Angeles-by-way-of-Montreal singer-songwriter Ada Lea, recently signed to Saddle Creek, plays driving '90s garage rock with a dark and haunting folk slant.

Ada Lea Bandcamp

South Bend, Indiana's alternative jazz duo, After Ours, compose grooves that combine strong instrumental hip hop, lo-fi, R&B, & experimental elements to induce head-nodding splendor.

After Ours YouTube

Greek-American guitarist, composer, and international performer, Andreas Kapsalis, may have you believing he has more than just two limbs as he produces myriad rhythms and melodies from his guitar.

Andreas Kapsalis YouTube

Angel Bat Dawid's afrofuturist opus The Oracle is widely regarded as an avante garde masterpiece and one of the best jazz albums of 2019, bringing the Chicago-based composer, clarinetist, pianist, singer, and producer worldwide acclaim.

Angel Bat Dawid Bandcamp

Sometimes we yearn for big-city excitement and other times for rural isolation. L.A.-based Axon Orchestra finds a way of bringing the sounds of those two worlds together, influenced by Balkan, East African, and American traditional music.

Axon Orchestra YouTube

It's hard to resist the urge to celebrate when Black Bear Combo brings their Balkan street-band energy to the parade in a glorious uproar of charged horns and a beating rhythmic footprint.

Black Bear Combo Bandcamp

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Brent Penny crafts ‘80s-inspired ethereal electro-pop gems with lyrics of love lost imagined through a lens both retro and futuristic.

Brent Penny YouTube

A compelling singer-songwriter with a penchant for captivating crowds, St. Louis-based Cara Louise combines classic country and folk rock to create a modern, alternative country style with an indie rock sheen.

Cara Louise YouTube

This L.A.-based multi-hyphenate spent most of the Aughts honing his craft amongst the company of indie’s elite (e.g., Deerhoof, Ariel Pink) before stepping out on his own to release an unparalleled brand of intimate and intricate psychedelia.

Chris Cohen Bandcamp

The Cosmic Riders are a local alt-country outfit laced with psychedelic sonics powered by the steady vocal stylings of Tyle Toomsen, creating music that might be considered regressive by modern "country" standards.

These Columbia locals fashion atmospheres of hazy leisure and quaint storytelling through their distinctive sound that thoughtfully toes the line between recklessness and restraint.

Cowgirl Jordy Bandcamp

The undisputed face of modern funk, L.A.-based Dâm-Funk effortlessly weaves synthesized chords and iconic machine drums to create timeless grooves sure to set all who listen into a perpetual head-nod.

Dam-Funk Bandcamp

Expressive beats beaming with positive vibes, St Louis DJ Agile1 brings vintage hip hop & deep grooves to the party.

DJ Agile1 Soundcloud

Hailing from Toronto, the Blumas siblings - better known as Doomsquad - make psychedelic electronic dance music reminiscent of the likes of new-wave pioneers Talkings Heads and Devo.

DOOMSQUAD YouTube

Bringing a sensual bossa-nova sound with post-punk urgency, this East L.A. trio has been creating original music for many years, influenced by Mexican, American jazz, South American, and African elements.

El Haru Kuroi YouTube

Visions of afrobeat and house collide as this NYC Renaissance man realizes a magnetic, evocative dance floor through his classy brand of Yoruba Tech Soul.

Eli Fola YouTube

Fumes is the solo project of local legend Lou Nevins, who offers a haunting sound that might take you down a winding southern gothic back road or put you in the shoes of someone who has experienced true love and real loss.

Fumes Bandcamp

Ozark anti-folk outfit Hot Missoury brings seediness, authenticy, and levity to their performance, which borders on revelry. They are at times jaunty, occasionally somber, and always distinctly Missourian.

Hot Missoury Bandcamp

The freshest DJ in Atlanta, Hourglass's style ranges from future beats and house to dancehall, afrobeats, Latin, hip hop, top 40, and everything in between.

Hourglass Soundcloud

A lightning strike into the quiet storm tradition, James Tillman augments an unforgettable vocal ability with an effusive pen and timelessly slick production. We’re surely witness to a star’s ascent in this Brooklyn resident.

James Tillman Bandcamp

Bringing a unique perspective to hip-hop by bridging the gap between artsy and trap, Chicago-based rap artist Jay Wood speaks lyrics with a level vulnerability and honesty seldom heard in today’s scene through a voice demanding the audience’s attention.

Jay Wood Bandcamp

This Des Moines pop-rock band yearns harder than a heart-torn teenager and pulses with youthful rebellion. Crooning melodies, bright guitar solos and 60s-girl-pop sensibilities make for a delightful, defiant wonder.

Karen Meat Bandcamp

This Austin-based duo brings modernity to a "high lonesome" Appalachian sound. Minimal, expansive, and ethereal, Little Mazarn offers a stunning juxtaposition between traditionalism and contemporary sound.

Little Mazarn Bandcamp

A project that simultaneously appreciates and rejects their genre tags, local fave Loose Loose delves deep into the worlds of jazz, neo-soul, and hip-hop, only to expand into a unique musical setting of their own.

Loose Loose Bandcamp

Crystalline ballads and synth-pop musings invite listeners to examine their relationship with beauty, love, and the tension in between. Oklahoma City-based Maddie Razook’s songs approach unassumingly and deliver with tender force.

Maddie Razook Bandcamp

Richmond-based rapper McKinley Dixon brings a ‘90s-esque fusion of hip-hop and jazz back to center stage. Creating space for storytelling and highlighting sociopolitical realities, Dixon ensures that the terrain is richer the deeper you delve.

McKinley Dixon Bandcamp

Blending elements of R&B and jazz, this Nebraska-born project highlights songstress Mary Lawson’s exploration of soulful tradition with a robust band.

Mesonjixx YouTube

Guitar strumming and soulful humming are just a couple of the homegrown and heartfelt sounds this Kansas-bred, Washington-based singer-songwriter packs in his rustic tunes.

A prolific songwriter hailing from Fairfield, Iowa, Naoiti captures the mystery of the plains in electronic melodies packed with nostalgia and tinged with longing.

Nicholas Naioti Bandcamp

Hailing from Kansas City, NuBlvckCity’s genre-bending jazz influence, on top of neo-soul vocals, storytelling lyrics, the bounce of funk, and electric performance, is a blend of music that can't be contained to any one thing.

NuBlvckCity Soundcloud

New York native Peter Collins laces organic melodies of love and compassion through his heavenly combination of soulful guitar and pitch-perfect vocals.

Peter Collins YouTube

Ambient trio Saltbreaker invites you to a meditation of the natural world reflective of their Michigan home. Seamlessly weaving elements of shoegaze and classical, this Midwestern outfit brings a focus to their meditation.

Saltbreaker Bandcamp

This Philly-based percussion-driven electronic post-rock trio swells seamlessly from the pitter pat of a mouse parade to the cacophony of a buffalo stampede.

Square Peg Round Hole Bandcamp

L.A.-based Sunny War uses a clawhammer style of acoustic guitar playing to fill the space underneath her somber vocals. Both melancholic and beautiful, her songs capture dark moments and spirited ones alike.

Sunny War Bandcamp

Already T/F veterans but still working their way through high school, The Sweaters aren’t going to let you leave without an earworm or two of indie-power-pop goodness.

As you listen to this Montreal trio, you will quickly lose track of where the song begins and ends, feeling hypnotized by the dreamy vocal melodies that effortlessly step between complex rhythmic patterns.

Thanya Iyer Bandcamp

We found Tiny Daniel moonwalking on a cloud and singing songs to the stars and immediately began building a ladder tall enough to fetch him down to play for us at T/F 2020.

Tiny Daniel Bandcamp

St. Louisian Tonina expertly navigates her way through shifting musical terrain guided by her beckoning vocals and powered by her pulsing standup bass.

Tonina Bandcamp

Under the combined influence of jazz legends, hip-hop maestros, and contemporary beatmakers, this St. Louis three-piece provides a contemplative yet engaging soundtrack to the ebb and flow of the Fest.

Tristaño Bandcamp

Generally law-abiding citizens, this coastal duo triumphantly returns to the Midwest equipped with improvised rock jams bent on leaving an audience shocked and awed.

Two Men Buying Drugs Bandcamp

Xavier BLK uses his eclectic New York and Carribean roots to fire up dance floors. A co-founder of the famed Atlanta-based WERC crew, he's developed a distinct sound that pairs familiar 808 bounce with uptempo bass, tribal beats, and R&B melodies.

Xavier BLK Soundcloud

Virginia-based Yasmin Williams has supplied a youthful tinge to the practice of fingerstyle guitar, merging her virtuosic ability with accessible pop undertones to coax in an expansive fanbase.

Yasmin Williams Bandcamp