Hard to Google, nearly impossible to forget, Philadelphia psych-folk duo @ (pronounced “At”) crafts harmonies that are so intricately intertwined they seem almost telepathic while flutes and guitars weave through storied melodies. With a sound that recalls the Laurel Canyon folk scene of the 1970s, the freak-folk revival of the 1990s and 2000s, and perhaps even troubadours before a medieval court, @ remains uniquely their own but universally timeless.

Bubbling up through tape hiss and lo-fi warmth, 2W33DY’s presence feels at once immediate yet timeless. With textual stylization and lyrical content born of the now—the Anthropocene—the Kansas City band’s 2025 album WHY U SO MEAN? is indie rock at its best: experimental, pleasant with an edge, and rooted in adept songcraft. Somewhere between DIY contemporaries like Florry and The Spatulas, 2W33DY holds the promise to break through to the mainstream and claim its well-deserved status as KC’s “most dangerous band.”

Considered one of the most consistent and important songwriters in contemporary indie music, Owen Ashworth uses electric piano, Omnichord, samplers, effects pedals, and drum machines to build minimalist, heavy-hearted, and nostalgic ballads around his warm, conversational baritone vocals. Ashworth has also given songmakers a platform through his label Orindal Records since 2011, releasing records by artists such as Julie Byrne, Dear Nora, Wednesday and his former beloved project Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. 

Come fiddle around with some of Columbia’s favorite local roots-music troubadours. With Seth Colaner’s country-tinged songwriting as the backbone, Adventure Hat is an all-Americana band that brings a foot-tapping good time with each performance. Featuring Kristi Larsen on keys and vocals and Erica Kallis on violin and vocals, even their broken-hearted ballads might move you to the dance floor.

Your honky-tonk heart will feel right at home with Anthony Wilkerson. In the same tear-in-my-beer country tradition of Hank Williams, the local songwriter has been consistently recording and releasing music since 2019. Best enjoyed under neon bar signs and with Stag lager in hand, his 2024 EP, ThreeThirtySix, adds a little Missouri flair to that classic Nashville sound.

Forging a sound from the raw materials of basement psychedelia and acid-damaged stadium rock, Axis:Sova has been pushing the dials into the red for nearly 15 years. What began as the solo project of Brett Sova formed into a formidable trio, featuring drummer Josh Johannpeter and bassist Jeremy Freeze . After recording 2023’s Blinded by Oblivion with garage-rock icon Ty Segall, the band continues to excavate new sounds from rock’s foundation, sharing their blasted concept of psyched-up post-punk and six-string heroics with any discerning ear willing to listen.

Boldly experimental and whip-smart, Chattanooga rapper Bbymutha, aka Brittnee Moore, is a force to be reckoned with. While Moore began her career back in 2014, it wasn’t until the song “Rules” went viral that Bbymutha started achieving well-deserved wide recognition for her refreshing, Southern take on rap that touches on everything from the traumatic to the truly comic. Although she’s been endorsed by luminaries like Björk and Earl Sweatshirt, Bbymutha keeps it DIY, self-releasing some of the most captivating rap of the past decade, including the EP Read the Room earlier this year.

Chicago-based guitarist, improviser, composer, poet, and singer Bill MacKay has spent the past 20+ years cementing his name as one of the most inventive and talented American guitarists. A prolific artist on the Drag City Records roster, Bill has compelling solo records (most recently 2024’s Locust Land); collaborative albums with Ryley Walker, Nathan Bowles, and Katinka Kleijn; and projects with bands BCMC (with Columbia’s favorite son Cooper Crain) and Black Duck (with jazz drummer Charles Rumback and Doug McCombs of Tortoise). From the avant-garde to the American songbook, Bill uses his guitar to manifest sublime beauty and effervescent grace like only a select few around the world can.

SICCJAMS (Students in the Columbia Community Joining in Arts and Music Solidarity) club members Birdhouse combine captivating two-part harmonies, warm strums of guitar, and storytelling by a new generation, resulting in a sound only those who grew up on a diet of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez could produce.

These Capital City boomers pay homage to artists who have defined their generation: Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, James Taylor, The Doobie Brothers, The Beatles, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Expect five-part harmonies, 12-string guitar, and an infectious vibe. You may even find yourself singing along.

Iconic in the late-1960s British folk scene, Bridget St. John recorded three landmark albums for John Peel’s Dandelion Records. After relocating to Greenwich Village and releasing a final major-label album in 1974, she stepped back from the mainstream music industry for nearly two decades. Since re-emerging, St. John’s cult stature has grown, her gentle, poetic quality remaining timeless. Her most recent release, Covering My Brothers, provides an intimate glimpse into Bridget’s rich musical history through covers by dear friends.

Wading into the waters of Detroit techno, Chicago house, footwork, juke, and drum and bass, Omaha duo CASH TOO’s November 2025 collection of demos is an infectious rhythm party from start to finish. CASH TOO is as exciting as anything to come out of Omaha’s vibrant, diverse music scene in the past few years.

Kansas City improviser, violist, and multidisciplinary artist Christina Silvius builds immersive layered soundscapes with live electronics, looping, viola, and vocals. Inspired by the acoustics, audience, and energies of the room, every performance is a unique sonic exchange. Be there, be present, and become a part of a new collected mediation of sound and spatial awareness.

Meet country’s new queen of quirk. Complete with an earworm of a theme song, Crystal Dusty Dottie Dolly Lynn’s name says it all: her music is a melange of Crystal Gayle, Dusty Springfield, Dottie West, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn, with just a touch of comedy. Whether you come for the baffling banter, toe-tapping tunes, or country-folk ballads, every appearance from Columbia’s hottest rising star has a whole lot to dig into.

The soul of St. Louis shines through Darkwood. While guitarist Michael Franco effortlessly constructs sparse jazz compositions, vocalist Khiro Kano vacillates between rich, sonorous singing and smooth flowing rap to deliver poetry about life in the Gateway City full of affective realism. Somewhere between Frank Ocean at his best and Earl Sweatshirt at his most vulnerable, Darkwood embodies the sensitive side of the Show-Me State’s diverse hip-hop scene.

St. Louis artist Eric Dontè is nothing if not relentless. Although you may recognize him as an integral member of the STL nightlife collective, Materia, he has released mixtapes, EPs, and singles, unceasingly fine-tuning his idiosyncratic fusion of trance and hip-hop from a young age. His explosive performances—and his androgynous and outrageous sense of fashion—have made his name known, from Red Bull Music Academy to Bonnaroo, Los Angeles, and back.  

Formed by the Scroggins sisters in the Bronx in 1978, ESG went from performing at a local talent show to recording “UFO” – one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop history. Influential in a variety of musical genres including hip hop, post punk, and disco, ESG’s unique rhythm-first approach created a new sonic blueprint, providing inspiration across generations of artists. Still marching to the beat of their own drummer, the Scroggins’ Missouri debut promises to embody their ethos: be yourself, dance, and have fun.

Whether performing memorable DJ sets, co-producing with STL nightlife collective Materia, or designing lighting that makes events come to life, Billy is constantly proving that he is one of the most innovative polymaths in the game. This new project takes us on a journey through rich, textural palettes and nostalgic feels.

A collective. A concept. A fleeting moment. Flïïght reunites after nearly a soundless decade. Now, Columbia’s most truly underground, legendary supergroup composed of Josh Cochran, Devin Frank, Taylor Bacon, Steph Foley, Madeline Carl, Travis Boots, Ted Sharp, Pete Hansen and Max Garcia-Rubio, returns to the stage hot off the heels of finally etching waves into wax with a double LP “Wirebird” to bring to life a psychedelic journey full of heavy guitars, heady vocals, driving drums, verbed flute, and a vital tambourine.

Pasha Raghu of Drona has planted the seeds of her own songwriting and sprouted heliophilia (garden of earthly delights). In addition to carrying the torch for a new generation of musicians, Pasha co-established SICCJAMS (Students in the Columbia Community Joining in Arts and Music Solidarity), ensuring Columbia remains a hub for up-and-coming musicians.

Columbia, MO sister duo HYO-SIS, made up of Jihyo and Seunghyo Jung, grew up playing piano together and further developed their sibling piano relationship in the Odyssey Chamber Music Series. Similar to the great family acts of our time, their shared DNA brings nuance and dynamics in their piano playing that presents a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Jackson Graham is a vibraphonist and bandleader from Lawrence, Kansas with a Master’s of Music from KU’s prestigious School of Music. While evoking the spirits of jazz and new age forbearers his approach to the vibraphone shifts away from traditional jazz “swing” and instead focuses on the instrument’s resonance, texture, and emotional depth providing a perfect cinematic backdrop to the T/F experience.

Relax, immerse yourself in the frequencies, and float down stream. Chicago by way of St. Louis artist Jake Leech harnesses the drone, ambiance, and minimalist beats that will envelope you like a warm of sonic joy.

Jane Wave is a true Show-Me-State original. With this project, Sam Pounders traverses the No Wave waters of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, the ethereal folk of Nico, and the primitive punk of the Raincoats. A pillar in St.Louis’s and Columbia’s scenes, Sam has kept the DIY torch burning through countless bands such as Rip Rap, Swear Beam, and Pineapple RNR–and now Jane Wave is here to breathe love into the world one ear worm at a time.

You might consider Jason Shapiro the Weird Al of the Hallogallo scene, the quietly influential DIY music culture that’s flourishing in Chicago and across the Great Lakes states. Armed with acoustic guitars and vintage Casio sounds, Jason’s refreshing underground rock pairs comedy with legit songwriting chops in the vein of the Moldy Peaches and Jad Fair. Keep your eyes out for the next J.R.S. mixtape, and hopefully you’ll find more songs about Audis and flan.

New York-based composer and producer Kelly Moran challenges the piano’s traditional, classically imposed school of thought with a more contemporary, experimental approach. Her unique strand of experimental piano compositions, conjuring hypnotizing textures and dramatic compositional arcs, have been included on year-end lists across classical, avant-garde, and metal genres. 

Who can groove like King Socks & The Unrelenting Funk? Not many. Born from a diverse set of musical influences, King Socks’s latest album (2025’s Deathroot) brings a full smorgasbord of jazz, jam, and funk to the table, backing up track after track of transcendent and incendiary lead guitar licks. The result is music that’s ready-made to groove.

Join Columbia’s favorite record store proprietor, Kyle Cook, and other tastemakers behind the counter of Hitt Records as they rip the music you know and love—and the deep cuts you’ll want to add to your own party playlist—right from the Hitt Records shelves for a set that’ll get you moving.

Homegrown indie rock at its best. The band’s patented brand of Missouri “bootgaze” certainly shows a deep respect and knowledge of the alt-rock canon. With textured sounds and melodies inspired by everything from Slowdive to DIIV, this CoMo five-piece creates a sonic experience that will launch you into space.

A longtime Columbia, Mo., resident and staple on the ever-changing local scene, Maxito Lindo embodies the ethos of “dance to the beat of your own drummer.” From freewheeling guitar picking inspired by his Mexican heritage (2014’s FINGERLESS) to transcendent psych-rock in the vein of Fairport Convention (2020’s Furthest Friends) to DJ sets harkening back to the heyday of UK jungle, it’s always a delight to see what musical waters this local artist traverses next.

Incorporating the experimental and the energetic, Renaissance man and hometown hero Max Garcia-Rubio–known on the decks as MAXUBISHI–ushers filmgoers to their seats with a soundtrack fit for the Fest’s lively and joyful energy.

Jordan Knecht and Crim Dolla Cray seamlessly mix lost classics, emerging sounds, and familiar deep cuts, building truly unruly sonic worlds where styles and sounds from across space and time swirl, crash, and dissolve into each other in an ecstatic celebration of the irrational joy of life, curated down to the last beat.

DJ and electro curator Max Garcia-Rubio and multi-instrumentalist Steph Foley merge transcendent spiritual jazz and ‘90s house into a truly heady mix of horns and beats. If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if Alice Coltrane was part of the Madchester scene, this might be the next best thing.

This award-winning group is known for its excellence and innovation, with showcase performances at prestigious events, from the 2023 Missouri PAS Day of Percussion to the 2018 Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Dedicated to the legacy and future of percussion, the ensemble regularly commissions and premieres works by Mizzou students, faculty, and guest composers.

True/False March March veterans will deliver their driving brass section and thumping bass throughout the weekend with a bright energy that embodies the essence of the Fest experience.

St Louis based DJ, Producer, Visual artist, and co-founder of nightlive collective Materia, Nadyr is a Purveyor of forward thinking club music known for his surrealist sound collage live sets that merge modern club music, trip hop, & musique concrete.

A Columbia folk icon whose music remains as classic as it is relevant, Noah Earle’s acoustic guitar tells a quintessential Midwestern story of love, longing, and life on the farmland. 

Smooth jazz chords, rich R&B melodies, and a DIY spirit define St. Louis artist Noah Fence’s brand of neo-soul. Fans of indie rock and hip-hop alike will delight in the resonant sounds of this guitarist and singer as he charts new territory in songcraft, in the vein of greats like Blood Orange and Orange Juice.

A farmer by day and a crooner by night, Paul Weber is known for his austere, off-kilter style of country music songwriting. His idiosyncratic music offers honesty, humor and tragedy in equal measure.

Life’s a dance floor, and Peace Lily is the DJ. Carrying on the spirit of Psychic TV’s 1990s acid house, this duo (Lily Moore & Hank Marshall Gardner) is bringing the beat—and just a shake of tambourine—to Blue Note for a performance that’s part vinyl DJ set, part hyped-up performance, and all transcendent. Hailing from Illinois and North Carolina, Peace Lily’s True/False debut will set the stage for a rare performance from legendary band ESG.

A Berklee College of Music graduate with an expansive credit list, pianist and composer Royce Martin returns to the Fest. A true acolyte of the ragtime style, Martin proudly strives to honor the legacy of one of Missouri’s most significant artistic exports with care, while inventing a new genre, “Swagtime.”

Pop, disco, funk, or EDM—no label captures high energy and good vibrations of a Soumir performance. Named St. Louis Magazine’s best new music artist of 2025, this one-person dance band armed with a keytar and a drum machine is a promising star brightening the Missouri music scene one stage at a time.

Pajmon Porshahidy, known on the dance floor as Umami, has been carving out a distinct presence in underground nightlife across the Midwest for nearly a decade. As one of the driving forces behind Materia–a monthly rave collective– the St. Louis-native has built an unmistakable aura never forgetting his Iranian-American roots. 

A fixture of Midwestern underground, Winston Hightower’s lo-fi infused DIY aesthetic has the sound of a cassette tape found between Dorito-dusted couch cushions that now sits atop your stack of favorites. On the upcoming album 100 Acre Wood (K Records), he’s fuzzed out, melodic, and earns his place among cult favorites.

From the metropolis of Shanghai to the halls of the MU Music Production department, yyuan pushes boundaries sonically and culturally. Whether you need to jump, slow dance, or cry, yuann’s hype-man authenticity and genre innovation provide a space for all.

Cosmic timing and real-life magic guide the music of ZamboniFunk. No genre is off limits for this local astrologer and musician; wherever the stars align and his spirit takes him, he’ll go there. He’s traversed from reggae to funk to hip-hop and back. Backed by a reggae band keeping it tight, his goal is to entertain and explore the deep pleasure of vibrational resonance. Stay spiritual, friends.