Immersive Squad
Dream Tent
With only one single its credit, Dream Tent, the new solo project from Gene Woolfolk, remains very much an open question. Still, given his track record spearheading noise rock trio the Powder Room and his supporting role in groups like Plaque Marks, T Hardy Morris, and Vincas, chances are he’ll find similar success when Dream Tent gets going in earnest. Besides, “We Lost Control” made for nothing if not a triumphant introduction, blasting listeners into the heavens with wave after wave of layered shoegaze majesty. It’s unclear what Woolfolk’s next move will be or who he’ll get to fill out his live roster, but I think we can safely expect more epic flights in the near future. – GC
More Info
Facebook: @dreamtentmusic
Instagram: @dreamtentmusic
The Hipps
It’s been just over a year since the Hipps debuted with the dark and shimmering “Take It Off My Hands,” and while the band has still to fully connect with Atlanta audiences, their songwriting is too smart and well-conceived to ignore. Guitarist and vocalist Nate Cain paints intimate portraits within the group’s sparkling indie pop framework, resulting in songs that feel moody and worn despite their polished sheen. Currently, the band is seeking a new bassist, and although they’ve been slow to share new music, we’re holding out hope for a debut release sometime in 2020. – GC
More Info
Web: thehippsusa.com
Facebook: @thehippsusa
Instagram: @thehippsusa
Credit: Deeb Ryan
Hollow Sinatra
A long time ago, giant voices got up and sang about nothing at all. They had to assemble huge groups of people to play all the backing tracks, and they had to shepherd their audience into some fancy theatre for one night just to be heard. Artists don’t have to play that way anymore. In fact, as rebel auteur Hollow Sinatra demonstrates, artists don’t have to play by any rules anymore. From sprawling elegies to impish bursts of punk fury to head-bobbing electronica to vicious bars, this shadowy enigma has already dodged restrictive labels and rules to explore the emptiness of existence. Unlike the solo singers of old, Hollow Sinatra can channel several voices to speak for a generation—and while we’re late to the theatre, we’re now watching from the balcony to see what happens next. – LA
More Info
Instagram: @hollowsinatra
SoundCloud: @hollowsinatra
Twitter: @hollowsinatra
Credit: Dan Almsay
IRIST
When metal behemoths TORO announced their signing to Nuclear Blast Records in 2018, the expectation was that 2019 would be a mammoth year for the band. Instead, the year went by quietly without any signs of new music, let alone an album. Fast forward to last Friday, however, and the group’s well-laid plans are finally starting to come to light. Now known as IRIST, the Atlanta five-piece shared the first single and video from their upcoming LP Order of the Mind, and it’s an absolute crusher. Combining the frenetic thrash fury of Sepultura with their own brand of dark atmospherics, “Burning Sage” is a dynamic force of nature that shows that highlights the group’s intensity, power, and range. Expect a generous dose of pulverizing riffs and whiplash-inducing rhythms when the album drops on March 27. – AS
More Info
Web: iristband.com
Facebook: @Iristband
Instagram: @iristband
Twitter: @iristband
Credit: Bryan Buenrostro
Jelani Imani
Whether he’s combing through the past or divining the future, Jelani Imani writes with a clear-eyed self-awareness that belies his age. At just 20-years-old the Clayton Country singer, rapper, producer, and engineer already has a string of releases under his belt, the most recent being The Shell, a 12-track collection of bubbly Technicolor raps and emotive R&B. Sonically, the album’s exploratory palette plays to the anything-goes spirit of the Atlanta underground; its soundscapes are lush and playful, but the record slaps hard when it needs to. Ultimately, though, it’s Imani’s unfettered intimacy and vulnerabilty—not to mention his colorful charisma—that makes the deepest impact and have us waiting on edge for what 2020 might bring. – AS
More Info
Web: jelaniimani.com
Instagram: @shitjelani
SoundCloud: @jelaniimani
Twitter: @shitjelani
JMY
With a pair of luminous singles to his credit, John Michael Young is heading into the new year with a full head of billowing steam. Already, the multi-instrumentalist and former Lunar Vacation member has shown himself to be an exceptional songwriter with a talent for weaving dreamy hooks into kaleidoscopic backdrops. But while JMY clearly aspires to the gleaming vistas and cosmic-pop bliss of Tame Impala, there’s something distinct about the avenues he uses to get there. It’s not exactly clear yet what that elusive quality might be, but perhaps Young’s debut EP, mixed and mastered by Damon Moon of Standard Electric Recorders Co., will provide a more illuminating roadmap when it’s released later this year. – GC
More Info
Web: jmyband.com
Bandcamp: jmyatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @jmyatl
Instagram: @jmygram
Twitter: @jmyband
Lesibu Grand
You know what they say about imagination and the American dream: if you use your noggin, you can be whatever you want to be. These days, the cozy goals that we had as kids feel far out of reach, but crafty duo Lesibu Grand can still scheme up bold adventures. With the playful yet sleek style of college radio stalwarts like Pixies or Belly, Tyler-Simone Molton and John Renaud have so far guided us on three flights of fancy, including domestic fantasies in space and high-speed scooter chases for the perfect pizza. Clearly, these dreamers really can fly whatever they choose, and we’re eager to follow their bouncy trails. The duo aim to embark on their debut this year, so best set your alarm now so you don’t oversleep. – LA
More Info
Web: lesibugrand.com
Facebook: @lesibugrandmusic
Instagram: @lesibugrand
Twitter: @lesibugrand
Credit: Brett Falcon
MORE
While some may be quick to link MORE to their heavy psych predecessors Abby GoGo, one listen to the trio’s debut single “No Time at All” will reveal the divergent wavelengths the two groups travel on. Gone are the jangly guitars and winding ’60s pop explorations that defined much of Abby Gogo’s work replaced by a gale-force shoegaze assault that’s powerful and expressive. It’s only a single track to go on, of course, but already the group’s balance of churning noise and melodic beauty is a marvelous thing to behold. And with a full EP scheduled for release this spring, who knows what other treasures await. – GC
More Info
Bandcamp: moremoremore.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @more_theband
NRCSSST
Placing NRCSSST on this list was never a question. Few band’s warrant an inflated term like “supergroup,” but on the local level any project that includes Stephanie Luke (The Coathangers) and Dan Dixon (PLS PLS)—not to mention Chandler Rentz of mid-aughts greats Snowden—is definitely a candidate for that distinction. The real question, though, is what we can expect from NRCSSST moving forward. Some scattered live performances? The occasional single? A full record? Only time will tell what the group turns into, but the possibilities are fascinating. – GC
More Info
Instagram: @nrcssstofficial
Credit: Krish Ravindranath
Password:Password
Do the Gen X talking heads still view us twenty-somethings as apathetic drones? By now, DIY kids and junior pundits across the globe have forced enough dialogues and led enough protests to prove that they care about more than their cell phones. Password:Password, the five-strong coalition of shoegazing cosmonauts, seem to sail through the stars with ease on their debut EP Session Boyfriend. But down on planet Earth, they run the circuits and keep their fingers on the fluttering pulse of Atlanta’s live scene. We haven’t seen much of their interplanetary flight just yet, but we’re sure that the kids of Password:Password will blast off at many more house shows near you in 2020. – LA
More Info
Bandcamp: passwordpassword.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @pwpwband
Instagram: @pwpwband