Immersive Squad
Playytime
As an introduction, Playytime’s 2018 demo was both a seething display of frenetic hardcore and a welcome departure from some of the genre’s more predictable trappings. Since then, the group has been on a tear, playing one incendiary gig after another while continuing to sharpen and expand their sonic palette. The band’s feral intensity remains, of course, as does their ability to turn a few hammering power chords into a caustic tempest. But what makes the group truly exciting is their eagerness to breach hardcore’s restrictive borders and usher in elements of hazy shoegaze noise, no wave, gothic punk, and more. We’re no sure what frantic salvos or fiery manifestos Playytime have planned for 2020, but rest assured the revolution will strike loud and quick. – AS
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Bandcamp: playytimeatl.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @playytimedotcom
The Queendom
Let start with some facts: Queenshit Era, the 2018 debut from hip-hop and R&B duo the Queendom, was, indeed, the shit. Shifting seamlessly between grimy club bangers and sultry late-night come-ons, the record established AUDIADASOUND and Rocket Rhonnie as exciting new voices within Atlanta’s male-dominated rap underground. In a recent interview on our Music Made Me series, the pair outlined their goal to “create timeless content” and stated they had the patience to nurture their music until it lives up to their lofty aspirations. What that means for 2020 is a mystery only the Queendom can solve; until then, I’ll be in my room swaying to “Love Decay” at full volume. – AS
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Facebook: @TheQueendomReign
Instagram: @queendomreign
SoundCloud: @queendomreign
Twitter: @queendomreign
Riboflavin
Over the past year, Riboflavin have played a handful of shows, and each one seems to showcase their evolving chemistry. In the center of the action, Logan Ford careens dizzyingly between robotic vocals and manic screeches while the other players draw the listener into their tightly wound, frizzy-around-the-edges punk. The band’s debut record, B2 Not 2B, which just dropped a couple of weeks ago, highlights varying aspects of the group’s rare mix of intensity and humor. Indeed, the ability to display such depth via a record of what some haters might call snippets only heightens the tasty—and healthy—delights of Riboflavin. – RR
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Bandcamp: riboflavinband.bandcamp.com
Credit: Ashley Wilbanks
Silver Lake Waves
Even though Silver Lake Waves have only released a couple of singles, the level of lyrical complexity and ambitious songwriting on those two tracks has demonstrated the five-piece’s ability to challenge the boundaries of post-punk while taking copious notes from alternative giants like Josef K and the Sound. B-side “Fast Friends” features a bizarre mix of machine-gun vocals and discordant strums that shift in momentum without losing a beat. It’s the type of determined songwriting and deft execution that proves Silver Lake Waves might still be finding their sound, but at least they aren’t playing it safe. – RR
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Bandcamp: silverlakewaves.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @silverlakewaves
Instagram: @silverlakewaves
Credit: Jake Scot-Hodes
Skunkweed Juju
Started on a front porch in Georgia during a sultry summer night, songwriter duo Skunkweed Juju create winsome songs about family lore, addiction, and the supernatural. At the musical core of Brianna Bass and Kelsey Mardis’ fresh talent is a threadbare yet potent combination of banjo, guitar, and almost-blood harmony. Live they deliver a show that’s a little bit like vaudeville, a little bit punk rock, and a whole lot of fun. In February, the pair will head into the studio to work on their next record, which is slated for release this summer. You can also expect some touring, as the group looks to spread Skunkweed love all the way up to NYC and back. – EF
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Facebook: @SkunkweedJuju
Instagram: @skunkweedjuju
Credit: Melanie Anne Paulos
Sunset Pig
No one can say for certain whether we’ve heard the last of acerbic post-punk trio DiCaprio, but we can all take comfort in knowing the crew will continue to collaborate under the guise of Sunset Pig. With Mike Varner joining in on guitar and pedal steel, the group’s aesthetic leans more towards psychedelic country than the dark, sinuous jams we’ve grown accustomed, but it promises to be equally enthralling. Currently, the band is holded up with Ben Price at Studilaroche working on their debut. Tentatively titled Free Songs, the record should be out sometime this summer or spring. – GC
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Instagram: @sunsetpigband
Sword II
Heads always turn wherever Carter Sutherland goes. The gig-going crowd first fell in love over his arresting post-pop project Sea Ghost, then flocked in awe to his noisy social experiment Trashcan. So when Sutherland recently shared his latest project Sword II, it drew plenty of curious ears. With folks from Yukons and Kibi James on board for the ride, a Frankenstein-like prescence emerges through the crystal capsule of Between II Gardens. The creature that grows within bears a baffling array of parts; “Master Plan” hints at cheeky post-punk gunk, whereas “Garden” points more toward the Sonic Youth side of the ’90s. “Energy” even smacks a bit of Stereolab. We’re keen to see how Sutherland and company will foster Sword II into another big tent attraction. – LA
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SoundCloud: @swordii
Upchuck
Now, here’s one for you skater bois out there. Five-strong squad Upchuck have been grinding round Athens and Atlanta for a couple years now, but they’ve finally unleashed their first EP upon the unsuspecting masses. You can hear all that sweat and blood coursing through the record’s 13 tension-filled minutes; even the psychedelic mini-odyssey of “Reaper” is a sharp and tightly coiled terror. Look out for these punks in a grungy dive bar near you soon. – LA
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Bandcamp: upchuckatl.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @lllupchucklll
Vangas
There is nothing subdued about Vangas. Their songs don’t offer clean resolutions or subtle gestures. Instead it’s all blood and guts, a lustral outpouring of pain and dread, atonal ugliness, and the group’s own warped post-punk brutalism. They aren’t meant to be easily digestible, and yet for those of us with a sensitivity towards misanthropic rage and songwritng that is unpredictable, queasy, and to some extent frightening, this is music you can’t turn away from. Earlier this year, I called the group one of Atlanta’s most vital young bands and since then I’ve only grown further convinced of that claim. With another 7″ due out from Chunklet Industries and a new record in the works, Vangas will have plenty of opportunities to make more menacing noise in 2020. – GC
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Web: goblinfucking.net
Bandcamp: vangas.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @thevangas
Instagram: @goblinfucking
Credit: Jackson Smith
Well Kept
Revitalizing worn sounds and turning them into something fresh and exciting sound suspiciously like musical criticism 101, but it also happens to be something that Tommy Trautwein does exceedingly well. Late last year, the former Jester frontman shared the first singles from his new emo and alt-rock hybrid Well Kept, and the returns were immediate and gratifying. “Meantime” was a stirring earworm, while its follow-up “Oh, Charise” was both heady and gripping enough to land a spot in our top songs of the year. That’s no small amount of hype to live up to; fortunately Trautwein will get another chance to shine when Well Kept’s debut In the Meantime drops Feb. 13. – GC
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Bandcamp: wellkeptmusic.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wellkeptmusic
SoundCloud: @wellkeptmusic