GIRL TALK 

Girl Talk (aka Pittsburgh's Gregg Gillis) has been constructing meticulous sample-based music since 2000. His early work was known for its raw experimental nature, but by the release of his 2006 album, Night Ripper, that style evolved into genre-smashing, breakneck-paced party jams. Night Ripper consisted of over 300 songs, from wildly disparate Top 40 genres and eras, mashed up and layered together into one cohesive collage. It received critical acclaim, and the attention resulted in a rapidly growing fan base. Gillis ended up quitting his biomedical engineering day job one year later.

Girl Talk continued to develop his signature style with the release of Feed the Animals in 2008 and All Day in 2010. Each album grew increasingly detailed and complex. He steadily toured over the following years, bringing his renowned confetti-covered and sweat-soaked performances to venues ranging from house party basements to major festivals. By 2014, Gillis began focusing on collaborative work producing hip hop for some of his favorite rap artists. That same year, he released "Broken Ankles," an EP with Freeway. Since "Broken Ankles," Gillis has steadily earned an impressive list of production credits and collaborations with his artistic contemporaries including, but not limited to, Wiz Khalifa, T-Pain, Tory Lanez, Young Nudy, Bas, Cozz, Erick The Architect (from Flatbush Zombies), Smoke DZA, and Don Q.

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME

Born Juaquin James Malphurs, the global icon and rapper more commonly known as Waka Flocka Flame. Waka is known for putting trap back on the map, dropping the first volume of his street classic Salute Me or Shoot Me that caught fire with songs, “We On The Way, “Dreads N Gold” and his breakout single “O Let’s Do it.” The mixtape’s buzz allowed Waka to release his proper debut Flockaveli, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 100. With many platinum signature hit records including “No hands” and “Wild Boy” there’s a high chance Waka’s music will be played at your party.

With Flockaveli 2 People can only come to expect the same energy that Waka always brings to the party. His epic touring and performance style are some of the reasons he’s earned the nickname “Turn Up God.” A style that translates into the EDM world Waka also calls his second home now, he fell in the love with the genre during a tour in Europe a few years ago. "Music is like anger management,” he says. “It’s fun. You get to express yourself.”

Waka Flocka is looking forward and ready to express a new musical direction with Flockaveli II. Set to feature production from Southside, and Lex Luger and many more. For Flockaveli II, Waka is approaching this third studio album the same way as his previous projects: trap banger after trap banger.

Waka’s laid-back demeanor makes him a fan favorite, and he’s hoping that his straightforward creative process will please his core fans. “I’m cocky when it comes to my fans and my music ‘cause I know my fans talk to me,” “I want my fans to look at they haters like, ‘Told y’all my boy was gonna go hard. F*ck y’all.’ I want my fans to hear Flockaveli II, and I want them to put a dread wig on and shake their head and rock with me.”

"Flockaveli II is for the streets. It's for the people," Waka says. "Flockaveli II is just the savior of the party."

CHROMEO - DJ Set

Calling all adults: Chromeo is back, and have they got a record for you. It's brazenly titled Adult Contemporary, and it's set to redefine the term. There's a complacency and a softness to "adult contemporary" as we know it, in a pleated khakis and cable-knit sweater kind of way. In the hands of Dave 1 and P-Thugg however, the phrase takes on a whole new meaning. Let's parse it word by word.

"Adult" is a loaded thing to call someone in this day and age, since adults have basically wrecked our planet. But for Chromeo, to be an adult doesn't mean being a cog in the square world's machinery. Rather, it signifies evolution, sophistication, and nuance. Aging like wine or cheese, not like fruit or milk. While we do so, how much of our groove do we actually choose to hold on to? Chromeo says: "all of it." As you already know (unless you've been living in a vibes vacuum since the early 2000s), Chromeo is the paramount funk band of our time. Friends since childhood, Dave and Pee have built an empire of soigné, danceable, and intelligent music over the course of two decades. Few duos can claim this kind of psychic togetherness and evergreen staying power. Really, who else? One must venture into the stratosphere to find precedents. And now that Dave's double-breasted suits are popping and Pee's turtlenecks are in effect mode, it's safe to say that we can rely on Chromeo to stick around for years to come.

Wait, do you want to hear something really adult? Try this on for size: the anguish of late-stage capitalist monogamy is very much a thing. Here, we come to the essence of Adult Contemporary, the most lyrically cohesive Chromeo opus to date: it's a 14-track meditation on mature relationships. This is perhaps best conveyed in the song "BTS," which sounds like a classic Chromeo funk jam but, as is often the case with these guys, hides a deeper message. An ode to just going to sleep ("rest can be Better Than Sex"), it's about that moment in an affair of the heart when you can just say, "Baby, this week was a doozy and I really just need to crash." How real is that? Or there's a song like "Personal Effects," in which Dave reminisces over a partner after seeing her phone charger left at his house. Modern romance, indeed.

Throughout the album, songs function like short stories, each a variation on what it's like to be in love in 2024 — from joyful commitment to crippling codependency, from the platonic to the profane. It's no picnic…yet lo and behold, it can also be hilarious, and Dave and Pee tackle it all in their signature straight-faced style. Lest we forget the core Chromeo value: there is no such thing as irony.

Onto that other word. "Contemporary." An interesting choice for a band who has always been equally of-the-moment and openly indebted to its ancestors. But in an era when everything is available all the time, seamlessly melding together the new and the old might just be the most contemporary act an artist can commit. Chromeo offers us a singularity of funk, with music more elegant and considered than ever before. Take for instance the lush horn arrangements on "Words With You" and "Lost And Found" or the banging electro-synths in "(I Don't Need A) New Girl." This is Chromeo in full two-man studio muso mode, danceable and delicate, simultaneously wielding deft live instrumentation and a relentless four-on-the-floor kick drum that scans the entire record. For the first time in a while, it really is a tandem affair. The previous albums were very much about collaborating. Getting other people involved and going big. Adult Contemporary is more ambitious specifically because it revolves solely around two besties at the top of their game, doing absolutely everything on their own. Hence a deeply intimate feel, with Dave and Pee accomplishing two things at once: getting back to basics in terms of method while also expanding the songwriting and atmosphere. The Chromeo blueprint of maximum funk earnestness sits front and center.

So with that in mind, we invite you to join not only our contemporary times but also the ranks of the grown. Contrary to our infantilizing culture — which would prefer you stunted — adulthood is a blast. And with a soundtrack such as Adult Contemporary, it's a place of pleasure, discernment, groove, and comradeship. Come now, dip your toe into the infinity pool of maturity. You'll find yourself, before too long, happy to evolve funkily alongside Chromeo.

 PIMPS OF JOYTIME 

When it comes to throwing a party, the Pimps of Joytime raise the bar with swagger and substance. Dubbed "raucous and captivating" by Okayplayer, and "Visceral in all of the best ways possible." by Pop Matters, The Pimps artfully blend Brooklyn beat, New Orleans soul, and world funk. Created by Grammy nominated producer Brian J in 2007 the Pimps Of Joytime have released five studio albums and toured extensively building a loyal international following.

The brain child of Grammy nominated producer Brian J, Pimps of Joytime bandleader, is no stranger to working with A-List talent in the studio as he’s produced albums for a “who’s who” of New Orleans heavyweights, including such stars as Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers), James Andrews, Corey Henry (Galactic) plus records with Bernard “Pretty” Purdie (The World’s Most Recorded Drummer) and GRAMMY Award-nominated blues artist Cedric Burnside. On the production of “La Vida” Brian J is playing all the instruments on the track, flexing skills as a multi-instrumentals and producing an incredibly unique version of the song. 

And the Pimps' live experience only takes it higher! Over the past decade, the group's grassroots following mobilized from the underground club scene in New York to sell out historic venues like the Fillmore in San Francisco and earn top billings at music festivals across the US and Europe. Quite simply, the Pimps' dancefloor is magnetic. Word spreads to the wise when you pair high-caliber musicianship with melodies and beats that are as universally enticing as they are unconventional. 

 TROPIDELIC 

A musical lighthouse, shining a resilient light for everyone that has had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Tropidelic has arrived on the national stage. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, a city rich in character and music history, this six-piece performance powerhouse carves their own path with an independent mentality. Front man Roads, explores feelings more than sounds, seeing where the emotional travel can take him, while valuing being comfortable and honest.

There is a sense of seeing where the music can go on their 2024 new album. As an everyman-band making music to overcome life’s obstacles, the “goals” that Tropidelic made when starting the band have all been surpassed. Roads says of the band’s future, “I’m nose to the grindstone. It’s going great and I am going to keep going.”

The past year has included a first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game followed by a live performance for the entire stadium; an adopted highway in their hometown; producing two of their own festivals (Sunny Days and Everwild Music Festival); tens of millions of streams of Tropidelic’s music; appearances at major US festivals such as Beach Life and Tortuga; tours with The Dirty Heads, Lupe Fiasco, 311, and Michael Franti; and their first performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

 SIR WOMAN 

Sir Woman, Austin Music Award’s Best New Act of 2020, was primed to hit the  road promoting its much-anticipated debut album Party City, when the world  changed.   

With fewer reasons to celebrate, soul-singer Kelsey Wilson (Wild Child, Glorietta)  ditched the party vibe she planned for her maiden, solo debut in favor of a more  aptly titled record for troubled times. 

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Bitch, a genre-bending, Motown-influenced five-song EP, is set for an Oct. 16 release under Wilson’s acid-trip inspired stage name on Austin’s Nine Mile  Records. 

Wilson’s backing band — drummer Amber Baker (Jon Batiste) and back-up  singers Spice and Roy Jr. — were joined on the album by guitarist Nik Lee and  multi- instrumentalist Dan Creamer (Shakey Graves, The Texas Gentlemen), and  critically acclaimed country-pop artist Robert Ellis. 

But make no mistake, the Wild Child co-founder has stepped into the spotlight  alone with this collection of love songs she wrote for herself as the perpetual party  of touring life started to spin out of control. 

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“This EP is me finding what makes me feel good and falling in love with myself. A  mix of everything that makes my body move — pop, soul, gospel, funk, folk, and  R&B. It feels so right to make a record that has my actual heart in it,” Wilson said.  “These songs are the part of me that wants to help people fall in love with  themselves through music. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it." 

World Café’ declared “warmth, empathy and humor are the shining stars” of the  EP’s first track, “Highroad,” which earned a slot on NPR’s “Heavy Rotation: 9  Songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing.”

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Consider that evidence Wilson is “moving effortlessly into a brave new R&B infused, gospel-flecked world where her golden pipes ease you back into a fluffy  pillow of serenity and bliss,” NPR critic Gini Moscorro proclaimed. In some ways, the EP’s title track, “Bitch,” set for an Oct. 1 release, took on new  meaning after the world shut down.   

When Wilson belts, “You’ve been a bitch, baby,” it’s as if a year at the crossroads  of coronavirus crisis and national civil unrest is the unintended target of the soul singer’s angsty honesty.

 KRIS LAGER BAND 

Kris Lager has become an underground cult hero of sorts.  An uncompromising musician and charismatic performer who has cultivated a grassroots following and a career spanning over two decades. He has developed a unique  'Celebrate Life' message and mantra that emanates with every performance.  A message that creates a congregation of dancing, singing, and clapping people with smiles on their faces everywhere he goes. 

He has fused together his passion for blues, soul, funk, zydeco, country, and almost every other ‘American Roots Music’ into a contemporary and refreshing musical gumbo full of soul and spiritually uplifting rhythms and melodies.  

Many people are calling him one of the finest songwriters, performers, and guitarists of his generation and for good reason too. Kris Lager’s gravely voice and stirring lyrics combine the realness and authenticity of the blues with a keen sense of the human condition.  

​Last year World-Renowned Musician and Podcaster, Andy Frasco called Kris "His favorite songwriter!” and also said Kris has inspired a lot of his songs and his desire to have an upbeat and positive stage persona.

Multiple Grammy Award winning and Legendary Rock 'n' Roll Producer, who has mixed two of Kris' albums, Jim Gaines (Santana, SRV, Van Morrison, Steve Miller) says Kris has "A great voice and great songs!"  

Paste Magazine explains the music as "The kind of toe-tapping rhythm that sometimes you just need to make it through a day."

A Lincoln native based out of Omaha, Nebraska, Kris and his band have built a reputation as a hardworking Independent band refusing to play by industry rules or pander for awards and accolades.  They just hit the road and the stage with an intense purpose of expressing themselves through uplifting music while engaging and respecting their audiences.

New Single:  ‘Breathe In The Sunshine’

A new single was dropped in September 2022 called ‘Breathe In The Sunshine’ and can be found under ‘Kris Lager’ (not Kris Lager Band) on all streaming music platforms world wide.  The tune is another feel good anthem that will be a staple on your playlist every time you go down the road on a sunny day with the windows down! 

New Album: ‘Presence’

Last year Kris released a blues album entitled ‘Blues Lover’ also found under ‘Kris Lager’ on his own Fervent Ameba Records label and this year marks another self-produced and mixed album entitled ‘Presence’.  

“The concept of the album ‘Presence’ is to deliver a sound and vibe that allows the listener to feel the power of the present moment while also reflecting on the past.  I think even in the sad songs off of the album there remains a sliver lining of light that can guide us out of the darkness and into a new sense of hope and purpose” Explains Kris.  A true pandemic project, no doubt.

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The album features 10 new original songs and a cover of King Floyd’s classic soul tune ‘I Really Love You’.  The albums opening track and lead single ‘Fly With The Stars’ features a powerhouse guitar riff and a driving beat reminiscent of a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers hit.

There are also live staples such as ‘Let’s Dance Nice & Slow’, ‘Feel It In The Air’, and ‘You Ain’t Gonna Do Me Like That’ both available on an album for the first time.  There is even a track on the album with no guitar! The gospel tinged song ‘Love Hate Thang’ features Kris on the piano and organ.

​The album honestly and accurately showcases Kris’ evolution as a songwriter, musician, and producer who was involved in every step of the production.  He wrote and recorded the record entirely himself on his Tascam 388 tape machine. This recording is truly an accurate artistic statement and an original recording directly from the artist himself.

‘Presence’ is also the ‘Swan Song’ for Kris and longtime drummer John Fairchild AKA ‘Scooby Sha Bo Bo’.  It marks their last recorded project together before parting ways after almost 17 years of recording and touring together. “For me, that’s just another reason why this album serves as a beautiful time capsule. Scooby and I had a great chemistry from playing thousands of shows together and this is a great crescendo and documentation of who we were as a team.”

Long time KLB touring Bassist, Joe Donnelly makes his first appearance on album with Kris.  He is laying down the funky low end on three of the tracks: ‘Let’s Dance Nice & Slow’, ‘Love Hate Thang’ and a tune he helped write ’Time To Get To Work’. The closing track on the album.

 RYAN JETER'S MIND@LARGE 

Mind@Large was formed in 2022 by Iowa City native Ryan Jeter. Jeter was a founding member of the Iowa-born band Euforquestra, which moved from Iowa to Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2008. In 2017, with family in tow, he moved back to Des Moines, IA, with the dream of bringing his sound back to Central Iowa.

Mind@Large is a collective of Central Iowa's finest musicians, and the band will be performing in support of their debut EP release, "Off The Rails," released summer of 2023. The EP features vocalist, lyricist, and fellow Euforquestra member Mathew Wright. Wright will join the group for concerts during the summer of 2024.  

Mind@Large includes:
Robert Espe on tenor sax, Tanner Taylor on organ, Rob Ankum on guitar, Ryan Mullin on percussion, Antonio Garza on trumpet, Jay Foote on bass, and Michael Woods on drums. Expect to hear a unique combination of funk, soul, New Orleans jazz, reggae, and dub. 

 JON WAYNE & THE PAIN 

Powered by a lineup of heartbreaking reggae ballads illustrating how our most precious growth often blooms from pain, combined with a handfull of beat thumping tracks, Jon Wayne and the Pain’s 5th studio album  "Growth Lines" is here.

While embracing the present, "Growth Lines" also hearkens back to the brashness of the band’s 2008 self-titled debut album and proves that music is always better with friends. They've recruited heavyweight performers G Love, Tropidelic, Bumpin’ Uglies and Indubious to add flavor and texture to the soundtrack’s 11 or so tunes.

Showcasing the veteran band’s unique ability to write songs that tug at our heartstrings while keeping our feet moving Growth Lines has something for every JWP fan, new and old alike.

THE DAWN 

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FLABBERGASTOR 

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DJ BUDDAH 

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THE CREW 

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RUDE PUNCH 

Rude Punch is an Alternative/Reggae band from Davenport, Iowa. Combining Reggae, Rock, Punk and Pop to create original, positive, high energy music. The band is made up of members Brady Jager (Lead Vocals,Guitar), Adam Tucker (Drums), Jack Hill (Bass), and Colton Menke (Guitar)

    Formed in 2007 by Brady Jager, Adam Tucker, and Robb Laake, the trio formed their own sound based in the reggae/rock genre. Heavily influenced by bands such as Sublime and 311, early pioneers of mixing reggae with punk,hip-hop,funk and rock. 

      The band released their debut album "Rude Punch" in 2007. Spreading the new sound across their home Midwest region, Rude Punch were the lone ambassadors for their style. Sharing the stage with industry leaders such as Slightly Stoopid, Pepper and Sublime with Rome, Rude Punch saw their popularity continue to grow with the genre.

    With the release of "Killin' It" (2009) and "Lovers Rock" (2015), the band continues to spread the love and positivity of their music throughout the region and U.S. 

     With the addition of bass player Jack Hill in 2015 and Murray Lee Rice in 2018 Rude Punch enhanced their sound even more.  The four piece lineup has proven to be the best fit for the band, expanding their influences and building their following in the reggae/rock genre. 

WONTU TREES 

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