Mykele Deville (jazz hip-hop artist) and his 2025 album Rings Around The Tub is a fave. He’s a born and raised Chicagoan who’s lived on the South Side for the past decade, and has contributed significantly to the indie music culture of Chicago since then. His latest album is dynamic, personal, and political. It’s got bops, it’s got deep cuts, and rewards multiple listens. He has also recently taken a stand against Spotify’s exploitative practices. With his body of work and latest release he’s an artist (and new dad!) who definitely deserves his flowers. – McKenzie Chinn
Lullabye the Fire by Shawnee Dez was a spiritual salve for me, as we felt the compounding weight of genocides abroad, and federal invasion of our cities targeting immigrants here, and a gutting of our social safety nets leaving even the strongest among us feeling more powerless than we’ve ever felt. Somehow her voice acknowledges a collective pain with comfort instead of leaving us feeling low. My most replayed song of the year, the lasting feeling from this song is a sense of togetherness. – Maria Khwaja
In an inconspicuous Mexican restaurant on the corner of Western Avenue and 21st Street in Pilsen, the lights have been dimmed and turned into a DIY sonidero. Right in the middle of summer on July 19, Ruidosa and Cruel Management—a music collective and booking agency based in the South Side—came together on July 19 to throw one of my favorite music events of the year; the kind where you dance so much sweat is dripping down your face and a smoke break outside feels like heaven on earth. They hosted cumbia producer and composer from Mexico City, Amantes del Futuro alongside local Pilsen-based cumbia DJ La Colocha, Sonido Bombo Latino and Rudy De Anda. The night was electrifying with a sold-out venue and memories to last a lifetime. –Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales
Monte Booker was unmistakable from the jump: the early uploads that made him (and Zero Fatigue) SoundCloud royalty still sound like little else. He’s a producer’s producer (i.e. probably the reason that kids around the world downloaded FL Studio). But the South Side-raised musician’s first album, noise ( meaning ), manages to be more intimate, morerestless, and more more than anything he’s done over the last decade. It’s laidback and fidgety and many other things: brickwalled drum breaks and bossa guitar, juke drums and overdriven synths. The thirty minutes go fast. But if you can only listen to one track, catch “thank you!,” a time-stretched and pitch-shifted sort of closing medley. Thank you! –Christopher Good
You should be listening (or dancing) to Peven Everett. House or funk, garage or two-step, uptempo or downtempo: the prolific Harvey singer-songwriter has an unbeatable batting average, thanks to an iconic voice and groove. Back in September, I got to catch a relatively rare live set at The Hideout (which he says is one of the only Chicago venues that stood by him through his career—a true shame). He’s been dealing with health issues over the last few years, including treatment for lung cancer. But on stage, Everett was on fire: with a velvet blazer, an electric keyboard, and a drum-tight backing band, he belted out floor-fillers from “Gabriel” to “Stuck.” Ridiculously groovy and deeply felt. Listen up. – Christopher Good
At Bussy Kween Power Trip’s album release show with Melvin Knight at Co-Prosperity in Bridgeport, the crowd’s excitement felt tangible. It seemed like the band had connections with everyone in the packed room, and that connection came out through the music. The album, Coming With The Strap, is versatile, packed full with clever lyrics and humor, while also weaving in powerful songs like “Rahm Emmanuel Diss Track,” my personal favorite.
The night became unforgettable when two Black women descended from the audience, and threw it back to the guitar and drum heavy songs. For me, it conjured up the moment in Sinners when music transcended time and connected cultural moments centuries apart. Seeing beautiful Black women twerking at the album release of a Black, queer, punk band, I felt as though my culture and my people had conquered the world and made it our own. – Hazel Ray Gordon
Just as the threat of ashyness and isolation lurked over autumn’s shoulder, femdot. and hanahana beauty hosted an intimate live performance called the Glow Room in South Loop. hanahana, a Black- woman-owned brand most popularly known for their shea butter, opened the doors of their headquarters to music lovers, self care enthusiasts and foodies alike in October, where a full band guided us through femdot.’s latest project with producer Chuck Hemi, the long awaited King Dilla 2. They partnered with alaase and Mike’s Hot Honey for small chops, and Jon Basil Tequila and RUBY for drinks—needless to say, I took leftovers. hanahana also gave away mini tubs of their signature salve. I loved this event because it was a combination of my personal self care routine, especially in the colder months; have some comfort food and a lil’ drank, get ready while listening to some Chicago rap that gasses my head up, and moisturize like ash is my #1 enemy.– Chima Ikoro