To ring in the new year and look back on the ever-changing sound of the Twin Cities, First Avenue continues to commemorate local talent with their time-honored annual Best New Bands showcase. The lineup of seven local musicians will take over the First Ave Mainroom on Friday, Jan. 12, and will be hosted by The Current’s Jill Riley, KFAI’s Krista Wax, Radio K’s Grace Williams and Jazz 88’s Sean McPherson. Read more about this year’s featured performers.
The perfect marriage of Alternative and R&B, lifelong actor/musician Barlow incorporates authenticity and soul into his tracks. Barlow makes his music for “people with no fancy filter” and focuses on intention and credibility to achieve this. His self-titled album was released last spring.
2023 was a huge year for local rising indie pop star Berit Dybing (AKA Ber). With roots in northern Minnesota, her college years spent in Norway and London, and her 2020 return home, her music is shaped by her varying experiences in writing and creating within different music scenes, Since her return to MN, Ber has collaborated with local musicians such as Cacie Dalager and Bradley Hale of Now, Now. In 2023, Ber released her second EP, Halfway, and embarked on her first headlining tour.
2023 marked St. Paul native, Clare Doyle’s debut into the music scene. Her first single, “Devices”, was released last May, and established Doyle as a fresh new voice in the Americana and Country genre. Dyle released two more killer tunes last year, “The Catch” and “You and My Guitar”(released in August and September).
Led by Mpls-based singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and composer, Geoffrey Lamar Wilson, Laamar is a group composed of Wilson (guitar/vocals), Steve Bosmans (guitar), James Taylor (drums), and Megan Mahoney (bass). The group’s debut EP Flowers, was released last June, and the tracks juxtaposed catchy and soulful beats with poignant lyricism surrounding social issues such as police brutality and racial justice. Their single “Home to My Baby” was deemed number one on the list of Northern Community Radio’s defining beats of 2023.
L.A. Buckner & Big Homie
L.A. Buckner and his latest project Big Homie delivers a sound both spiritual and funky. Blending jazz, hip-hop, and gospel styles, the 2020 album was an instant hit, soaring to the top of iTunes Jazz chart within the first day it was released. The name Big Homie is an homage to those who helped the performer, teacher, and producer on his path to stardom.
Songwriter/producer, Michael Hall (AKA Reiki) released three new singles last year, “CHAOS”, “RUN!” and “drowning”. The Chicago-born, Minneapolis-based artist, is known for powerful genre-bending songs and was one of the performers at First Ave’s first annual Rock Lottery last July.
Dreamy Minneapolis. shoegazers She’s Green is composed of Zophia Smith (vocals), Liam Armstrong (guitar), Raines Lucas (guitar), Teddy Nordvold (bass), and Kevin Seebeck (drums). The emerging group has toured throughout the Midwest, and released their debut EP, Wisteria last June.