10 Local Artists You Should Check Out In July

1. Solar Plexus Super Punch opening for Steph and The Web in Purgatory on 7/2

• Officially becoming a band in 2022, Solar Plexus Super Punch is a four-piece made up of Atlanta natives who met serendipitously at various jams and musical events around the city, coming together to create their own unique brand of music
• They write songs scoping a wide variety of genres, stretching from neo-jazz to indie rock
• Check out their most recent EP, Staring Directly at the Sun, if you feel like dancing to jazzy tunes in your bedroom
• For Fans Of: Ralph Castelli, Mamalarky, Wombo

2. Hill View #73 opening for They Are Gutting a Body of Water / waveform* / teethe at Aisle 5 on 7/5

• Lo-fi indie with dark feedback, Hill View #73 released their first single, “Fan”, in 2021 and have since released an EP and a single
• Since starting, Hill View #73 has been playing a wide variety of shows throughout Atlanta, even opening for waveform* once before at a small DIY outdoor venue/art space, Heck House
• Check out their 2022 single, “Bed/Tongue”, to dive into the shoegaze/indie world
• For Fans Of: sundots, Horse Jumper of Love, Lots of Hands

• Bedroom pop and softcore melody encapsulates everything that is indie pop singer, ash tuesday. Inspired by artists like Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms, and Say Anything, she turned her tears into guitar chords and started writing
• She gained a following on TikTok after posting duets, covers, and original songs
• Check out her 2023 EP, Big Sky
• For Fans Of: Frankie Cosmos, girlpuppy, Field Medic

4. Forrest Isn’t Dead opening for Starbenders & The Haunt at The Loft on 7/14

• Alt-indie artist Forrest started making music seriously in 2019, leaning on introspective and candid lyrics as a means of escapism from the harsh realities of life
• Drawing inspiration from artists such as The Cure and Tame Impala, Forrest Isn’t Dead harnesses a sound that’s “almost an emo take on synthpop”
• Signed to Madison Records, his 2022 single, “Fire,” features co-production from the Passion Pit producer, Alex Aldi. Read about his journey on their website here
• For Fans Of: half•alive, Robert DeLong, idkhow

5. Dead Selves opening for Home Is Where in Purgatory on 7/14

• Dead Selves came about when Zack Fowler and Amy Dala ran into each other at different Masquerade shows and started talking about working together
• With folky undertones and a gentle approach, their debut EP, Western Body, became a record about obligation: “what we owe others and how we fall short, and what we can expect, and how we can expect too much.” While the genre typically takes on a gentler approach, the melodies ebb and flow with such passion and emotion that you can’t help but feel the lyrics shake you to your core
• Listen to their newest single, “Sarah Confronts a Pond”
• For Fans Of: Frank Turner, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Expert Timing

6. All I Hear Is Birds opening for standards at 529 on 7/15

• Gaining a loyal following in and outside of Atlanta, All I Hear Is Birds is a rock band full of authentic guys who make make it their mission to play music in front of new-found friends
• With ambient guitar tones, mellow vocals, and a driving momentum, their musicianship and talent evidently shows through their instrumentation, and they’ll be eager to meet you after their set
• Check out their self-titled album here if you’re looking to jam
• For Fans Of: Strawberry Girls, Ben Quad

7. In Somni opening for Brojob in Purgatory on 7/18

• Nu-metal band, In Somni, came together in the midst of the pandemic with members stretching across state lines who bonded over a shared passion for chaotic music with catchy hooks
• While their live shows are filled with energy, stuck out tongues, and massive breakdowns, their songwriting and production is impressive as well; a New Fury Media review described their aggressive metalcore sound with single, “Hidden Hand”, “turning things up to eleven.”
• Check out their debut album, Lifeless Carnation, if you’re looking to headbang
• For fans of: Motionless in White, Chelsea Grin, The Devil Wears Prada

8. New Junk City opening for Less Than Jake in Heaven on 7/21

• Full of pop punk anthems and screaming out heartfelt melodies, New Junk City is a four-piece that makes DIY punk music simply because they love to do it. With music described as “Tom Petty as played by Green Day,” it harnesses an early alternative punk sound that hones in on honest experiences
• In an interview with the Peach Jam Podcast, the band provides a refreshing take to their music, saying that they want to take what they do seriously, without taking themselves too seriously. “We’re lucky we get to play music,” continues John Vournakis, “I honestly feel like I don’t have a lot of control over the content; anything that’s coming from personal experiences is by nature going to be a bit more serious.” Jeff Claxon chimed in, “we don’t take it for granted. If ten people show up to a show, then it’s, as far as I’m concerned, a success” 
• Check out their 2022 album, Beg a Promise
• For Fans of: Gin Blossoms, pup, The Arrivals

9. Negative Results opening for poptropicaslutz! in Purgatory on 7/27

• Since their first release of “Alien Girl” in 2021, the trio has taken Atlanta by storm – consistently playing out and putting out new music  
• Pop punk to their core, Negative Results aims to “make pop punk fun again,” and the trio does that with every performance, killing it with pop punk renditions of hits such as Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
• Check out their latest single, “2004,” if you need an angsty breakup song
• For Fans Of: Anarbor, Neck Deep, Blink-182

10. Ritual Day opening for Gouge Away at Aisle 5 on 7/30

• Featuring bright guitar tones, lots of noise, and gentle melodies, Ritual Day is an alternative shoegaze four-piece that released their first demo in 2022
• While still relatively new, they’re no strangers to Masquerade-hosted shows, as they opened for Alien Boy & Glare at Aisle 5 last month
• Check out “Loom” from their demo to get a taste of what they’re all about
• For Fans Of: they are gutting a body of water, Glare, my bloody valentine

Written by: Hannah Lemke