Welcome to AP&R, the place we spotlight rising artists who’re on their technique to changing into your new favourite. Beneath, we’ve rounded up a handful of names from all over the world who both simply dropped music or have new music on the way in which very quickly. These are the December up-and-comers, artists picked for his or her standout sound, from woozy dream pop and lo-fi indie to sugary slacker rock.
Learn extra: 25 finest albums of 2023 up to now
Yungatita
Yungatita, a burgeoning crew out of East LA, hark again to the times of cassette mixtapes, dial-up, and meticulously fast-forwarding VHS tapes to get to a particular half. Led by Valentina Zapata, the band joyride between slacker pop and dreamier impulses however are at their finest once they play loud and free. “WHIPLASH,” one of many newest singles from their debut LP, Shoelace & a Knot (out Jan. 3), is exceptionally catchy and uncooked, evoking a swirl of sugary vocals, grainy manufacturing, and guitar shredding that captures the blow of an unrequited crush. RIYL Pavement, Courtney Barnett, and Pardoner. —Neville Hardman
Dying Lens
Hailing from East LA, Dying Lens make pummeling, DIY-minded punk with a pop stickiness. On their 2022 album, No Luck, the band spun songs couched in anxiousness and grief whereas pointing to a glass half-full. They’re proof that life will get higher, as they grew up threatened by fixed police harassment and gang violence however turned towards positivity and strived to set a brand new commonplace as a substitute. Dying Lens signed to Epitaph earlier this yr, the place they made their label debut with the sober anthem “Vacant” and adopted it up with the simmering “Limousine.” As they put together to open for Militarie Gun on tour subsequent yr, their star is certain to rise. —Neville Hardman
crushed
crushed are a dynamic duo if there ever have been one. The brainchild of Shaun Durkan of SoCal shoegaze outfit Weekend and Bre Morell of woozy, gothic group Temple of Angels, the band have been destined to offer dream pop a recent new face. Shrugging off the style’s muddiest, and most typical cliches, the 2 have thoughtfully crafted a sound impressed by trip-hop and ’90s pop that refreshingly and inherently stays their very own. This month, they are going to be supporting Deafheaven on their Sunbather tenth anniversary tour. —Anna Zanes
late evening drive house
El Paso indie outfit late evening drive house have so much to have fun. Their bilingual, Strokes-esque observe “Stress Aid” racked up over 60 million streams, constructing a viral buzz across the band that began as a lo-fi undertaking between two buddies, and have become the beloved foursome that have been lately signed to Epitaph Data. Whereas the swiftly rising quartet cite Automobile Seat Headrest and twenty one pilots, amongst different 2000s garage-rock greats, as inspiration, their sound, and targets, are all their very own — reinventing indie music for a contemporary age whereas rising illustration for Latin artists within the style. They’ve a vacation present in Los Angeles developing this month, a trippy new video out, and worldwide dates on the horizon for 2024. —Anna Zanes
Haux
Berkshires native and singer-songwriter Woodson Black has been creating impeccable dream-folk below the alias Haux since 2016. All through, his music has discovered a fragile stability between heavy, private lyricism and delicate melodies embroidered with Black’s trademark falsetto. In the case of each sound and ethos, Black sums Haux up finest himself: “You gotta dance by the darkish occasions.” In pursuit of his tender debut album in 2020, final month HAUX launched “Carte Blanche,” the title observe off his sophomore full-length, to reach within the spring of 2024. —Anna Zanes
Friko
Friko — the duo of vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger — are making their mark inside Chicago’s effervescent indie-rock scene. With their debut studio album, The place we’ve been, The place we go from right here (out Feb. 16 by way of ATO), the band use a mixture of various genres (baroque pop, post-punk) that swerve between tempos and moods. On their newest, “For Ella,” they take a heel-turn and nod to classical music by a satisfying, cathartic sluggish construct that proves emotional depth is simply as enthralling as crushing loudness. The end result is a beautiful, romantic ode that sounds completely timeless. —Neville Hardman
