Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas

Jessica Hernandez is the first-generation American daughter of a Mexican mother and a Cuban father. Born and raised in Detroit, MI, she worked to help support her family while soaking up the rich musical influences of the city. These influences are strongly represented in her band, Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas, a hybrid rock ‘n’ roll group with traces of high energy jazz, R&B, Motown, and Latin pop fronted by the strong girl-power presence of Hernandez’s soulful vocals. The Deltas embody fun and exciting rock and their live shows are always accompanied by a full band including percussion, rhythm, horns, and backing vocals to create a danceable, big band experience. 

“Caught Up”

“Caught Up” is the second track on Hernandez’s 2013 short but extremely powerful five-track EP, Demons. The song opens up sounding like a ’60s girl-group intro, which Hernandez channels in much of her work, then matures into a full-blown Detroit rock piece complete with sassy vocals, soulful lead guitars. and plenty of “ooooo”s and “ay ay ay ay”s from the backup singers. 

“Sorry I Stole Your Man”

A live show favorite, “Sorry I Stole Your Man” is an unapologetic apology by Hernandez for being too much of a hot, badass chick and making everyone lust after her. It has a zesty jazz feel to it, with prominent trumpet riffs and a boozy rhythm section. 

Neulore

Nashville modern folk band Neulore was formed in 2008 when band members Adam Agin and William T. Cook met and immediately started collaborating. Their sound echoes that of Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers, but they differ from other Americana groups of today in their writing styles; instead of writing individual songs with specific themes, Neulore focuses on albums that tell full stories with central themes — apparent in their 2010 debut Apple and Eve. Listening to Neulore is like reading a literary masterpiece, complete with historic backgrounds, metaphors, and detailed visualizations. 

“Eve”

From their biblical allusion Apple and Eve, “Eve” is the most dominant track on the album from the very first whimsically magical notes. It introduces the passionate character of Eve in their creationism-based epic by looking at desire, temptation, and fear in a whole new way. 

“Shadow of a Man”

“Shadow of a Man” is the first single off Neulore’s upcoming full-length album, Animal Evolve. The song is anchored by the theme of transformation, forgetting the pains of one’s past, and creating a desirable and fulfilling future: “Light your torch and follow me. Let’s burn the boats back to who we used to be.” The track is not only inspirational, but super catchy and draws in a toe tap and a clap-a-long like no other. 

Bootstraps

Portland, OR native Jordan Beckett joined forces with college pals Nathan Warkentin and David Quon in Los Angeles to form indie rock band Bootstraps and create calm, breezy, and relaxing music. They released their self-titled EP this year and gained momentum after covering Whitney Houston on an April episode of Grey’s Anatomy. 

“OH CA”

Beckett claims he set out to make a “road trip album” with Bootstraps, and by road trip standards he succeeded with “OH CA.” The perfect song to cruise along the coast, this track pulls you in with smokey vocals and a mysterious melody, before picking up into a joyful anthem for the Golden State. 

Busy Living

Busy Living is a Los Angeles rock quintet lead by vocalist Mike Moonves and backed by instrumentalists Jared Sohnen, Tim Hutton, Drew Phillips, and Matt Leddy. They released their first EP, It’s a War Out There , in 2012 and have been touring heavily and raucously ever since. 

“Lie Better”

“Lie Better” is a beachy surf-rock tune with excellent rhythm guitar and dizzy solos backed by tight drumming. Its lyrics are cutthroat and bitter but masked by a happy-go-lucky, danceable melody. 

Boom Forest

Baraboo native John Paul Roney has been cultivating his Boom Forest project for years in East Nashville with a slew of fellow musicians (the majority of whom are also natives of the small Wisconsin city). Roney’s website describes him as “a techno-evangelist bard from a post-apocalyptic American future,” which confusingly describes his eccentric music pretty well.

“Baby Teeth”

“Baby Teeth” is an introspective piece with bursts of high production amongst traditionally simple, tribal-esque vocals. The sweet honesty of Roney’s voice creates a comfortable atmosphere for the listener, while the instrumentals and background noises contract the lyrics with high stress impact.