RaveQuest

First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2025

Brigitte Calls Me Baby, JOSEPH

Umphrey's McGee

Chicago’s eclectic rock band Umphrey’s McGee has been keeping fans on their toes for nearly 28 years now. Though often pigeonholed into “jam band” circles, Umphrey’s doesn’t fit that traditional mold, and their fans don’t either. Is it prog rock? Song-forward, Beatles-esque arrangements? Be careful, they might hit you with some metal riffs mid-set, too. Pushing 3,000 live gigs and 300 million+ tracks streamed, you-had-to-be-there moments include the band’s performance at the first-ever Bonnaroo and selling more CDs (remember those?) than any other act on the bill. A leader in the live music world, Umphrey’s McGee became the first group to launch its own single-artist streaming service with UMLive.net, which houses recordings of every show since 2005. The service has since grown and now lives on through Nugs.net, used by the likes of Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and more. Beyond intimate backstage encounters and ski trips with their most diehard fans, Umphrey’s McGee instituted the groundbreaking “Headphones & Snowcones” program, granting fans access to professional headphones and a soundboard-quality mix to listen wirelessly at shows. At their UMBowl, they empowered the audience to vote on the setlist in real-time and choose favorite improv themes via text message. In 2017, they stepped into another realm altogether by integrating themselves into VR platforms and 360 video. All of the above has earned the band status as kings of the live music scene, with standing yearly engagements at iconic venues, their own events in Morocco (Morockshow), Iceland (Rockjavick) and Dominican Republic and Mexico (Holidaze), and co-hosting Chillicothe, IL’s long-running Summer Camp festival. In April 2025, Umphrey’s led their faithful fans on another bucket list musical adventure: Morockshow, a three-night event in Marrakech, Morocco. This marked yet another signature international destination for the band’s one-of-a-kind live experiences. Following their 2022 full-length Asking For A Friend, which showcased more evolved songwriting and thoughtful arranging, the band released the Out of Focus EP in July 2025—giving fans a first taste of their forthcoming studio album Blueprints, arriving September 12, 2025. The new material draws from deep fan engagement, with compositions born from live “Raw Stewage” segments voted on by the UM faithful. These songs were recorded live during their exclusive Top Note Sessions at Chicago’s Metro, fusing the raw energy of improvisation with studio-quality fidelity. As Umphrey’s McGee steps into their next chapter, they remain a band in constant evolution—restless, fearless, and deeply connected to their audience.

Hot In Herre

Hot in Herre, the biggest 2000s/Y2K party in the country!Hot In Herre features dope DJs behind the decks and 00s visuals that will transport you back to the days of blinged-out flip phones and trucker hats!At Hot In Herre, you'll hear your favorite hits and guilty pleasures from the first decade of the millennium from artists like Nelly (duh), Beyoncé, Usher, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Pitbull, 50 Cent, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, Fergie, T-Pain, Amy Winehouse, Outkast, Eminem, Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, Sean Paul, Avril Lavigne and so many more.** Wear your best 2000s-era gear at Hot In Herre! We're talkin' fuzzy pink Juicy Couture sweats, bling, Ed Hardy shirts, loooow-rise jeans, UGG boots, crop tops… you name it, just wear it! **We’re taking song requests all night, too. Pull out your old iPod playlists and have your favs ready to go!

Jessie J

"I really didn’t want to work on a new music. I remember saying it out loud, ‘I’m done. I’m nearly 30, I’m not happy, I don’t enjoy this anymore.’ It was like the emotion was caught in my throat. I just want to keep it suffocated, I didn't want to let it out. I couldn’t differentiate between the business and the art. What I wanted to give up was the business and forgot that the art could save me in all of it." That is the confession of Jessie J—the multiplatinum-selling artist behind hits like "Price Tag," "Domino" and "Bang Bang"—who was at a major crossroads after 2014’s Sweet Talker. And then, a song came to the rescue. A producer named DJ Camper played her the beat for what would become "Think About That," a moody, meditation-type groove and a clear departure from her past two albums. "He played me the beat on loop and 20 minutes later I’d written the whole song. In that moment, something happened. Camper was like, ‘Yo, if you give up music, I don’t know if I could accept that. You need to write.’ Then everything just started happening really naturally. The more I didn’t want to do it, the more it was coming to me. It’s like when you go, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be in love,’ and then you fall in love. I didn’t hold anything back. It was like I gave myself therapy out of this dark place through music, which is what I did on my first album." Now six years after dropping her platinum-selling debut Who You Are—and winning the prestigious Critics’ Choice prize at the BRIT Awards —London-born Jessie J is readying her confessional new album R.O.S.E., to be released in early 2018. The title is an acronym for realizations, obsessions, sex and empowerment—all topics that will be explored in song. But the meaning behind that title goes even deeper. "It didn’t come to me straight away. The more I started writing, the more I kept repeating the words, and then one day I realized those words spelt ROSE. My mum’s name is Rose. They have always been my favorite flower, so beautiful but when handled badly can fall apart, so delicate but so very strong. I just started seeing roses everywhere, it was so weird but I knew it was for a reason, I was definitely paying attention to a deeper and higher energy." With DJ Camper (Nicki Minaj, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey) producing, Jessie J wrote the entire album herself, making this her most personal statement ever. Other standouts include "Not My Ex"—whose stripped-down soul puts Jessie’s dynamic voice right up front—and the empowering anthem "Queen," which kicks some positivity on loving the body and skin you’re in. "I was so angry but passionate that day in the studio recording "Queen". I was so fed up of seeing negative comments and these forever changing rules for women on what is set as beautiful and ugly. There is no such thing, we are all QUEENS. I wanted to write a song that represented all women. I know there will be women that would have never said these words out loud to themselves before. "I love my body, I love my skin, I am a goddess, I am a Queen". That alone is so powerful. Whilst focusing on lifting up myself, it never left my mind the importance to uplift all women at the same time. So important to me." Now Managed by the Madden Brothers (of Good Charlotte) and their Company MDDN —Jessie J is back and stronger than ever. "Benj and Joel are my brothers. They nurtured Jessica before Jessie J could even be in existence again. You have to find your people that go forth in life pursuing what you feel is important. I never had that with the people I worked with in the past. It was always about business. I gave someone my magic and they didn’t look after it, but I got it back." 

Atmosphere

For over two decades, Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP's and collaborative side projects in as many years. In that time, the venerated duo have built a legacy out of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music, continually challenging themselves to evolve without straying too far from their roots. Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters that helped shape him. Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, funk, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop’s pioneering DJ's and producers, creating his own trademark sounds while providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress and setbacks. At its essence, Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd, and with each new album comes a new journey as they guide generations of listeners through this thing called life.

Lord of the Lost and The Birthday Massacre

The Birthday Massacre's soundscapes have encapsulated a diverse and devout fan base. Formed in 2000 under the name Imagica, the band played their first show at Diversity Nightclub in London, Ontario, Canada. Their original lineup consisted of Chibi (vocals), Rainbow (rhythm guitar), Michael Falcore (lead guitar), Aslan (bass guitar), and Dank (keyboards). With this lineup, plus the addition of OE on percussion, they released a seven song demo EP in very limited edition. 2005 was a big year for The Birthday Massacre. Not only did they add O-En on keyboards, but were signed in Europe by Repo Records and in North America by Metropolis Records. Both labels re-released Violet as a full length album with four extra tracks. Having time to mature their patent sound, the extended commercial release of Violet drew in many new fans while maintaining the same appeal for listeners who enjoyed the band's debut album. A video for their song "Blue" was released, which was produced by NYC artist and director Daniel Ouellette. The video fit The Birthday Massacre well; it showed their knack for mixing themes of horror and tragedy with fun and satire to create a unique and versatile experience. In Early 2007 The Birthday Massacre and Metropolis Records decided to re-release the band's self released 2002 debut Nothing and Nowhere. Featuring early versions of popular Birthday Massacre tracks, Nothing and Nowhere also includes five songs that had not been available since the band's release went out of print. The album is an amazing collection for not only the completist, but new comers alike. With their newest album to be released in autumn 2007, Walking With Strangers, The Birthday Massacre once again exceed the expectations of their ever-growing and devoted fan base. Co-produced by Rainbow, Falcore, and the legendary Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (who also mixed the album), TBM remain true to the sound that gained them the praise of fans and music critics alike, while further refining and expanding upon their signature sound. Once again The Birthday Massacre manage to blend gothic, rock and electronic music into a sound that is all their own, and brilliantly original.

Del Water Gap

Scrawled in the margins of a William Carlos Williams poetry book dusted off in his late grandfather’s study, S. Holden Jaffe found a note that had once been left for his grandmother: “I miss you already, and I haven’t left yet.” A simple gesture preserved for decades illuminated a reality that Jaffe now faced at present: a perpetual state of similar departures. The years during which Jaffe began writing, recording and performing as Del Water Gap were ones fueled by the kind of hedonism that you can get away with when you’re young and hungry in New York City. But at some point between exiting the pandemic and releasing his long-awaited debut album via Mom + Pop in 2021, that lifestyle had swiftly (and necessarily) vanished. Now midway through a global tour behind that record, he had found stability in the constant transience through his relationship and his sobriety. Still, the rigor of spending every night in a different hotel room was taking its expected toll, and by the time he was expected to put pen to paper for the next Del Water Gap project, Jaffe felt spiritually depleted. Any trace of cynicism began to dissipate instantly upon his first session with producer Sammy Witte (Harry Styles, SZA) who encouraged Jaffe to abandon the self-conscious subtext of his previous work and make the record he’s always wanted to make but never allowed himself to. That meant hoisting his sonic palette up into panoramic pop heights, first on “Losing You” and later on lead single “All We Ever Do Is Talk,” a joyride hinging on massive existential doubt: “will we ever get that feeling again?” Can the cardinal jolt of young love last beyond its initial spark? Can one still achieve highs without the drugs? Are the best times really over, or are they still within reach? I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet doesn’t wait for the answers, generating its own propulsive thrills through skyward hooks and resplendent imagery further punctuated by additional production from Mike Malchicoff (King Princess, Kanye West) and Ethan Gruska (Phoebe Bridgers, Manchester Orchestra), instrumental contributions from Clairo, Zach Dawes, Mason Stoops and Rob Humphreys, and a duet with Arlo Parks, the glowing “Quilt of Steam.” As its striking cover suggests, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet presents a portrait of a man who is weathered but tenacious, standing upright and adamant on forging his way through an atmosphere of ennui with all his might.

Monaleo

Monaleo, the unapologetic force from Houston, Texas, has quickly become one of hip-hop’s most compelling new voices. At 24, she’s captivated listeners and critics alike with her fearless lyricism, bold femininity, and undeniable charisma. Her breakout hit “Beating Down Yo Block” reimagined Yungstar’s 1999 Houston classic into a post-breakup anthem that resonated across generations, earning RIAA Gold certification, over 34 million YouTube views, and cemented her as a rising star. Music has always been a cornerstone for Monaleo, whose earliest performances took place in her church choir under her grandmother’s encouragement. By age seven, she taught herself to play piano, channeling her creativity into a natural talent for melody and expression. In 2024 her viral sensation “Don Who Leo” inspired more than 3.7 million TikTok creations, peaked at #16 on Tik Tok Billboard Charts. A commanding presence on stage, Monaleo joined Don Toliver, Ski Mask the Slump God, and Molly Santana on a sold-out arena tour, sharing her electrifying artistry with thousands of fans and further solidifying her place in the cultural conversation. Now with over 141 million all time YouTube views and 371.5M all-time streams, Monaleo has firmly established herself as one of rap’s most dynamic lyricists. Recognized by outlets like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, XXL, Teen Vogue, and Billboard, her widespread acclaim reflects her relatability, creative versatility, and unmistakable talent. With every release, Monaleo continues to redefine what it means to be a rising star, and her trajectory only points upward. This fall, she enters a darker, more cinematic chapter with her upcoming project “Who Did the Body?”. The project channels her fascination with the afterlife layered with Southern Gothic influence, ancestral ties, and her ongoing studies in mortuary science. Fearless, creative, and unafraid to dig deep, Monaleo continues to push Southern rap forward while staying true to the girly bravado her fans know and love.