First Avenue's Best New Bands of 2024

featuring Bizhiki • Christy Costello • The Dalmatian Club • Kiernan • Mati • porch light • room3

Doors 6:30 p.m. | Show 7:00 p.m. | 18+

Information | Tickets

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Bizhiki

Unbound, the new album by Bizhiki, opens with a single, trembling chord that rises and descends before meeting a warm, beguiling voice, a voice singing in a tradition that’s been heard in this northern river country for millennia. The music that follows is a soulful dialogue between the ancient tradition of powwow singing and a contemporary musical palette. On Unbound, the powwow style is entwined with synthesized voice modulation, and hand drumming is accented with electronic samples and beats. The harmonies and resonances on this album are equal parts cultural and musical.

Many of the songs on this album go back to when the spirit of the Bizhiki was forged, nearly a decade ago, on the banks of Wisconsin’s Chippewa River. Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, one of the two principal Native voices on the album, remembers getting an invitation to play the Eaux Claires festival in 2015. “I was driving up in Cornucopia, Wisconsin — way out in the middle of nowhere —and I got a call.” There was a festival being organized on the Ojibwe’s ancestral homelands, and the organizers wouldn’t feel right without the involvement of the land’s native communities. “I agreed,” he remembers. “And I told them I wished more people thought like this — that instead of reading from some land acknowledgement, that they would say ‘we’re gonna give your people space and just invite you to do what you wanna do.’”

Christy Costello

Christy Costello is a mover and a shaker in the Twin Cities Music Scene. She's a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, disc jockey, talent buyer, promoter, mother, and yogi. Hailing from the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota, she is no stranger to the great outdoors. Her music blends the ferocity and rawness of nature’s elements, the new and exciting energy of a house show, mixed with the adrenaline rush of an all-night downtown disco. Her first-rate songwriting has been showcased in previous bands like Pink Mink and Ouija Radio, as well as her raw and unforgettable stage performances in Monica LaPlante, Butchers Union, The Von Bondies, and Extraterrestrials.

Christy’s current lineup includes Monica LaPlante (bass), Orion Treon (guitar/synth), Austin Cecil (drums), Matt Pahl (alto sax/keys), Tim Kingstron (tenor/bari sax, synths), Matthew Leonard Graves (guitar/vocals), and Crystal Stockert (percussion/vocals).

The Dalmation Club

The Dalmatian Club is a band residing in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They’ve been releasing music since fall of 2022. Taking influence from a wide array of artists and genres has helped the foursome create a unique indie rock sound which relies on upbeat choruses and catchy guitar riffs.

Kiernan

Kiernan is the project of Minneapolis-based musician Laura Kiernan (she/her). Drawing sound inspirations from the likes of Big Thief, Waxahatchee, and John Prine, her songwriting mixes folk with indie rock and a hint of country. In May 2021, Laura released her first song entitled “Genie,” which she recorded in her bedroom and sent to Jared Johnson, guitarist and sound engineer, to mix and master. The single was inspired by the story of Genie Chance, a radio producer in Anchorage during the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 - which Laura first heard while listening to the radio. It drew the attention of New York Times’ Daily producers, who featured it in their newsletter.

After many many voice memos, in 2023 Kiernan (the band) came together. They played their biggest show yet in December 2023, opening for The Last Revel at a sold-out Fine Line. It was after that show that the band got to work recording their first EP, Magnetic North - out June 10, 2024. Laura is joined by Nate LeBrun on drums, Maddie Thies on bass, and Jared Johnson on guitar. The band hopes their music nourishes your ears like a nice hunk of bread. It’s just like when you're feeding the pigeons: soft, silly, spacious, and best done with friends.

Mati

Mati is a 23-year-old Ethiopian-born artist raised in Minneapolis. Establishing himself as a vital new voice in music; rapping and singing with dexterity, cutting close to the bone with incisive, confessional writing, he’s shown versatility across styles while maintaining a singular vision. Finding balance in life is an elusive pursuit, yet for Mati, the past few years have been a journey of channeling raw ambition into something profound, shaping disparate emotions into music that's both elemental and irresistible. “I had hundreds of songs,” the Minneapolis-based artist reflects, “but I knew I had to do it the right way.” For Mati, “doing it” means presenting himself to the world, which he masterfully achieves on his forthcoming EP, BERHANE'S SON, named after his mother.

Growing up in South Minneapolis after moving from his native Ethiopia at age 3, Mati’s journey is colored by his family's migration story. His father, who initially fled to Los Angeles before settling in Minneapolis, eventually brought over Mati, his mother, and his three siblings. “Being the youngest comes with its own pressure,” Mati admits. “I know if I make a mistake, everyone—all my older siblings and my parents—feel responsible to correct me.”

Despite this familial pressure, Mati’s path to music wasn’t clear-cut. With a natural talent for writing, he initially expressed himself through poetry, scribbling verses in his school notebooks. It wasn’t until his teenage years, inspired by friends dabbling in music, that he began exploring this new medium. As he delved deeper into music, Mati faced the challenge of finding his voice—literally. Initially uncomfortable with his deep rapping voice, he experimented with singing, learning to navigate his vocal range and draw on the gospel influences from his mother’s church choir. This journey of self-discovery and musical growth shaped the passionate and intentional sound that defines his work today.

Porch LIght

“porch light” is an indie alt-rock group based out of Minneapolis that consists of members Zac Fogarty (guitar), Jackie Uhas (vocals), Henry Hughes (bass), Kyle Siemon (guitar), and Isaiah Trimbo (drums). The project came together quickly in the summer of 2024 with a mission to break out of the classic indie sounds the band had become so accustomed to. By leaning into a more raw and authentic live band process “porch light” creates a sense of relatability and intimacy that a crowd can feel from the stage.

Room3

Room3 is a jazz fusion wild card rooted in tradition yet driven by experimentation. Their sound is imaginative, playful and rhythmically sharp. The group currently operates out of Minneapolis as a four-piece, with RAWTWHYLAH (aka Colin Mitchell) on drums, Beck Madson on bass, Eli Awada on keyboards, and Jovon Williams on tenor and soprano saxophone. Each member is a student of their craft with a unique approach to their instrument and a desire to push boundaries. Room3 has performed consistently at venues across the Twin Cities, including the Dakota Jazz Club, Berlin MPLS, and First Avenue’s Turf Club, for nearly two years, and they will be releasing their debut full-length album in Spring 2025.