Keep an eye and ear out for these 7 mid-Missouri artists in 2024
Less than a month old, the musical year 2024 is still very much unwritten.
But building a chord from promise and momentum, a number of Columbia and mid-Missouri artists appear poised to have a big year. Here are just seven to keep tabs on, with no doubt many more ready to shape the scene.
Liv Burney
The oldest of the beloved Burney Sisters band decided to do her own thing last year, and Liv Burney's vocal and songwriting chops absolutely make her an artist to anticipate going forward (and her sisters' regrouping as a duo of course makes them worth keeping an eye and ear on too).
Try this track: "Boots," a duet with mid-Missouri peer Kyren Penrose, shines a light on Burney's woozy alto, a perfect timbre for story songs.
Learn more: Find Burney on Facebook.
DIMPL
With his cool-as-the-pillow's-other-side delivery, MC Devin Goins' hip-hop exercises a hypnotic effect on listeners. Unhurried, DIMPL tends both to mood and substance, serving up self-contained, satisfying artistic statements in just a few minutes.
Try this track: "They Don't Have to Know" owns a baritone hum and rhythmic hitch that causes listeners to sit up close and drink in Goins' poetry.
Learn more: https://www.instagram.com/heydimpls/
Laika
On last year's "White Cicada," this five-piece nimbly joined varied streams of alternative rock to craft a sound that's immediately relevant while showing off its older-school influences. Guitars buzz and chime while the band maintains serious rhythmic and metric flexibility.
Try this track: "Indigo" is a delicious rock 'n' roll dream, a song to just sink into.
Learn more: https://laika1500.bandcamp.com/album/white-cicada
Left on Red
Featuring players from area bands such as The Many Colored Death and Conman Economy, this metalcore outfit only has one song on the permanent record — but their shared pedigree and the promise of a first EP make them more than worth watching.
Try this track: "Fairweather," the band's debut single, packs several punches with an immediate righteous fury, gear-grinding guitars and, eventually, a seriously catchy and radio-ready chorus.
Learn more: https://www.leftonredcomo.com/
Locked Shut
Power and speed, wailing solos and black-hole chords coalesce in the music of this Columbia band, which lives in the tight spaces between punk and hardcore. If you want to catch the band live, they play Rose Music Hall Jan. 27 with Gorehound, Direct Measure and RDMR.
Try this track: The coda to "Stomp You" features one of the best '90s grunge riffs you'll hear in our moment.
Learn more: https://lockedshut.bandcamp.com/
New Hues
These smart, shaggy descendants of Sonic Youth and pre-world domination Nirvana always seem to be thinking an artful step ahead, that forethought yielding an appealing, fuzzed-out guitar-rock minimalism and deceptively gliding melodies.
Try this track: "Somewhere," which kicks off last year's "Here Now, Gone Again" sounds like a self-contained mission statement.
Learn more: https://newhues.bandcamp.com/
The Stoplight Flyers
This local outfit plays authentic folk and country played with a rock ‘n’ roll heart, taking rare forks in the road to create memorable melodies; recommended if you dig artists such as Alejandro Escovedo, Son Volt and the quieter side of Old Crow Medicine Show.
Try this track: "Lo and Behold," where the band revels in playing "Buck Owens on repeat."
Learn more: Search for the band on Facebook.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Stay tuned to these 7 Columbia musical acts in 2024
