With only two weeks left of our 100 Rising Artists You Need To Listen To In 2024, we’re pulling all of the stops and bringing you the best of the best music we’re excited about this year.
In this week’s installment of the 100 Rising Artists, we’re exploring the classic pop-punk formula with Go For Gold, crushing metal acts such as Half Me, bubblegum goodies in the form of Jesse Detor and Best Ex, Mannequin Death Squad’s true-to-form punk, and more. Perhaps you’ve already discovered your next favorite musical obsession in our 100 Rising Artists You Need To Listen To In 2024 …but perhaps there’s room for more. Cue this week’s incredible selections.
Dive into our 80 out of 100 Rising Artists You Need To Listen To In 2024! And in case you missed any of our previous selections, tune in here.
Aurora View
Aurora View is a really sick rock band. Let’s get that out of the way real quick. I saw them perform tonight, and man, oh, man, there’s a lot to unpack!
I first saw Aurora View last year at a backyard venue in LA called The Shed. Shoutout to The Shed for always bringing great up-and-coming artists through. It’s literally someone’s backyard who loves supporting artists. After that show, I listened to Aurora View’s album SHMR. This is where I really got to hear their full sound.
They’ll have you headbanging to breakdowns one second and dancing to electronic music the next, and so much more in between. You never really know what’s next, but it all flows into a really rad experience, especially live. It’s a cool vibe and energy. Check out their videos “Lovesick” and “Rose Whiplash,” these tracks are awesome and a great starting point to get a taste of what they have to offer. This stuff would go so hard in a big, packed venue with a sick light show. And I have a feeling they’ll be doing plenty of shows like that in no time.
With that, give Aurora View a listen. I hope you find something new you enjoy! —Nick Major
Best Ex
Mariel Loveland used to be in the pop-punk outfit Candy Hearts once upon a time. She now wades in the indie-pop waters with her latest project, Best Ex. What isn’t different is still the sticky sweet tone of her vocals while never losing a sharpened edge that some may never hear coming. Ice Cream Anti-Social was her first release into the other side of the alt-rock pond in 2017 and has only swam upstreamed since then, especially with her latest release, With A Smile. While pop-punk might be in the rearview mirror, to some extent, it’s clear that Best Ex should be in the upcoming revitalization movement of indie-sleaze. —Lizzie Baumgartner
Equipment
Oh, Ohio. The amount of Midwest icons you’ve produced through the decades is insurmountable. And, of course, it hasn’t stopped churning out bands that keep it invigorated, like Equipment. The indie-punkers are currently on tour with Origami Angel and Mom Jeans if that helps widdle down the frequency that one should listen to them, i.e. blasting. The raw vocals, smart drums, and intricate riffs make this act stand out in a saturated atmosphere where they could stand on similar platforms with greats such as PUP. Certainly, keeping this Equipment around your house is not only something you need but a necessity. —Lizzie Baumgartner
Go For Gold
Arkansas’ Gold For Gold has been buried under the scene’s radar for a while now. Their recent EP, Lost And Alone, dropped in January, and they worked on it with producer Kyle Black, who’s produced music with State Champs, Plain White T’s, Loveless, and many other popular punk staples. Back in 2022, the quartet released Cope, which sounds reminiscent of an alternate timeline where Matt Skiba did a full Alkaline Trio send while in blink-182. The act blends intricate emotions lyrically along with thematic elements of Midwest emo and early 2000s pop-punk while being served up as a new-age take on the alt-rock landscape. —Lizzie Baumgartner
Half Me
German band Half Me dropped their impressive debut album, Soma, nearly a year ago in February 2023. At the time, we already had several smashing singles, including “Ex Negativo” and “Blacklight,” in the past few months. Whether it’s the headbanging riffs or corruptions that will have you throwing down in your living room, Half Me is a band that has only begun to scratch the service with their blend of hardcore and metalcore music. —Patrick Walford
James Mantis
James Mantis is definitely a gem to unearth in a sea of rising hyperpop-rock-infused modern alternative music. Beginning in 2019, the Los Angeles-based artist put out his debut single, dreamy pop “Pockets,” akin to the likes of indie star JAWNY. Of course, since his divine first track, Mantis has continued to hone his sound with a mix of warm synths such as in the case of “$LINK,” grunge guitar melodies à la “SUCKAPUNCH,” and experimental vocal distortion such as with “mutual-fren*.”
Mantis is unabashedly fresh, exciting, and nuanced, representing the full width and breadth of what alternative music has to offer in his short discography. The artist is already kicking off 2024 in style with the brand-new track “My Face Didn’t Mean To Say That,” with R&B-tinged vocals and decadent synths ringing throughout its three-minute duration. Frankly, here’s nothing Mantis can’t do. He even recently teamed up with Younger Hunger and Yoshi T. for a sunny collab, “TIME&PLACE.” All in all, this artist will consistently surprise and delight you, and that’s what really makes him a standout on my playlists for 2024 and likely well beyond this year. —Maria Serra
Jesse Detor
Jesse Detor is the perfect playlist addition for all the 20-something teenage girlies out there who find refuge in the likes of Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. The Minneapolis-born singer/songwriter and currently Boston-based Berklee student fully grasps the growing pains that come with finding yourself and navigating young love in a cold, incredibly misogynistic world. She then positions these thoughts and feelings over aggressive classic rock guitar melodies, yearning vocal runs, and poetically badass lyrics. Just take her hard-hitting 2023 track, “Mirror,” for example. “What you don’t like in you/You look for in me/You don’t want me/You want a mirror for your mind,” she poignantly sings.
Detor definitely offers an edge of ‘90s grunge, harkening back to the likes of Liz Phair and Hole. However, she also incorporates modern indie rock flairs similar to Wolf Alice and Alvvays. If you’re looking for a new addition to your revenge-era playlist, Jesse Detor is who you need to add. —Maria Serra
Knosis
The new project of Ryo Kinoshita (who people may know from his incredible work in Crystal Lake), their first handful of tracks, has been quite simply impressive. The band will make their North American debut on the road later this year as they announced earlier this week that they would be touring across the U.S. with Body Snatcher and Spite! —Patrick Walford
Mannequin Death Squad
Mannequin Death Squad is Australia’s rising true-to-form punk act, and you will certainly want to have them on your radar. If you wish the days of L7, Veruca Salt, and Bikini Kill could come back, then you’re in luck because this duo is reviving it. With raw, punchy choruses juxtaposed with feral screams and thrilling punk guitar riffs, you’ll be head-banging in no time.
In January 2024, the two-piece released their new single, “Everybody’s Movin’,” featuring pulsing classic rock melodies and glimmering vocal falsetto runs. Of course, you can experience Mannequin Death Squad on their 2022 debut record, SUPER MENTAL PSYCHO, which features beloved tracks “Cherry” and “Honey Punch,” which preceded their No. 1 song from 2023, “Monsters.” If you still need a nudge to listen to them ASAP, just know that this act was personally picked by Suicidal Tendencies’ Mike Muir as support for his band’s Australian tour. —Maria Serra
New Age Thief
The Chicago duo New Age Thief is the newest venture for Gino Savarino, and he’s teamed up with bandmate, Brady Corcoran to bring it to life. The name might sound familiar if you’ve ever listened to his previous project, Safe Bet, which was more quintessential sad-boy emo that we know and love. New Age Thief, however, still has cutting lyrics but incorporates an indiecore vibrancy, which includes more instrumentation that transports you back to the late 1990s and early 2000s Jimmy Eat World. A sound that’s difficult to encapsulate and pull off effortlessly is constructed seamlessly by the act without being too similar. Suffice it to say, if fans of the genre are searching for a fresh band in that vein, it’s a no-brainer to add them to your playlists. —Lizzie Baumgartner
Tune in next week for our final collection of 100 Rising Artists You Need To Listen To In 2024.
