Vivian Girls / These Are Powers

Although the Vivian Girls have only been a band for a short while, their charms have already worked magic on the road to “out of nowhere” status. Mixing '60s girl-group sounds, punk, and shoegaze, Vivian Girls—Ali Koehler (drums), Kickball Katy (bass), and Cassie Ramone (guitar, lead vocals)—make gritty, lo-fi, aggressively fun pop tunes.

These Are Powers are a Brooklyn- and Chicago-based trio featuring Anna Barie (vocals, electronics), Pat Noecker (prepared bass, vocals), and Bill Salas (electroacoustic drums, vocals). Pummeling their way through live performances, These Are Powers use club beats, found sounds, pulses, and blips, to create a chaotic collage of vibrations.