Lane website: https://lanetotalwar.bandcamp.com bio: Lane stands out as a truly unique voice in guitar-based DIY by taking a relatively clean approach; light on heroics, heavy on interplay—pyrotechnics without the FX.

Wes Kaplan (guitar, vox) formed Lane in Boston in 2019, quickly attracting members of Palehound and Guerilla Toss, eventually congealing into its present trio rounded out by Jolee Gordon (vocals, also of Houndsteeth) and Julian Fader (drums, vocals, production, also of Ava Luna), with the live lineup including Max Kennedy (Big Fuzzy) and Sam Potrykys (Groan Man).

Expanding on their 2020 debut Copse, Lane's second album, Receiver serves up twice the hooks in half the time, with showstopping mini-chorales, classical song forms, and a fresh lyrical approach with riffs on everyone from Wallace Stevens to Joey Ramone.

Animal Hospital website: https://animalhospitalmusic.bandcamp.com/album/shelf-life Animal Hospital is often the solo entity of Kevin Micka. Live performances are commonly an in real time construction of music from scratch into arrangements adaptable for an ensemble of few or many musicians. Operating a collection of custom made electronics, effects, mixing consoles and delay units, Micka patiently constructs a layered nest of phrases and patterns of live percussion, guitar, scrapes, chimes, and textures. Woven together, the work references many familiar aspects of contemporary rock and pop music, but may often veer towards meticulously crafted ambient passages, or full-on improvisation.

Within Boston’s ever-shuffling musical universe, Animal Hospital has been a constant, the music versatile and flexible enough to share stages with the likes of The Jesus Lizard, Lambchop, Beirut, No Age, Os Mutantes, Codeine, Sō Percussion, and so many others. The Keira Knightleys website: http://youtu.be/ORrfSTWaB5c bio: If you gave a 10 year old boy a playboy magazine and a Beatles songbook, they would grow up to sound like The Keira Knightleys.