Radar monitors fresh music from artists and labels linked to Washtenaw County.
The Radar is keeping track of the latest music from artists and labels associated with Washtenaw County. This week’s lineup includes North Ingalls, Fearless Amaretto, Levi Makula, RE:fusion CC:ontractor, FFANGS, Winged Wheel, Sex Kennedy’s, Jakarta Kids, and Ratmatia.
Starting off the list is North Ingalls, a country soul band from Ann Arbor. Their debut album showcases singer-songwriter Corazon Szell’s heartfelt, country-infused folk-rock tunes accompanied by a three-piece horn section and honky-tonk piano, giving their sound a touch of Memphis Soul.
Fearless Amaretto, hailing from Ypsilanti, delivers two lively club jams titled “Amaretto” and “Black Cat,” marking their first release since the Sticky Notes album and EP in 2024. Levi Makula, an outsider indie artist from Ypsilanti, presents a collection of lo-fi bedroom pop tracks that feature Makula’s unique croon-talk style.
RE:fusion CC:ontractor, an experimental artist from Ypsilanti, includes Levi Makula on their latest album, with Makula adding guitar to the nearly 18-minute closing track, “The Makula Reactor (Gastrula Extrapolation).” FFANGS, a synth-pop and indie rock musician from Ann Arbor, returns with “All My Life,” a synth-infused ballad reminiscent of 1980s movie soundtracks.
Winged Wheel, an experimental rock band with ties to Ypsilanti, features a lineup of underground musicians from various parts of the U.S., creating a unique jam-centric drone-rock sound. Sex Kennedy’s, an experimental group from Ann Arbor, blurs the lines between lo-fi electronics and avant-rock on their latest EP.
Jakarta Kids, a grindcore and metalcore band on the Ann Arbor record label Sick Rat Records, delivers a four-song EP of intense metallic powerviolence. Lastly, Ratmatia, a hardcore and death metal band based in Ann Arbor, presents “Give Me the Cure,” showcasing their heavy sound with singer-guitarist Nick Srabian continuing the band’s legacy while pursuing his studies at U-M.
For artists or labels with ties to Washtenaw County, submissions can be sent to [email protected] for potential coverage. Keep an eye out for more music highlights from the local scene in the Friday Five archives.