Sheba White 
Raised on an island with a penchant for all things sci-fi, Conrad Keely, frontman for post-punk band And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, believes in a great — perhaps dark — destiny for the universe. Such spiritual beliefs and philosophical ruminations heavily inform the band’s ambitious, intricate songwriting.
English duo dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip combines spoken-word lyrics with electronic hip-hop beats to create songs that awaken thoughtfulness and provoke opinions. Just don’t take them too seriously.
Minneapolis rapper P.O.S takes political and social issues head-on from an “everyman” point of view. His critical eye and grounded personality come naturally — a product of his modest, Midwestern upbringing.
Author, host, and member of the bands Nation of Ulysses, Weird War, and Chain and the Gang, Ian Svenonius is unmatched in self-deprecating, off-the-cuff rock-‘n’-roll philosophizing.