Detroit Proud Playlist: Week of 12/21 - "Mittenfest X" Edition

The holiday season is in full swing and everyone is amped up for food, friends/family, and gifts galore, but don't forget about your love for local music and being smitten with the mitten — we know you are!

The 10th annual Mittenfest is around the corner, just in time to revamp your holiday spirit and kick those post-party blues.
Not familiar with Mittenfest? Well here's the run down—thirty five bands, five days, one awesome venue. This year's event is hosted at Bona Sera in downtown Ypsilanti from Tuesday, December 29th – Saturday, January 2nd. The music kicks off at 8:30pm and comes to a close at 1:00am each night. The sprawl of bands can't be matched, with many of them hailing from Ypsi, along with others from Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and as far west as Muskegon. The genres are plentiful and the artists are astounding.

We know what you'll be doing for New Year's *wink wink*

Aside from showcasing great local music, Mittenfest has a deeper mission, raising money for local, non-profit organization 826Michigan. This organization is dedicated to assisting children and young-adults (ages 6-18) with their writing skills and creativity. The donations from Mittenfest also help teachers inspire their students to write through many Ypsilanti-based programs. Mittenfest has raised over $110,000 for 826Michigan and hopes to contribute to that number this year with their 10th anniversary event.

You can attend Mittenfest X with a $10 donation and for more information, visit the Mittenfest X Facebook page.

Now that we've made you all warm and fuzzy inside, let's get to the lineup!

On last week's playlist, we brought you a handful of bands playing at this year's Mittenfest, but we're not stopping there! There are even more bands that you'll find at this event, and you won't want to miss any of them.

Previously mentioned artists:
Fred Thomas 
Stef Chura 
Best Exes 
Blood Stone 
Bonny Doon 

There are plenty of bands to see during the nights following the holidays, so don't forget to check out the Mittenfest website for the full lineup of fantastic Michigan artists.

1. Patrick Elkins—"Lost Touch"

Soft and acoustic with a mouthful of poetic lyricism that will have you wondering the heck is going on. The vocals are echoing almost into a chant. It's a free-flowing of ideas and questions from the mind put to music and it's genius.

2. Frontier Ruckus—"Bathroom Stall Hypnosis"

Folk-pop favorites Frontier Ruckus have that youthful sound with serenading qualities that verge on melancholy, but the guitars and instrumentation keep it bright and lively. Their songs are full and dense, with layers of strings, horns and percussion. They'll definitely be a fun listen at this year's event!

3. Minihorse—"Fyea"

Minihorse is a fuzzy, pop-rock indulgence with reminiscent qualities. The vocals are sleepy, but the guitars are strong and boastful, filling the space with rugged riffs, while the bass runs remain crisp. The drums remain complimentary to the sound without being overpowering to the tracks. Take a trip down slow-jams lane with Minihorse.

4. Catty Club—"Lungs"

Don't miss Catty Club with their lo-fi, angry rock tunes. Simple and powerful, these two love to keep it grungy. These jams are fun to get lost in and just sway along with the mashing guitar and repetitive drums. Who says a duo can't rock hard?

5. Jes Kramer—"Olympia"

Jes Kramer is a keyboard-heavy, multi-instrumental, solo artist with a voice that will strip you down to the most honest layers. Kramer mixes a bit of pop with folk and singer/songwriter, creating a warm and welcoming space with her tunes and storytelling lyricism.

6. Matt Jones—"The Friends I'm Thinking Of"

The old-timey tunes of Jones' recent work really pull at the heartstrings with their sprawling instrumentation and indie-folk gentleness. The layers of sound are complimentary and tell a story that we may never really fully come to know. It's mysterious and mesmerizing. The lyrics are dusty and hopeful, like old folklore. The music is an experience in itself that you won't want to miss.

7. Bermudas—"Chance of Flourish"

Fun, garage rock group, Bermudas is spunky and groovy with surfy guitar, energetic vocals, and eclectic percussion and bass. Dramatic and seductive at times, this group knows how to have fun and keep it interesting.

8. Human Skull—"Putting On"

Thick with punk rock, Human Skull brings some sick guitar licks and bass lines with turbulent drums to get you off your feet. The vocals are raw and in your face, making them hard to ignore (not that you'd want to). Check out Human Skull and get ready for some thorough head-banging.

9. Bobbi Palace—"Signs (Minions)"

Noisy and pretty hardcore, Bobbi Palace brings a darker side to grunge, garage rock with intense guitar solos, and full-fledged drums ramping up over the more subtle vocals that seem to trail off in a surreal echo. Their alternative vibe gives them a sprightly essence that make it easy to get stuck in your head.

10. Real Ghosts—"Space Cowboys Don't Carry Any Weight"

Dark chamber rock aficionados, Real Ghosts keep it loud and tumultuous with ringing guitar and vocals that could potentially haunt you in your sleep. The rhythm is simple, yet powerful enough to knock your socks off. This is the music that nightmares are made of, and they kill it.

Enjoy your holiday, everyone! We'll see you on the other side of all those cookies and eggnog.

Cheers!