This year’s Best New Bands showcase took place this past Saturday at First Avenue. Writer Colleen Cowie and photographer Helen Teague attended to check out each of the seven acts.

FruitPunchLoverBoy have been quietly rising in the Twin Cities music scene. The band have only released a handful of singles online, but they had the crowd vibing at First Avenue’s Best New Bands concert. The project is buoyed by singer and rapper Christian Johnosn’s songwriting, but he made sure to remind the crowd that FruitPunchLoverBoy is a collective effort.

Joining Johnson onstage at First Ave were guitarist Zak Khan and producer Kwey, who added R&B flavored lo-fi beats to Johnson’s soulful voice. Vinyl crackles, autotune, and neo-soul inspired chord progressions blended into a dreamy haze. FruitPunchLoverBoy’s songs ooze a summertime kind of nostalgia; the kind that makes you reach for the band’s namesake sugary drink and sit on your front stoop while the rest of the world melts away.