Airiel

Airiel's ambitious brand of spacy, wistful dream pop has earned a small but dedicated following. Active since the late '90s, the Chicago-based group's lush washes of effects-heavy guitars and yearning vocals recall U.K. shoegaze acts like Kitchens of Distinction and Ride as well as American indie songwriters like Bob Mould. The group released a series of four Winks & Kisses EPs in 2003 and 2004, then sporadically resurfaced with albums like The Battle of Sealand (2007) and Molten Young Lovers (2017), as well as additional singles. Winks & Kisses was remastered for a 20th anniversary deluxe reissue in 2023.