10 under-the-radar bands to check out in metro Atlanta this spring

Atlanta has no shortage of big names rolling through town this spring, but some of the most electric shows on the calendar aren’t the ones with the biggest following. From a Peruvian cumbia band that just made history at Coachella to a multimedia artist who grew up in one of Hollywood’s most storied musical families, the city’s music scene is quietly stacked right now.

Here are 10 acts worth your attention, whether you’re a longtime scene regular or just looking for a good reason to get out of the house.

WRASFest 2026

WRAS Album 88, operated by Georgia State University students, is gearing up for a Sunday night at The Masquerade. This all-ages underground fest pulls together rap, rock, bedroom pop and post-hardcore under one roof. If you’ve been sleeping on the local scene, this is a good place to wake up.

6 p.m. March 29. $46.40. The Masquerade, 75 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta. 404-577-8178, masqueradeatlanta.com.

Lambrini Girls

This UK punk duo’s latest album, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” had critics reaching for superlatives across the board. Influenced by Bikini Kill, Lambrini Girls bring in politically charged punk with a rebellious spirit and an even bigger presence. They were an undercard at last year’s Shaky Knees Music Festival and are on their way up from here.

8 p.m. April 21. $42.63. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-524-7354, variety-playhouse.com.

Doesin, Sleep John B, The Compartmentalizationalists

The Compartmentalizationalists open the night, led by Jeffrey Bützer, who The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote has “steadily become an understated staple of the Atlanta arts and music scene” since his music debuted in 2006. Instrumental surf rock, three Atlanta bands, and a $15 ticket at the EARL on a Friday night — doesn’t get much better than that.

8:30 p.m. April 24. $15-17. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-522-3950, badearl.com.

The Compartmentalizationalists bring their instrumental surf rock to a packed room. The Atlanta trio opens a three-act bill at the EARL on April 24. (Courtesy of Sean Zearfross)

Boogarins

If you only catch one show on this list, make it Boogarins. The Brazilian psychedelic rock quartet from Goiânia has played Coachella, Primavera Sound and Lollapalooza and drawn comparisons to Tame Impala and Os Mutantes in the same breath. Catching them in one of Atlanta’s best rock ‘n’ roll venues feels like a privilege.

8:30 p.m. April 28. $20-25. The EARL, badearl.com.

Los Mirlos

Last year, this 50-year-old cumbia band became the first Peruvian group to play Coachella, yet it’s still flying under the radar for most U.S. audiences. Hypnotic percussion, surf guitar and a sound born in the jungles of 1970s Peru collide in a haze that feels like it came from another dimension entirely. It’s an all-ages show, and one of the more genuinely transporting nights you’ll find on this list.

7 p.m. May 2. $41.25. The Masquerade — Hell, masqueradeatlanta.com.

New Candys

Hailing from Venice, Italy, New Candys spent more than a decade building a devoted cult following in psych-rock, headlining psych fests and sharing stages with the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Black Angels (who are also in town this spring). Iggy Pop once called them “kinky.” The reason you probably haven’t heard of them: Obtaining a U.S. visa is notoriously difficult. Go support a band that worked hard to get here.

8 p.m. May 7. $17-20. The EARL, badearl.com.

Mint Field

Mexico City’s Mint Field makes slow-building, atmospheric shoegaze and dream pop, pulling in ’90s influences, with shimmering guitars and vocals that feel like exhales. Their Pitchfork-praised 2023 album “Aprender a Ser” was likened to sinking into a chilled pool. They’ve played Coachella and SXSW and curate their own festival in Mexico City.

8 p.m. May 13. $15. The Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. thedrunkenunicornatl.com.

Chuck Leavell with the Randall Bramblett Band

Chuck Leavell is nobody’s definition of underrated. The man is a Rolling Stones keyboardist, an Allman Brothers alumnus and a Southern rock institution. But catching him at From the Earth Brewing Company’s Music on the Back Porch series — held on a small stage tucked into a parking lot in Roswell — is genuinely a bucket list move.

7 p.m. June 6. $50-60. From the Earth Brewing Company. 1003 Holcomb Woods Parkway, Roswell. freshtix.com.

Vinyl Williams playing Atlanta's 529 venue in 2023. (Avery Newmark/AJC)

Vinyl Williams

Lionel Williams records as Vinyl Williams and is the grandson of composer John Williams (yes, that John Williams: “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones”) and the son of Mark Towner Williams, who has collaborated with Cher, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Tina Turner. Yet it doesn’t give nepo baby. Across nine albums, he crafts shoegaze-adjacent psychedelic pop with dense, lush production and a sound that rewards close listening. A rare combination for a name that still flies well under the radar.

8:30 p.m. June 12. $15-17. The EARL, badearl.com.