SPIN

Hometown: Chicago
Why you should check her out: After many false starts, this hotly-tipped hip-hop diva, born from the hot Windy City scene that spawned Cool Kids and Flosstradamus, finally has a album coming out on Nov. 17 called Ultraviolet.
You should know: She's an avid Twitterer, one of our favorites. She made it into our "Follow Friday" column last month.

LISTEN: Kid Sister, "Right Hand Hi"

Hometown: Los Angeles
Why you should check them out: A decade from now, rock critics and bands will likely reminisce fondly about the early-oughts noise punk scene that sprouted from L.A. nightclub The Smell and included Mika Miko.
You should know: The band is said to be breaking up very soon, and Fun Fun Fun might be one of their final performances!

LISTEN: Mika Miko, "I Got A Lot"

Hometown: Vancouver, Canada
Why you should check them out: While the shrill vocals and bizarre lyrics of Destroyer's Dan Bejar might not always be the best listen on record, his live performance is totally enthralling -- like watching the offspring of comic Emo Phillips and late ukulele baladeer Tiny Tim.
You should know: Bejar is also a primary member of the New Pornographers.

LISTEN: Destroyer, "Bay of Pigs"

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Why you should check him out: Because he was a founding member of Wu-Tang Clan, and is one of the only members still making relevant records today.
You should know: Like his Wu brother, RZA, GZA (aka Gary Grice) has made cameos on the silver screen, including Jim Jarmusch's 2004 film Coffee & Cigarettes.

LISTEN: Mando Diao, "Dance With Somebody (The Hood Internet remix feat. GZA & Cadence Weapon)"

Hometown: Austin, Texas
Why you should check them out: Last year's Rook was a grand leap forward for this hometown outfit, and Fun Fun Fun will be a proving ground for the band's new material, which is expected next year.
You should know: The original Shearwater lineup featured Will Sheff, who's risen to fame with his band Okkervil River.

LISTEN: Shearwater, "The Snow Leopard"

Hometown: NYC via New Jersey
Why you should check them out: Simply to hear musclebound madman Glenn Danzig holler: "Moottthhhhhhaaaaaah!" And because Danzig will kick your ass if you don't. But, really, if you think that seeing the man who founded the Misfits and wrote some of the best hard rock of the 20th century isn't important, go in peace.
You should know: Danzig is working on a new studio album, with Prong guitarist Tommy Victor as his primary collaborator.

WATCH: Danzig, "Mother"

Hometown: Memphis
Why you should check them out: On their just-released (and rather excellent) sixth album, 1372 Overton Park, this quartet's alt-country has truly hit its stride.
You should know: The brassy horn arrangements on 1372 come courtesy of Al Green collaborator Jim Spake.

LISTEN: Lucero, "The Devil And Maggie Chascarrillo"

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Why you should check them out: This trio's oft-times chaotic noise punk reached a new peak on this year's Born Again Revisited. It's the spazzy fervor of Sonic Youth mashed up with Guided By Voices' penchant for the catchy.
You should know: All of Born Again Revisited was recorded on VHS tape. Seriously.

LISTEN: Times New Viking, "No Time, No Hope"

Hometown: Chicago
Why you should check them out: While the nation turned its alt-rock spotlight on Seattle in the early '90s, this Windy City outfit was giving the Pacific Northwest a run for grunge supremecy. Reviews of the band's 2009 dates have been outstanding, and there's nothing to suggest they won't deliver similarly eardrum-cracking results at Fun Fun Fun.
You should know: While the Jesus Lizard's been on hiatus, frontman David Yow became a graphic designer.

LISTEN: Jesus Lizard, "Mouth Breather"

Hometown: New York City
Why you should check him out: As a stand-up comic, Barry has a knack for making jaded indie rock fans crack the fuck up at festivals like Bonnaroo and Bumbershoot. He also starred in Flight of the Conchords as a bongo-playing third member of the band who went on to superstardom behind the hit single, "Doggy Bounce."
You should know: Barry recently interviewed rocker Nick Lowe for The Believer, and says that seeing Lowe's band Rockpile in 1979 was a "turning point in my life as a music fan." Don't hold that against him.

WATCH: Todd Barry on Letterman

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Why you should check him out: Others might claim the throne, but we think Chris is the king of nerdcore hip-hop, a subsect with rabid fans who love MCs that rhyme about multi-player video games, comic books, and jerking off to fake-nude photos of hot celebrities.
You should know: Chris does the voice of MC Pee Pants, a nasty rapping spider, on the popular Cartoon Network show Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

LISTEN: MC Chris, "MC Chris Is Dead"

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Why you should check them out: Their 2010 album Odd Blood promises to force their frenetic, experimental art rock through a pop-friendly sieve. At first listen, it's all kinds of awesome.
You should know: While a dusty park in Austin will be a splendid venue for the band's gig, they also like high-brow venues: most recently, NYC's Guggenheim Museum.

DOWNLOAD: Yeasayer,"Ambling Alp"