Pulp | Arts Round Ann Arbor

The Radar normally tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels. But for this version, we’re highlighting present and previous releases by among the artists acting at Fun Fest.

Curated and hosted by audio engineer, producer, and drummer Taylor Greenshields, the sixth version of the pageant is August 8 at Frog Island Park amphitheater in Ypsilanti.

This week:
Pajamas, James Bourland, Rik Strange, Adam J. Snyder, Maddy Ringo, and Skinned Knees.

Pajamas
Featherbed (2023)
Genre: jam rock
Location: Ann Arbor
Links: pajamasmakesmusic.com
Notes: Pajamas includes a mix of jazz, rock, and funk on its newest studio album, which features a assortment of contemplative songs the band beforehand honed on stage. Longer tracks like “Crunch” and “Gemini” provide an immersive sonic expertise, whereas “Memento” has a heavy Latin-inspired jam. Outside of Featherbed, Pajamas has been constructing a catalog of dwell recordings from previous exhibits on its Bandcamp web page. —LS

James Bourland
“Little House Demo” (2025)
Genre: folks, nation
Location: Ypsilanti
Links: jamesbourland.com
Notes: James Bourland has been performing lately at native venues like The Ark, The Regal Beagle, The Ranch, and The Blind Pig—each solo and along with his two bands, His Ex-Husbands and The Staches. In 2025, he carried out with Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet at Fun Fest 5. That similar yr, he launched a lyric video for the music “Little House Demo,” which examines constructing a life with a accomplice and in search of refuge from the surface world. —LS

Rik Strange
Angelclown (2025)
Genre: indie pop
Location: Ypsilanti
Links: instagram.com/rikstrange
Notes: The debut EP from Rik Strange, aka Erika Marlisa, explores relationships and options 4 tracks which can be partially named after native occasions and locations. The opener, “Babe Island,” is a nod to the defunct Babe Island Fest from 2019, whereas “West Park” is impressed by a home Strange beforehand lived in that borders the park of the identical identify. Angelclown additionally contains collaborations with Taylor Greenshields and members from Pajamas, Stormy Chromer, and Ma Baker. We lately featured an interview with Strange about “West Park” for our One Track Mind collection. —LS

Adam J. Snyder
“All In” (2025)
“Little Bird” (2025)
Down From the Mountain Out to the Sea (2023)
Genre: indie folks
Location: Ypsilanti
Links: instagram.com/adam.j.snyder
Notes: Last yr, Adam J. Snyder launched two singles, “All In” and “Little Bird,” which function gentle, breathy vocals, fingerpicked acoustic guitars, and cinematic soundscapes. In 2023, he wrote 5 songs about overcoming life’s obstacles and discovering a brand new path for the EP, Down From the Mountain Out to the Sea. You can be taught extra about Snyder and his music by a previous interview right here. —LS

Maddy Ringo
Going Up That Mountain (Loud Mouse Sessions) (2026)
People of the Earth and Sea (2024)
Genre: singer-songwriter, folks
Location: Ann Arbor
Links: maddyringo.com
Notes: Maddy Ringo’s newest dwell EP options demos of newer songs she’s been honing along with her band, The Commune. The duet with Fin on “If You Are to Leave Me” is very heartfelt and shifting. In 2025, Ringo launched her most up-to-date studio album, People of the Earth and Sea, which examines folks music by a contemporary lens and explores residing within the digital age. We featured an interview with Ringo final yr concerning the album. —LS

Skinned Knees
Underwater (2025)
Genre: indie pop
Location: Ypsilanti
Links: instagram.com/skinnedkneez
Notes: Sydney Timbrook, aka Skinned Knees, will get introspective and includes a dreamy sound on her newest album, Underwater. Thematically, the album explores the consolation and panic that’s related to being underwater and the challenges that accompany that duality. Timbrook wrote and recorded the album final summer time, and Taylor Greenshields combined it. —LS

Send your music to [email protected] should you’re an artist or label with Washtenaw County associations. Check out extra native music protection right here and within the Friday Five archives.