It's presumptuous for any band to open a boutique shop selling their merchandise a stone's throw from their hometown, but most bands aren't as bold as The Maine. The store, which opened in January to coincide with their 8123 Festival, isn't just another revenue stream for the quintet. It's an exciting way for the indie group to interact with their dedicated fanbase. The Tempe band use the space to test their ideas that most musicians on major labels can't even try, like a listening party for their seventh album, You Are OK. Even if you aren't a fan of the local pop-rock group, seeing the record's uplifting title plastered on T-shirts, notebooks, and all over the walls is affirming for your soul.

Nearly every music promoter in town is finding a way to boost the visibility of local musicians, but Stephen Chilton, the man behind Psyko Steve Presents and co-owner of The Rebel Lounge, does it in a way that is fun for those on both sides of the mic. His crowning achievement is the Phoenix Rock Lottery. For one day in January, over 20 musicians are separated into bands to write a couple of original songs. They perform them (and a cover) in front of an eager audience that evening. Offstage, Chilton unites the local music community with the Basically Annual Phoenix Independents Bowl. The best part is that proceeds from both events benefit local charities.

Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Asuka — the wrestling world loves a good winning streak. So it's only fitting that wrestling podcast co-host Teek Hall is on a streak of his own: This is the Detroit native's second consecutive year holding the Best Rapper strap. It's a run that's well-deserved — the lyrically agile Hall is a beast incarnate on the mic. When he's not co-hosting Mat Mania with Mega Ran (another Phoenix rap MVP), Hall is decimating the competition with his dense, clever, and undeniable rhymes. In a way, his imagination is like a hall: wide and long, capable of containing a myriad of characters, scenarios, and flights of fancy. Anyone looking to take the title from him in 2020 has his work cut out for him if Hall keeps spitting at his usual level of intensity. When Teek Hall hops on the track, every syllable becomes a suplex and every chorus is a finisher.

If you had to sum up the year in pop music to this point, it's more about fake outrage and settling beefs than it is about connecting with listeners emotionally (looking at you, Taylor Swift). This is why we should be grateful Luna Aura has come into her own in 2019. The Phoenix-born singer shows raw, emotional energy on "Crash Dive," her latest single. Her vocals are like a shaken-up bottle of soda that someone just opened, letting go of years of repression to finally take control of her sexuality. "Crash Dive" has taken Aura out of the pop universe that she previously occupied and into uncharted territory.

If you didn't get in on the ground floor with Blossom, the local DJ/producer who's been performing in the local dance scene since 2016, better hop aboard now. That's because her career is headed straight into the stratosphere. Just this year alone, Blossom (born Emily Fromm) has made such money moves as serving up sounds at local electronic dance music festivals, releasing tracks and remixes on influential labels like Night Bass and Insomniac Records, and performing a spectacular set at Bonnaroo. She's notched all these high-profile accomplishments with a mix of hard work and plenty of talent. In 2015, Blossom was trained in the art of beat-making, mixing, and producing by such EDM heavyweights as Petey Clicks at L.A.'s famed DJ school, Dubspot. Blossom then began turning heads with her tracks, both online and at local club nights like BFF. And she hasn't looked back. "After Blossom returned to town, she immediately was doing stuff that was totally amazing. She's played everything from house to harder bass stuff and a lot in between," says BFF promoter Sean Watson. "She's a skilled mixer and skilled performer who creates her own music, and she goes out there and slays it every time."

Though the group's name implies elitism or exclusion, the DJs of Techno Snobs are a welcoming bunch. Anyone can attend the local electronic dance music collective's events, be they ravers, burners, club kids, or non-EDM fans. And it's because Techno Snobs want to share the genre with all, says collective co-founder Occultus. "We welcome all walks of life: the bass community, the hip-hop community, the glovers, the shufflers, the flow artists, the fire-spinners," he says. "Everyone's welcome." The Techno Snobs have been spreading their love and knowledge since 2017, when Occultus and other members started out honing their mixing skills for hours on end at someone's house. Then came a biweekly party at Time Out Lounge in Tempe, which necessitated scoring equipment on the sly. "We'd buy a subwoofer at Guitar Center, unbox it at the bar, use it for one night, and return it," he says. These days, they can afford entire sound systems, which see use at events like the Full Moon Festival and underground parties. They've also brought in world-renowned techno artists like Exos, Volvox, and Keith Carnal. It's all part of their grand plan to get people to say yes to techno. "Everyone should have the opportunity to be exposed to techno," Occultus says.