This weekly updated Spotify playlist is a comprehensive array of the broad new music that has landed on Highway 309.

Rick Nielsen is making up for family time lost during while touring with Cheap Trick back in the day with the band he, his sons Daxx and Miles, and Miles’ wife Kelly Steward formed called The Nielsen Trust.

The pandemic brought the live music scene in Bloomington-Normal to a screeching stop in 2020. But many artists took advantage of the unexpected downtime to create new albums that bloomed in 2021.

Tara Dente examines the emotions that flood the hearts of many people when they return to their “hometowns” on her latest single and most recent album. The New Jersey born singer-songwriter is now based in Nashville. Dente opens for Matthew Curry when he returns to his Bloomington hometown Saturday.

Country singer-songwriter Rachel Brooke says her recent critically acclaimed album "The Loneliness in Me" is an accurate snapshot of her mindset in 2020.

Here’s a Spotify playlist to update you up on the rich gumbo of new music that has landed on Highway 309 in the past few weeks.

The "American Pie" and "Rookie of the Year" star will be in town Thursday night to show off his music chops with the Thomas Nicholas Band.

When Delavan native Cody Diekhoff returns to Kenny's Westside Pub in Peoria on Nov. 6, the longtime solo artist will bring his full band The Field Notes with him.

Brett Conlin’s new full-band Americana-rock album is a nostalgic and sometimes wistful look at his youthful days growing up in Kewanee.

The Peoria-based neo new-wave Fantastic Plastics are now primarily digital, streaming their upbeat live show on Twitch. But their theatrical visuals and gorgeous melodies often frame pointed critiques of technology itself and modern society in general.