Each year, artists from all over the U.S. and Latin America gather in New York for the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC), which is celebrating its 26th edition in 2025. These musicians come out for several days of panel discussions, showcases, and concerts, and they represent every corner of the industry: there are major stars, independent acts, brand new talent. The latter tend to be the best part of every conference, reminding the industry that there are a ton of artists waiting to be discovered.

There was no shortage of unique, genre-defying music at this year’s LAMC. From the anarchic sounds of Planta Industrial’s deathcore dembow to singer ANDRE’s baroque take on Peruvian tradition, here’s the best of what we found after attending this year.

Though Saso and AKA the Darknight knew each other from high school, they had each navigated different parts of the music scene doing their own thing. Something magic happened, however, when they joined forces to form Planta Industrial and a Colors set featuring songs like “Anormales” and “Oi” quickly for them noticed. Their wildly liberated sound, which mixes punk and dembow and rap, doesn’t sound like anyone else out there. In addition to opening for Morat at the SummerStage show LAMC curated, the guys were also recipients of LAMC’s 2025 Discovery Award Winner.

Raised between Baja California and the U.S., Gera Demara has a slightly different take that lands somewhere between música mexicana, pop, and R&B. The recent Warner signee has kept a fairly low profile, despite collabs with major acts like CNCO. But after a winning, largely acoustic showcase at LAMC last week, the secret is out and Gera Demara is on his way to finding a larger fan base.

The Peruvian-Spanish singer-songwriter ANDRE constantly blends tradition, operatic training, and modern styles with a baroque sensibility. Her latest project Sagrado Corazón: The Baroque Edition extends her debut and continues to explore ideas of folk roots and memory, with some songs that toggle between Spanish and Quechua. The stunning “Chaka,” backed by Peruvian woodwind instruments, is a particular standout.

Technically, the Argentine singer has been around for a while, first as the front figure for the rock band Connor Questa and later as a solo artist with a lengthy discography of her own. However, she’s been stretching her reach out well past her home country, finding an eager group of followers obsessed with her alt-rock aesthetic and a completely fearless attitude.

Straddling Mexican and Mexican American styles, the guys from Xiclon often blend harsh rock sounds with softer cumbia and Norteño traditions. Songs like “Tuve Una Idea” offer a look into their aesthetic: Razored guitars alongside gentler melodies and heart-on-your-sleeve lyricism.