Picture Bill and Ted, but instead of affably goofy surfer bros, they’re indomitable weirdos with ADHD who got bullied in middle school for reading a lot. Also, instead of being into ’70s radio buttrock, they’re bonkers about Brainiac, Dan Deacon, Lightning Bolt, and Devo. Cleveland’s AWESOME*QUEST! are Alec Awesome (née Schumann, drums, electronics) and Ron Quest (née Kretsch, bass, electronics), seeking to build the aggressive overtones of post-hardcore and the spikiness of synth-pop into a mountain of FUCK YEAH.

Having already played together in an instrumental post-rock quartet and a Krautrock-inspired electronic trio, Alec and Ron found that they weren’t done yet, even if their bands were, and just started doing what came naturally to them—a convulsive, high-energy crossbreed of noise rock ferocity and New Wave twitchiness, on display in their two EPs “Idiot + Idiot = Genius” and “Prophecy is Theft from the Future, ” and in a live show that puts a premium on catharsis and fun. Their debut LP, Rules, will feature new versions of the songs from the EPs remixed by multi-platinum award-winning producer Michael Siefert (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tori Amos, Guided by Voices), along with several new tracks, offering the most complete picture of the band yet. Rules will be released by CLE Records in early 2027.