Band: Bombadil
From: Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
Sound: You got intricately arranged indie-pop in my playfully literate lyrics! You got playfully literate lyrics in my intricately arranged indie-pop!
Similar Artists: Danielson, Vampire Weekend, Ben Folds, Sufjan Stevens, Jonathan Richman
Listen Now: “Julian of Norwich”
Band: Tapes ‘n Tapes
From: Minneapolis, MN
Sound: Jittery, fuzzy, intoxicating rock anthems for those who don’t necessarily like “rock anthems”
Similar Artists: Wolf Parade, Modest Mouse, Pixies, Wire
Listen Now: “Hang Them All”
From: Jamaica Plain, MA
Sound: Summer and winter combined as one: light and dark, complex yet playful… dense and lyrical and jazzy with classical undertones.
Similar Artists: Joni Mitchell, Lavender Diamond, Rufus Wainwright, Vincent Guaraldi, Sufjan Stevens
Listen Now: “Dreaming of the Plum Trees”
Band: Man Man
From: Philadelphia, PA
Sound: Ramshackle pop songs and throaty sing-alongs coaxed from everything including the kitchen sink
Similar Artists: Captain Beefheart, Gogol Bordello, Ween, Sunset Rubdown
Listen Now: “Top Drawer”
Band: We Barbarians
From: Long Beach, CA
Sound: sinewy blasts of reverb-soaked melancholic anthems, impassioned vocals and taut, fuzzed-out bass
Similar Artists: The Constantines, The Walkmen, U2, Calla
Listen Now: “Yesmen and Bumsuckers”
Band: The Dodos
From: San Francisco, CA
Sound: Percussion spliced from thunder and rattlesnakes synced with gritty but nimble acoustic guitar and desperate, soaring vocals
Similar Artists: Animal Collective, Elliot Smith, Caribou, Islands, Magnetic Fields
Listen Now: “Fools”
Band: Hey Hey My My
From: Paris, France
Sound: Playfully quirky and melodic, smart acoustic rock
Similar Artists: The Shins, Badly Drawn Boy, Rogue Wave, the Dodos
Listen Now: “Merryland”
Band: Amy LaVere
From: Memphis, TN
Sound: country and jazz-tinged ballads touched with breathy vocals to help the weighty subject matter go down nice and smooth
Similar Artists: Jenny Lewis, Katharine Whalen, Norah Jones, Dolly Parton
Listen Now: “Killing Him”
Band: Beach House
From: Baltimore, MD
Sound: dreamy, shimmery ballads; think melancholy but hold the depression
Similar Artists: Mazzy Star, Cat Power, Galaxie 500, Nico
Listen Now: “Heart of Chambers”
Band: Computer Perfection
From: near Detroit, MI
Sound: jangly indie pop with sunwashed synthesizers
Similar Artists: Bishop Allen, Evangelicals, Michael Andrews, Broadcast
Listen Now: “Able Archer”
Band: Goes Cube
From: Brooklyn, NY
Sound: heavy ’80s & ’90s hardcore/metal influences, ’00s sound
Similar Artists: Helmet, Slint, Melvins, Fugazi, Isis
Listen Now: “Goes Cube Song 57”
Band: Magic Arm
From: Manchester, UK
Sound: folk, electronica, pop
Similar Artists: Badly Drawn Boy, Belle & Sebastian, Iron & Wine
Listen Now: “People Need Order” “Outdoor Games”
Band: Drink Up Buttercup
From: Philadelphia, PA
Sound: like a psychedelic carnival ride
Similar Artists: Syd Barrett, Man Man, Bombadil
Listen Now: “Gods And Gentlemen” (Demo) “Seasickness Pills” (Demo)
Band: The Big Sleep
From: Brooklyn, NY
Sound: psychedelic, noise pop, experimental
Similar Artists: Sonic Youth, Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine
Listen Now: “Bad Blood” “Pinkies”
Band: Pete and the Pirates
From: Reading, England
Sound: ’80’s post-punk, new wave
Similar Artists: Franz Ferdinand, Art Brut, The Buzzcocks
Watch: “Knots”