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| 20 |
Twin Tigers
Grey Waves
Heavy effects and a churning drive give this alt-rock debut serious punch.
Read review
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| 19 |
ArpLine
Travel Book
Best of both grand dance-press and stripped, affecting electronica.
Read review |
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| 18 |
Truman Peyote
Light-Lightning
The 21st century is beautiful and its name is Truman
Peyote.
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| 17 |
Sleigh Bells
Treats
There's no lack of energy on this electro-rock noise explosion. |
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| 16 |
Bear Hands
Burning Bush Supper Club
Stands out just the right amount in today's indie music scene.
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| 15 |
Twin Sister
Color Your Life
A remarkably mature hybrid
post-rock sound that's a little this, a little that, and a whole lotta awesome.
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| 14 |
Inspired Flight
We All Want To Fly
Extremely clever mix of rock, hip-hop, and pop with a complete lack of pretentiousness. |
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| 13 |
Bag Raiders
Bag Raiders
Ultra-infectious, radio-dominating Aussies pick up where Cut Copy and Empire of the Sun left off. |
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| 12 |
The Dig
Electric Toys
Dirty-grind with indie-skill - discovering them makes being a rock critic worth it.
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| 11 |
Surfer Blood
Astro Coast
80's pop rock gets a kraut treatment with intriguing results.
Read Review |
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| 10 |
Delphic
Acolyte
Dance-centric electro-rock with no lack of hooks or ambition. |
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| 9 |
Best Coast
Crazy For You
Beach House's kid sister/brother. |
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| 8 |
Janelle Monáe
The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
Beyonce' in the year 2020. |
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| 7 |
Freelance Whales
Weathervanes
Free-spirited but sophisticated future-folk painted as a beautifully abstract picture.
Read review
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| 6 |
Phantogram
Eyelid Movies
Easily some of the most stylish synth-pop of the year.
Read review |
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| 5 |
Gayngs
Relayted
Silky, slow-motion alley jams from what some like to call a supergroup.
Read review
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| 4 |
Wild Nothing
Gemini
A cool modern version of mid-80s British pop/new wave.
Read review
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| 3 |
Warpaint
The Fool
Mellow, lounge alt-rock grooves with sirens' hypnotic vocal melodies.
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| 2 |
Male Bonding
Nothing Hurts
Feisty lo-fi garage punk with a surfer twist.
Read review
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| 1 |
Tame Impala
Innerspeaker
Beatles-esque vocals meet 90's psychedelia at its finest; the definitive breakout album of 2010.
Read review
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Fueled with Voodoo Doughnuts, Alcoholic Faith Mission
delivered to a rockin' crowd in Portland.
Those lucky enough to
enter the House of Blues Boston took a spacey journey
that felt like one long dream starting with opening act I Break Horses.
The student-filled O2 Academy in Manchester started heaving
forward the instant the visual art showed "The Cribs" on the backdrop.
