Arist:She and Him

Hails From: LA, CA/Portland, OR

Musical Style: Retro/Folk/Pop

For Fans Of: Patsy Cline, Jenny Lewis, M. Ward

Thieves

Why You Should Check Them Out:

While the simple pronouns of She and Him may be misleadingly nondescript, just one glance at the corresponding names behind the moniker is enough to make any indie pop minded heart flutter.

Background Check:

She and Him’s Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward first began working together in 2007 when director Martin Hynes united the two for a cover of “When I Get to the Border” for the film The Go-Getter starring Deschanel. Much to the surprise of both M. Ward and music critics alike, Dechanel not only had a great taste for vintage albums and dresses, but had spent years writing an arsenal of pop and country influenced songs primed for M. Ward’s renowned folk rock embellishments. With musical chemistry abound, She and Him went to work on their debut, Volume One, an album soaked in Deschanel’s sweet and wistful retro pop vocals complete with Ward’s supporting folk instrumentation and production expertise.

Backed by the overwhelming success of Volume One, She and Him returned to the studio for their just released, and aptly titled followup Volume Two. Ranging from country ballads with slide guitar to upbeat songs like “In the Sun” that are pretty much made for summer, She and Him’s newest plays like a mix of bittersweet lyrics and vintage sounds you can sway to. If Volume One was an album that showed that Deschanel’s talent isn’t limited to the big screen, Volume Two is clearly an album that situates She and Him as a free standing musical force among indie pop contemporaries.

–Anne Ostrowski

Where You Can Find Them in Cyberspace:

myspace

sheandhim.com

On tour:

jambase

Similar Artists:

• Leopold and his Fiction
• Blind Pilot
• Monsters of Folk
• Mark Kozelek
• The Woodlands

hails from: San Francisco, CA

musical style: Doo Wop, Garage-Pop, Folk Rock

for fans of: The Kinks, Beach Boys, Everly Brothers

Death Cream

why you should check them out:

Sonny and the Sunsets are creating a sound that aims for the middle ground between nostalgic surf-pop and lo-fi garage rock. Think Beach Boys meets The Kingsmen. It’s a common sound trend amongst many buzzed-up blog bands, however this San Francisco quartet have managed to produce an honest and witty sound that sets them apart from their contemporaries.

background check:

The leader singer and songwriter of the group Sonny Smith grew up in San Francisco before moving onto the rockier pastures of Gunninson Colorado. In Colorado he worked as a professional musician playing piano in local bars and clubs around town. After some time there he moved to Costa Rica, but eventually found his way back to Northern California. He began releasing solo records in early 2000 and started to make a name for himself  – even touring with Neko Case.

However in 2007 he decided to change his approach and put his sound in front of an ensemble he dubbed Sonny and the Sunsets. The band’s debut was released on Soft Abuse in 2009 and has created quite a stir in the burgeoning San Francisco underground rock scene. Several SF all stars make guest appearances on the album, including Kelly Stoltz, Tim Cohen (of The Fresh and Only’s), and Heidi Alexander (of The Sandwitches). The songwriting balances on the Sonny’s humorous and creative lyrics, along with the catchy surf sounds of sugary guitar melodies. It’s a perfect summer record, so make sure you get acquainted with it as soon as you can.

–Dawson Ludwig

where you can find them in cyberspace:

myspace

sonnysmith.com

on tour:

sonnysmith.com

Similar Artists:

• Girls
• Avi Buffalo

Hails from: London, England

Musical Style: Alt-rock, Folk, Roots, Americana

For Fans of: Fleet Foxes, Swell Season, Arcade Fire

Little Lion Man

Why you should check them out:

No, Mumford & Sons is not the name of some local roofing company. They are, in fact, four twenty-somethings from West London peddling heartfelt, well-crafted roots music at sold-out venues across the globe.

Background Check:

Birthed in London’s underground folk scene in 2007, Mumford & Sons—Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane–incorporate bits of all the genres they collectively hold dear, from bluegrass to folk to indie to 70s rock. Their songs are bittersweet, hopeful and introspective, not totally unlike Arcade Fire and Coldplay, a couple of other bands recorded by their producer Markus Dravs.

Most of the group’s debut, Sigh No More, is mellow and pastoral, with occasional forays into the more raucous and bawdy pub music of their homeland. The quartet’s instrumentation choices are just as important as those made in its songwriting: ample flourishes of banjo, accordion, upright bass and the like greatly enhance the organic atmosphere of both its recordings and live show.

The guess here is that a world tour playing to large and enthusiastic crowds night after night will cause them to unleash the beast a bit more on their next album—and we will all be thankful for that.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

mumfordandsons.com

Myspace

On Tour:

JamBase

Similar Artists:

• Blind Pilot
• Mark Kozelek
• Monsters of Folk