1. The Rocket Summer. If you have never heard of this band, you need to drop what you’re doing and head over to YouTube. Front man, Bryce Avary, plays every instrument heard on his albums and also supplies a beautiful melodic voice. No matter how you feel about Avary’s music, you have to respect his incredible talent. His power pop style of music, along with a contagious upbeat stage presence, always leaves you more than satisfied leaving a show. Coming from a Christian background, some of Avary’s beliefs are expressed through his lyrics, found most dominantly in his recent album Of Men and Angels. This man will not disappoint.
Compared to: Switchfoot, Jack’s Mannequin
Listen to The Rocket Summer
2. Mystery Skulls. If you can appreciate variety in an artist, then Mystery Skulls’ Luis Dubuc is your man. Most known for his previous pop band, The Secret Handshake, Dubuc decided to move on to bigger and better things in 2011. Soon after, the singer went back to his roots and created a metal band named Of Legends, going on tour with Bring Me The Horizon. Recently, Dubuc settled down by creating a new electro pop band, Mystery Skulls. Clearly he is some kind of musical genius and kicks ass at whatever he attempts. If their songs don’t make you want to get up and dance, then there is something seriously wrong with you.
Compared to: Passion Pit, Chromeo
Listen to Mystery Skulls
3. Fun. There are no words to describe the talent inside this band. Singer Nate Ruess, previously known for the band The Format, formed this indie pop group in 2009. Just about everything you can think of combined into one explains Ruess’s style; basically whatever sounds… fun. Popularity is rising quickly, with their hit “We Are Young”, that was covered on the television show Glee and also featured in a Chevy Sonic commercial during Super Bowl XLVI.
Compared to: Miniature Tigers, Steel Train
Listen to Fun
4. Sovereign Soldiers. This newly reinvented trio, formerly known as the band Amely, decided to move on to a different style of music. The group matured their sound from rock pop to an indie rock style, more like the music that they would listen to. You can be ahead of the game by checking out their single, Goodbye To Yesterday, before their album comes out this year.
Compared to: Sparks the Rescue, Every Avenue
Listen to Sovereign Soldiers
5. Sherri DuPree Bemis (Eisley) & Max Bemis (Say Anything). If you hate couples in love, then these two artists are not for you. Max Bemis of Say Anything and Sherri DuPree Bemis of Eisley came together to make sweet sounds. Say Anything is an indie-punk band that has five solid albums and Eisley is a rock band composed of the DuPree siblings with three albums. Each band is flawless by themselves, but when you put the couple together you hear something heavenly. Sherri is featured on multiple tracks for Say Anything including “Cemetery”, “So Good”, “Overbiter” and more. The duo also created a side project together called Perma.
Compared to: Tegan & Sara, Saves The Day
Listen to Max Bemis (Say Anything)