Lykke Li
A small, fragile, breathy voice sings melodically with the electronic bleeps and effects fantastically. Swedish Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (stage name Lykke Li) dabbles her songs with scatting, whispering and cooing adorably to making her songs unique and wholesome, since her weak yet captivating voice can only go so far. Her quirky and occasionally weird soft electro tracks can make even the unhappiest mood lighten.
– Julia

The XX
Quaint, furtive, sexy, The XX had been one of the biggest hypes ever since their album xx hit stores. These four 20 year olds have formed afresh-faced band with a sex appeal. The XX’s lead singer takes on a soft-pop vibe, while the band mixes with their copiously tidy compositions, and liberal use of bass tones. This foursome are masters at balancing the friction in their voices and manipulating their synth and drums to leave airy, negative spaces in their music, filled with backing vocals and guitar. These members may sound like they’re playing totally different things at first, but when put together, they really to create a euphoric sound. Throughout its 11 tracks of their album, XX doesn’t so much as demand your devotion, it simply takes it.
– Sara

Beirut
Zachary Francis Condon leads his band fantastically making the Balkan-indie group slowly rise. (Balkan music is southeastern European genre, for those of you who are culturally deprived.) The romantic lyrics are fantastic are key to appreciation of the works: “When things don’t feel right/I lie down like a tired dog/Licking his wounds in the shade”, unfortunately his lyrics are a little over powered by the fantastic aberrant instruments which include but is not limited to: ukulele, glockenspiel, trumpets and accordions. Their latest album (March of the Zapotec & Realpeople) have the perfect set of worldly ballads, go see for yourself.
– Julia

Hockey
No, not the sport. The band! These four scruffy bike riding vegans have molded a whole new form of new wave/soul. If you love the sounds of Dylan, Hold Steady, Springsteen, and so on, this band is sure not to disappoint you. Okay, so, their lyrics may not exactly be Bob Dylanesque, but, they do stay in your head for awhile. Their chunky beats, gritty vocals, and witty lyrics create a spectacular collision of opposites, with every note unpredicted. This band puts a brand new meaning to “funky”. Their single “Too Fake” was an instant success, when used in a JC Penny commercial, and after that, heard all over the radio. Next time you dance alone, dance with Hockey instead.

The New Pornographers
Ignore the misleading name, there is a huge lack of sexuality in the groups power pop ballads. The indie-folk group from Vancouver make classic girl and boy harmonies with occasional distorted guitar to spice things up. They have come a long way from Mass Romantic, their first album, which simply sounded unorganized. There has definitly been a maturity aspect added in the latest albums, Twin Cinema and Challengers, with softer guitars thanks to leader Carl Newman. All and all they are just a quintessential indie group.
– Julia

Crystal Castles
“Did Madonna get punched in the face? Is that blood? Or makeup?” Well, it was impossible for fans to tell as they gazed at the huge poster of pop icon Madonna on the back of Crystal Castle’s stage.  When I first heard their name, I assumed it was some kind of kid’s band or something. When I found this was false, I quickly fell in love with vocalist Alice Glass and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Fawn. This duo makes for, possible, the noisiest, yet enjoyable band I’ve ever listened to. They remind me of Nintendo, which is also a plus. The album is littered with polished keyboard buzzes and retro samples, and the vocals Alice Glass produces gives off a hypnotic feel to the music whether she is harshly shouting or merely speaking over the madness. Now, Crystal Castle’s have some of the most danceable songs I can think of. Some of them you can go crazy to, and some you can just tilt your head back and almost easily breathe in the music. Others, well… some of the music isn’t exactly a lullaby. Don’t chew more of their music than you can swallow. Now, this music duo is so unique, Alice without her counterpart, electronic whiz kid Ethan Fawn, would be nothing. If you wanted to describe them in a nutshell, you could explain their music as: Your angry coffee-addict sister yelling at you for borrowing her favorite hyper-color t-shirt while you play your three favorite Commodore 64 games simultaneously. Yeah, madness.
– Sara