December 27, 2012 - Gotye (a.k.a. Wouter "Wally" De Backer) has become an international pop star on the strength of his new album, Making Mirrors. The poppy collection includes "Somebody That I Used To Know," which has topped the charts in six countries and hit the Top 20 in 14 others. There's something hauntingly relatable and undeniably catchy about the insightful, ubiquitous break-up song.

December 28, 2012 - Singer-songwriter Ben Schneider is the creative force behind the rhythmically inventive folk-pop band Lord Huron. The band started out as a multimedia solo project, but it now includes Mark Barry on percussion and vocals, Miguel Briseno on bass and percussion, Brett Farkas on guitar and vocals, and Tom Renaud on guitar and vocals.

December 28, 2012 - A band's sound is only as big as its members, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' music is huge. The 10 members are a whirl of roving horns, as well as whistles, claps, shouts, strummed string instruments and percussion involving drums, hands and anything else they can find. The group's communal folk sound blew up in 2009 with the heart-pounding, foot-stomping single "Home"; with its universal sentiment, the song includes a back-and-forth between frontman Alex Ebert and bandmate Jade Castrinos.

December 11, 2012 - A former member of the all-female rock trio The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs has been recently creating significant airwaves on the radio following the release of her third studio album Someday (Vanguard Records) this past July. An album that encapsulates the intersection of music with vivacious beauty, Someday is further grounding Hoff’s presence in the music industry. Inspired by her exposure to punk rock during her time at the University of California, Berkeley, Hoffs started her career in music with The Bangles.

January 7, 2013 - London's new soul sensation is twenty-two year old, songstress, Lianne La Havas. She blends soul, jazz and folk in her new album, released in the U.S. on August 7, "Is Your Love Big Enough?" La Havas has been nominated for BBC's Sound of 2012, along with another XPN favorite, Michaeal Kiwanuka and her performance of "Age" on the cult video site Black Cab Sessions created a nice buzz online."

Hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, this four member psychedelic rock group has been capturing the attention of audiences around the world. The band’s self-titled debut album Django Django (Because Music) was released in the United King in January and was able to debut at an impressive #33 within its first week. The band was nominated for the prestigious British Mercury Award in the category of Best New Band. The band is not only increasing in popularity worldwide but also it is currently headlining a full-stage European tour for the first time ever.

Nearly a quarter-century into his career, pioneering Italian rapper Jovanotti is more popular than ever in his homeland. He is a megastar, selling out stadiums and producing No. 1 hits like L’ombelico del mondo. Taking on issues from poverty in Africa to AIDS, he’s like an Italian Bono.

The Canadian indie-rock group Stars formed back in 2000 under the influence of vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman. They were soon joined by friends Evan Cranely and Amy Millan. After relocating to New York City for a time, the band finally settled in the members’ hometown of Montreal. They released their first full-length album, Nightsongs, in February 2001 and followed up with an EP, The Comeback, that July. Since then, Stars has created a additional three EPs and five studio albums.

Yeasayer’s third and latest album Fragrant World continues the momentum that the experimental poppers from Brooklyn have been enjoying since they formed the group in 2006. Released in August, Fragrant World features all of the trademarks that transformed the group from a much-hyped psychedelic pop outfit into an international festival draw. Synth grooves as densely layered as they are danceable dominate the album, especially on lead single “Henrietta” and opening track “Fingers Never Bleed.”

Formed back in 1991 in New York City, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion puts the American rock and roll into alternative rock. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Spencer, drummer Russell Simins, and bass guitarist Judah Baer. For over twenty years, the trio has reconstructed the base of American roots music through experimenting with their own sound and recording techniques. Their style draws upon the influences of many genres, including punk, blues, and rockabilly. Their unique approach to music has allowed the group to collaborate with artists such as Elliott Smith, Solomon Burke, Martina Topley-Bird, Steve Albini, and Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys.