With roots in Texas and operations in New York, up and coming post-punk band Parquet Courts is covering all the bases to make a bigger name for itself. The group’s first full-length album Light Up Gold is now available everywhere from Calgary to Yokohama, and the refreshingly raw ‘70s punk vibes throughout the record have it spreading quickly.

Since its formation in 2006, Hey Marseilles has defied easy categorization, drawing from jazz, folk, and indie pop to craft an ornate sound uniquely its own. In fact, Hey Marseilles’s sound includes symphonic cello, drumbourine, accordion, and viola in addition to the standard lineup of guitar, bass, and drums.

If you like reggae music inspired by the sound systems that roam Jamaica pumping out the vibes, you will like The Lions. In 2007, a dozen or so reggae and soul artists met in Los Angeles, California and, somehow or other, developed the band The Lions.

Folk-pop trio, Star & Micey is made up of Cosby (guitar and vocals), Geoff Smith (bass, vocals, and percussion), and Nick Redmond (electric guitar and vocals). The folk pop trio’s debut album, Star & Micey, came out in October of 2009.

Growing up in one of the most remote, backwater towns in South Carolina, KaiL Baxley is attempting to captivate listeners around the world with his upcoming album Heartstroke/The Wind and The War (Forty Below Records) on February, 2013. Categorized as a blues artist who intersects his musical style with alternative beats and hip-hop rhythms, Baxley offers a unique and fresh perspective to his music. In his small town of Williston, South Carolina, Baxley was raised in the iconic James Brown’s home town. Having interacted with the legend on numerous occasions when he was younger, Baxley attributes a significant portion of his success to Brown for inspiring him to share his music with the world. Interestingly, an accomplished amateur boxer in his youth, Baxley started his musical career after receiving a guitar, from his godfather, for his high school graduation present.

Author Henry Miller was famous for creating his own genre of literature out of many preexisting ones. Similarly, musical group The Henry Millers creates a unique sound combining several popular genres: indie rock, electronica, dance, and gospel. The band resides in New York City and consists of five members: John McCallum on vocals/synth/guitar, Katie Schecter on guitar and vocals, Philip Nuttle on bass, JJ Lindenthal on piano/organ/ synth, and Dan Kirschen on drums. The quintet draws influence from a range of artists, from The Beatles and David Bowie to Modest Mouse and The Smashing Pumpkins. McCallum is responsible for writing the majority of the group’s music.

Leagues is truly in a league of its own. The Nashville trio – consisting of vocalist Thad Cockrell, guitarist Tyler Burkum, and percussionist Jeremy Lutito – produces, in their own words, ethereal joy explosions of pop and rock quite unlike that of their contemporaries. This is due largely in part to the band’s approach to songwriting and overall idea of musicianship. Cockrell, Burkum, and Lutito are inspired by songs rather than artists. Thus, their own songs are crafted with that same intention: to inspire others in a unique way. The band’s self-titled EP, released in 2011, garnered much praise and recognition for this philosophy. Leagues’ debut full-length album You Belong Here, set to be released January 29, hopes to have a similar reaction.

The New York indie rock band Guards consists of members Loren Humphrey, Kaylie Church, and Richie James Follin, brother to Cults’ lead vocalist Madeline Follin. Many of their songs were originally written for Cults’ use before Follin decided to move ahead with his own project. The group released its first EP, self-titled Guards, in July of 2010. Since then, the band has put out multiple singles, including “Do It Again,” “Sail It Slow,” “Resolution of one,” “Silver Lining,” and “Coming True,” its newest single.

Canadian indie rock band Elephant Stone was formed in Montreal back in 2009 by sitarist and bassist Rishi Dhir. After leaving his former band The High Dials, Dhir began to explore Indian classical music, yet he realized that artists in 1960s pop he grew up with, such as The Beatles and The Kinks, had significant influence over how he played. Thus, the songs of Elephant stone draw upon traditional aspects of Indian music while delving into the realms of psychedelic pop.

After a three-year stint as touring pianist with Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes, Bellfower, Calif., native Aaron Embry has struck out on his own. Embry wrote his solo debut Tiny Prayers while on last year’s Railroad Revival Tour, crafting bare-bones acoustic melodies reminiscent of many of the greats he has recorded and toured with, including Elliott Smith and Willie Nelson.