10 New Artists to Watch in 2009

Page 5 of 10

The Soft Pack

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
For Fans Of: The Strokes, Spoon, Rooney

Formerly (and unfortunately) known as The Muslims, this buzzworthy San Diego garage band seem destined to enter the mainstream consciousness. With radio-friendly songs like "Parasites" and "Bright Side,"—with its "oh yeah's" and "woah's" and "ooh's"—it's easy to see why some have latched onto The Soft Pack as America's "next big band." Not breaking the mold by any means, but the band's smooth melodies and pleasing peppiness is so well done you can forgive the lack of originality. 

The Soft Pack on MySpace

The Soft Pack's "Bright Side":