Levi Weaver: The Best of What's Next

By Bonnie Stiernberg at 8:15 AM on May 7, 2012

Whether it’s the result of one of those happy accidents where an idea gets launched from the cosmos lightning bolt-style straight into the mind of an artist or simply a case of his subconscious making itself known as he slumbers, his dream provides some key insight into not only his work, but his life.  read more

Found in: Music, Features

Vintage Trouble: The Best of What's Next

By Bonnie Stiernberg at 8:15 AM on April 27, 2012

It feels a little odd to be declaring a band who’s already opened for Bon Jovi, had their music featured in a Honda commercial, delivered high-profile late-night TV performances and cultivated an army of fans in Europe (who refer to themselves as the “Troublemakers”) as the “best of what’s next.”  read more

Found in: Music, Features

Vacationer: The Best of What's Next

By Nathan Spicer at 8:37 AM on April 13, 2012

Vacationer launches into its island-tinged electro-pop, or as the band jokingly called it while recording the album, “Nu-hula.” The live vocals and instruments are mixed with electronic beats and samples of light-hearted, Pacific island sounds created far from the middle of Texas.  read more

Found in: Music, Features

Ben Howard: The Best of What’s Next

By Hilary Saunders at 10:07 AM on April 9, 2012

Ben Howard is a man with a sense of place. The 23-year-old British singer/songwriter was born in London, but moved to the countryside in south Devon near the coast as a child.  read more

Found in: Music, Features

Best of What's Next: Alexia Rasmussen

By Michael Dunaway at 10:31 AM on March 5, 2012

On Alexia Rasmussen’s first trip to the Sundance Film Festival this year, she jumped straight into the deep end of the pool, promoting not one but two films she appeared in. She had previously appeared in another hot Sundance property, last year’s Our Idiot Brother, but had not made the trip to Park City. So this year’s festival was quite a shock....  read more

Found in: Movies, Features

Sleeper Agent: The Best of What's Next

By Adam Vitcavage at 10:18 AM on March 5, 2012

Tony Smith sits pensively sipping an energy drink in a Chicago hotel after his band Sleeper Agent made the seven-hour drive from their hometown of Bowling Green the night before they’re due to play a big bash at the Aragon Ballroom.  read more

Found in: Music, Features

Bhi Bhiman: The Best of What's Next

By Ryan Reed at 8:30 AM on February 28, 2012

First, there’s the music: a spirited, multi-cultural stylistic stew blending soul, vintage country, West African folk and hippie-fied bluegrass. Then there are lyrics: colorfully drawn narratives about optimistic train-bound hobos, blissfully ignorant rednecks, and jilted lovers.  read more

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Sugar + The Hi-Lows: The Best of What's Next

By Stephen M. Deusner at 10:23 AM on February 27, 2012

Everybody has their favorite old song, the one that still commands their attention and affection even after hearing it a million times on the radio. For Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup, who make up the soul-powered Sugar + the Hi-Lows, it’s “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch,” by the Four Tops.  read more

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Grace Woodroofe: Best of What’s Next

By Ilana Kaplan at 8:45 AM on February 13, 2012

Grace Woodroofe’s voice calls to mind Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Etta James—maybe even the weighty, raspiness of Tom Waits. Certainly not a 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Perth, Australia.  read more

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Best of What's Next: Buxton

By Max Blau at 8:32 AM on February 2, 2012

Buxton is finally garnering attention eight years and three records into its career. The slow build has allowed the band to develop into the evocative Americana-laced six-piece that it is today.  read more

Found in: Music, Features