Bon Iver

Hometown: Eau Claire, Wisc.Album: For Emma, Forever AgoWhy He's Worth Watching: Justin Vernon’s homespun album is full of intimate songcraft, and has already whipped up a veritable hurricane of blog buzz, not to mention perfect five-star ratings in major U.K. music rags Mojo and Uncut. For Fans Of: Iron & Wine; Phosphorescent; Loney, DearJustin Vernon looks slightly out of place. The bearded songwriter who performs under the moniker Bon Iver (pronounced “bohn ee-VARE”) sits placidly on a black leather couch in an ultra-slick Manhattan photo studio. It’s dark in the back of the room and the screen of Vernon’s MacBook...  read more

The Bridges

Hometown: Oxford, Ala.Album: Limits of the SkyWhy They're Worth Watching: Raised on praise-and-worship hymns and classic-rock vinyl, The Bridges deliver organic pop bliss devoid of saccharine filler. Their debut, Limits of the Sky, perfectly captures the majestic folk harmonies
of its three female vocalists with retro production flourishes from Matthew Sweet. The Bridges are poised to introduce the digital generation to the forgotten analog beauty
of ’70s-era album rock. For Fans Of: Eisley, Fleetwood Mac, the beachIt’s hard to imagine another band with members as close as the musicians in folk-rock collective The Bridges. The group—consisting of three sisters, one brother and...  read more

Janelle Monáe: Music You Can Believe In

Hometown: AtlantaAlbum: Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)Why She's Worth Watching: Janelle delivers daring, engaging, fun and thoughtful fusions of American music, and her live show can’t be topped.For Fans Of: Prince, Talking Heads, Barack Obama“This is a historic night,” the emcee shouts to the crowd. Waving blue and white inspirational signs, the assembly chants louder. The excitement is palpable. The diversity of the crowd—young and old, black and white, male and female—is itself a sign of the hope offered. When the shouts reach a fevered pitch, the guest of honor emerges. Welcome Janelle Monáe....  read more

Jamie Lidell: Modernity Can't Save Your Soul

Hometown: Berlin, Germany (via Brighton, U.K.)Album: JimWhy He's Worth Watching: With a background in electronica, Jamie Lidell is an unlikely candidate for soul-music stardom, but with his multilayered live shows, disarmingly personal lyrics and intricate revisions of 1960s classics, the British musician proves that he doesn’t care about rules or expectations. As he continues to fuse the past and the present, his scope will only increase—even Lidell may not know where he’s going next. For Fans Of: Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, CaribouJamie Lidell and Conor Oberst have a lot in common. Alright, not a lot. But they do have one...  read more