Best of What's Next: Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside

By Ashley Melzer at 10:43 AM on May 25, 2011

"When I turn on the radio it all sounds the same," sings Ford on “I Swear,” the album opener. “What have these people done to music?” she asks a second later.  read more

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Best of What's Next: Friendly Fires

By Bo Moore at 11:31 AM on May 16, 2011

“Colorful, vibrant, beautiful sounding pop music. It's very uplifting and summery sounding. I think its what the people might need this summer.”   read more

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Best of What's: Next Company of Thieves

By Ani Vrabel at 11:56 AM on May 12, 2011

“I was just on my knees, almost in tears toward the end of it, just screaming my guts out. I felt like I was going to throw up at the end. It just felt so good because that song was a huge release in abolishing all fear of just being myself...kind of.”  read more

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Best of What's Next: Seryn

By Josh Jackson at 11:53 AM on May 6, 2011

Seryn's live presence—with each member swapping instruments and all five singing choruses at the top of their lung—can best be described as "joyful."  read more

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Best of What's Next: Balkans

By Max Blau at 8:00 AM on May 4, 2011

It’s on a foundation of this longstanding friendship that these four Atlantans have added all kinds of infectious pop-weirdness and frenetic punk energy.   read more

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Best of What's Next: MilkDrive

By Tim Basham at 9:59 AM on April 29, 2011

“We kind of mesh it into this all-on-acoustic-instruments sound. You’ve got to get it from everywhere. It’s the most adventurous we’ve ever gotten with our music.”  read more

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Best of What's Next: TV Torso

By Max Blau at 8:36 AM on April 20, 2011

This Texas quartet has nailed down a unified sound--one that channels the infectious energy, warm gritty touch and weird Austin flavor that fellow hometown rockers Spoon have long possessed.   read more

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Best of What's Next: Cass McCombs

By Max Blau at 9:00 AM on April 19, 2011

When Cass McCombs asked me to conduct our interview via mailed correspondence, I found the exercise a bit strange. Phone and email conversations both provide immediate ways to speak with journalists about their work. But McCombs isn't particularly concerned about discussing himself or his work in a conventional manner, nor does he feel the need to explain the reasoning behind his actions.  read more

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Best of What's Next: Royal Thunder

By Jamie Allen at 10:15 AM on April 18, 2011

If you've had the chance to hear Royal Thunder's open-heart brand of blues-infused rock 'n' roll, wrapped in protective barbed-metal packaging, this news might come as a surprise: The lead singer, bassist, and lyricist, Mlny Parsonz spent most of her life "terrified" to sing in front of people.  read more

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Best of What's Next: Fitz & The Tantrums

By Eli Kooris at 8:00 AM on April 14, 2011

Bands from Los Angeles are often more style over substance, dressing and acting like veteran musicians on, say, a Sunset Strip stage while their sound is still in chrysalis.  read more

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