Radical Face

Radical Face is somewhat well-known now, although it recently came to my attention that a couple of my friends whose opinion on music I regard quite highly had never heard of him.  It's one guy, Ben Cooper, from Jacksonville, FL, and he manages to produce some fairly compelling music on his own.  He apparently records most of his stuff in an old shed behind his house, and obviously does a lot of layering.  The style is fairly orchestral and grand, but there are also rock influences.  Here is an example of one his songs.  He has released three albums to date: "Junkyard Chandelier", "Ghost", and most recently "The Family Tree: The Roots".  His recent project will supposedly involve several installments of "The Family Tree".  Radical Face isn't this guy's only project; it just happens to be the one that's got the most traction.  If you like it, you should also check out Patients, Clone, and especially Electric President (some of this stuff is really hard to find).  He blogs fairly frequently on his website.

Mammut

This is an Icelandic band that isn't particularly well known; I think all the members are really young.  The music is pretty hard rock for the most part, and all the vocals are in Icelandic.  The songs have a dark undertone.  Of course I can't understand any of the lyrics, but a lot of their stuff is still really compelling.  Check out this video of a live performance of one of their more awesome songs.  They all look like teenagers.  The studio version of this song is unbelievable.  The band is worth checking out if you aren't opposed to some harder rock (and non-English lyrics).

Family of the Year

I heard this song on the radio a couple of months ago and was quite captivated; I immediately looked up the band and listened to the rest of their stuff.  I must say, the song "Hero" is not particularly representative of the rest of their work.  Most of their songs are a lot more upbeat and lighthearted, even  a bit irreverent.  Here's a song more similar to the balance of their music.  I really like their tuneful melodies and pleasing chord progressions.  Also they have an undeniably awesome band name.  If you're in the mood for some pleasant, amusing alternative/rock music, I recommend checking them out.

Roadkill Ghost Choir

This awesomely-named band is a folky americana group from Florida.  They have quite a country twang, and the lead singer has got a strong southern accent, but the music feels a bit more rocky and alternative-influenced than a true country band.  I think they only have an EP out right now; it took me quite a few listens before I was convinced of its quality.  But now I'm of the opinion that it's quite good indeed.  Check out this live version of their catchiest song, Beggar's Guild.  Their lyrics are good, often pretty intense, with frequent Christian allusions.  Here is my favourite of their songs; it's a bit quieter.  You can download "Beggar's Guild" for free on their bandcamp site, but I recommend getting the entire EP for $5!

The Oh Hellos

I initially came across the Oh Hellos several months ago, and I can't remember how I heard about them.  I think it was through some blog or other...possibly thesixtyone.com.  I listened to some of their stuff but wasn't enthralled, so I sort of forgot about them.  Then my brother Will told me to check them out a few days ago, so I downloaded their recent full-length album.  It is rapidly growing on me.  The group is a brother-sister duo from Texas.  The music is very folky...they have a strong country twang, but a lot of cool riffs reminiscent of Mumford & Sons.  The girl's voice sounds just like the girl in the Head & the Heart.  Here's a song pretty representative of their style.  This is another song that's a bit more Mumfordesque.  Check out their bandcamp site; it has all their stuff.

My Name Is You

When I was thinking about EPs to include in my best of 2012 list, the first one that came to mind was My Name Is You.  Unfortunately when I checked the release date I saw it came out in 2011.  If I allowed myself to retroactively modify my best-of lists, this EP would certainly have a place in the 2011 list, but I only came across this band last autumn.  I was instantly mesmerized by their delightfully clean but innovative sound.  Here is a music video for one of their songs that some kids made; this song is pretty typical of their style.  I love the way the variety of instruments they use complements their voices, and the way their voices work together so perfectly.  The lyrics are also sometimes really hard-hitting; check out this song Come Back.  I cannot stress enough how imperative it is that you listen to this EP.  This collection of songs moves me deeply and it's without a doubt the best new music I've heard in years.

Gregory Alan Isakov

Hopefully many of you have already heard of Gregory Alan Isakov; he is a folk singer/songwriter and guitarist from Boulder.  Here is a song that's fairly representative of his musical style.  It's pretty retro-sounding folk music, but the combination of instruments and the chord progressions are still really good.  I had the privilege of seeing him play in Fort Collins in September (with the Head and the Heart); it was an incredible show, and I was really impressed with his delivery.  His backing musicians were excellent, too, especially the violinist.  He currently has two albums out, released in 2007 and 2009.  I much prefer the more recent one, and I like his more recent unreleased songs (like this one) a lot too.