Beach House makes atmospheric, reverb-laden music from another time- the 1960's.
Honestly, you could probably throw a few of Beach House's songs on a Jefferson Airplane and Dusty Springfield mix cd and pass them off as from the era.
Victoria Legrand, the bands singer, comes from music royalty stock- her family tree contains many famous and not-so-famous musician and singers from the decade her music so beautifully invokes.
Though both critically lauded, and occasionally lambasted, for staying more or less within the same soundscape over the course of multiple albums, I personally have no issue with that.
She can write as many of these songs as she wants, and I'll just keep putting them all on shuffle.
2. Lyyke Li.
Lyyke Li's debut album Youth Novels has been out for a little more then a year, and though it's been a slow go commercially, she's racked up a whole host of fellow musicians as supporters.
Her quirky Swedish style and unique voice- combined with her rare ability to sound live almost exactly as she does in the studio- has made her a critical darling, and it's only a matter time before goes big.
Or, at least, bigger.
3. St Vincent.
I saw St Vincent at Bumbershoot before I really knew who she was, and either didn't pay as much attention as I should, or her debut CD didn't take me like her second release, 'Actor', has.
Either way, I've fallen in love with her music pretty hard.
I must admit, I'm a sucker for things that are a bit odd, and her detuned, beautifully ugly solos and consistently unsettling lyrics strike all the rights chords for me.
Though she's been performing for years, with the prolific Sufjan Stevens, and as a member of the Polyphonic Spree, it was only with Actor that she started to earn any sort of critical or commercial success.
With her music getting more confident, and shifting towards the darker and more personal as opposed to the pleasant but glossy folk-pop of her debut, I expect good things from her in the future.
4. The Heartless Bastards
They've been around for a while now- I think almost seven years- and flitted at the edges of fame but never quite made that final leap.
Why that is I'm not quite sure- lead singer/songwriter Erika Wennerstron is one of the most soulful and authentic voices in rock, and her lyrics masterfully elicit timeless themes that rockers have tread for years, whilst still sounding new.
Whatever reason, it can hardly be said that the Heartless Bastards are doing poorly- they have a rabid, and rabidly growing fan base, consistent critical acclaim, are touring with the newly reformed and reshuffled Wolfmother, whose throwback stoner rock will compliment them nicely.
5. Viva Voce
Viva Voce play charming and disarming roots tinged pop- that is, until Guitarist and singer Anita Robinson decides to go crazy and bust out a face-melting solo that'll make even the narrowest of rock or metal fans stand up and take notice.
Though a girl masterfully playing guitar can occasionally become a gimmick, it's the strength of Viva Voces music and songwriting that sell the band- and the variety of their catalog, combined with the frenetic energy of their live shows, that have earned them their steadily growing reputation.