Mike Hadreas has been looking for the right way to explore his life experiences. Based on the extremely personal nature and simultaneously heart-breaking and inspiring anecdotes that he has collected, it seemed only natural to create a new identity to bring these stories to fruition. Perfume Genius was born in 2008 and Hadreas quickly drew acclaim for his sparse and touching compositions and affecting stories.

Aby Wolf was chosen to partake in the Cedar Cultural Center's 416 Club Commission in 2011 and received a grant to explore a new electro-art-pop project that had been stewing in her mind. Recruiting the talents of Jesse Whitney, Linnea Mohn and Joey Van Phillips, Wolf created A. Wolf and Her Claws. Instead of a one-off performance as originally planned for the Cedar's winter season, a full-fledged band has been formed and there's no signs of slowing the momentum.

Thomas Dolby has been making music for over 30 years, has collaborated with the likes of David Byrne, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, been called "a brilliant talent" by David Bowie, wrote the synth patch you hear in many of your cell phones and was zapped into our homes via MTV in the 1980's with a catchy little number called "She Blinded Me with Science" among others.

It's not difficult to imagine The Lumineers being from the Midwest - let's just go ahead and annex their hometown of Denver. Their roots revivalist image and solid harmonies are indicative of the kind of music this region has helped popularize over the years. Their story is one which many bands can connect with - slowly gaining popularity across a self-booked tour with just an EP in tow. The Lumineers have now gathered more than a few accolades to make their self-titled debut one of the most anticipated records this year, and they're already selling out venues in support of it.

The Duluth quintet has been steadily expanding its fan-base for the past decade, and the release of their fifth record "Palomino" undeniably helped propel them into greater mass appeal. It reached #1 on the US Bluegrass charts and stayed in the top 10 for over a year. It should come as no surprise then that the year which followed the release proved to be Trampled By Turtles' most important year yet, solidifying their role as one of the major players of Minnesota music making an impact nationally and abroad.

Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit have been playing, recording and releasing music together since they were both in their teens. Their sophomore release, "The Lion's Roar," features guest appearances from Joe Pernice and Conor Oberst and was released in January.

Is/Is has consistently risen to the top of the local music scene, anchored by tight, vintage-inspired rhythms and scuzzy vocals that has made many a garage/psych rock fan's ears experience sonic bliss. That's a lofty statement, but the trio of musicians have been critical darlings since they first began making music. Now they are back in the spotlight with their long-awaited debut record "III."

Brooklyn-via-Missouri indie-rock six-piece White Rabbits, known for their dynamic and unpredictable live performances and emotionally textured songwriting, have returned with their third full-length album, "Milk Famous."

Folk-pop singer/songwriter Caroline Smith began her music career in a similar fashion to that of Mason Jennings and Elliot Smith - with a residency at the 400 Bar. This led to meeting the fine people that would later put "the good night sleeps" in Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps including Arlen Peiffer, Jesse Schuster and David Earl. Their debut "Backyard Tent Set" was released in 2008 with a live album to fill the gap between that release and their follow up "Little Wind," which came out in September of 2011.

Metronomy's "The Look" was one of the hottest songs to come out in 2011, harnessed on an electronic minimalism that made the track's hook immediately danceable. It didn't hurt that the rest of the album "The English Riviera" was also a fine exploration of pop music, ensuring that frontman Joseph Mount would have a hit on his hands.