Don't be confused by Afie Jurvanen going by the stage name Bahamas - he isn't from a tropical location, even if his music does have some tropical influences. The Canadian musician has been making music in his hometown for years as a backing musician for the likes of Feist, Jason Collett and Zeus.

British rockers Kasabian emerged at the height of the early-to-mid-2000s British indie hype wave alongside peers like The Libertines, The Music, The Coral and more. Last year, the band released their fourth album, "Velociraptor!," which was hailed by critics and fans as a major artistic step forward for the band.

Nada Surf has visited the Current many times in their 20-year career. They have a new album out, "The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy," that has them taking stock of the past and looking towards the future.

Shabazz Palaces have rapidly gained fame and adoration for making some of the most inventive and alien-sounding hip-hop in recent memory, but the Seattle rap outfit didn't come out of nowhere. In fact, the group's MC and central figure Ishmael Butler has been in the game for nearly two decades, first catching listeners' attention as a member of celebrated alt-hip-hop pioneers Digable Planets in the '90s.

Long-time veterans of the local music community, Magic Castles are now getting a proper reintroduction. Thanks to Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe, the band has released a deluxe retrospective of their career through his personal record label.

A fusion of hardcore, post-punk and folk (not kidding), the London-based five-piece Dry the River don't sit neatly in one genre. Growing up singing in a choir and then later as a teenager in hardcore bands, frontman Peter Liddle pulled from his parent's folk influences to create the distinct sound of Dry The River. Don't let the beards and violin fool you - they are not another Mumford and Sons! With their debut "Shallow Bed" due out in April, the band is touring heavily to promote it.

Icelandic indie-pop six-piece Of Monsters and Men have found themselves a runaway indie hit in the wake of their EP, "Into the Woods," and full-length album, "My Head Is an Animal," which will be released in the United States on April 3.

Ben Kweller has been in the music scene nearly the entire 30 years he's been alive. He received his first nod from Billboard Magazine when he was eight with a songwriting honorable mention. He was signed before he could legally drive and was touring the world shortly after that.

It's about time Yukon Blonde made its impact in the United States. For years, the Canadian band has been heralded as one of our northern neighbor's finest acts, gathering a slew of accolades by the CBC. Now the quartet is in full speed, on the heels of a their newest release "Tiger Talk" which they supported with 10 shows at South By Southwest, a major feat for any band, and the result of growing buzz from media and fans.

Spending most of his life between Jacksonville and Seattle, Andy Bothwell's adopted pseudonym of Astronautalis has managed to play shows in the Twin Cities on a consistent basis over the past decade. Through his time in Minnesota, Bothwell befriended many of our most acclaimed local musicians, one of the many reasons he finally decided his move to the state would become a reality.