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.

Growing up in central Virginia, listening to punk music, hopping trains and learning the fine art of leather-working, Jonny Fritz was dubbed Jonny Corndawg. A folk legend in the making, Jonny hopped on his motorbike and traveled the country making friends and playing music.

Cursive is a true genre-definer. The Omaha-based band has explored a post-hardcore sound and its fringes since the mid '90s, a precursor to what would become popular in the years to come. Longtime members of Saddle Creek Records (Bright Eyes, Land of Talk), they're back with their seventh release "I Am Gemini," a highly conceptual affair which still manages to pull in new listeners alongside their veteran fans.

The Joy Formidable have been around for five years now, but it wasn't until 2011 that they released their debut album. Building upon the steady buzz they received with their EP "A Balloon Called Moaning," they've since gone on to play late-night television, appear on film soundtracks and gather accolades from some of alternative rock's most iconic acts like Garbage and Foo Fighters.

Growing up in London, Ben Howard had two loves: surfing and music. Very rarely are people able to make their hobbies into a fulfilling career, but it looks like Ben Howard is on his way to making it a reality.

Duluth native Alan Sparhawk has proven that volume doesn't have a limit. His assembled team under the guise of Retribution Gospel Choir provides a striking stylistic departure from the songs he has helped compose as a member of Low. Driving guitars wash over slow-churning rock anthems - it's the perfect way to decompress after a long day.

Philadelphia's G. Love has been steadily cranking out his unique style of ramshackle hip-hop blues for two decades now, both with his backing band Special Sauce and solo.

Chastity Brown has been absent from Minnesota for a little while, but there's a good reason for it. Knoxville born and raised and a Minneapolis transplant, the inspiration for her latest album "Back-Road Highways" largely came with her roots. Tennessee and the South in general have helped shape Brown's newest sound, one which pushes her into new territory, both lyrically and instrumentally.