Hildur Victoria's classic-sounding name comes from a band member's great-grandmother. They were originally going to be called Herringbone, but that reminded drummer Jeremy Hanson -- also of Tapes 'n Tapes -- too much of ska band Fishbone. So instead, that's what Hildur Victoria named their 2009 EP.

With an oddly similar story and even voice, the Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has received several comparisons to Wisconsin's Bon Iver. Self-recorded over five months in a small, one room house by sea, James Vincent McMorrow captures the sounds of the waves and the isolated house on his debut album "Early in the Morning" to create a haunting yet beautiful tribute to nature.

In a sea of internet sensations, The Rural Alberta Advantage definitely hold their own. With exhilarating guitar lines, intricate percussion, and sincere vocals these indie rockers are a talent to be reckoned with.

Although their debut album, "Palace," was released less than two months ago, the London quintet Chapel Club have already created quite a stir in the indie-rock world. Their shoegaze-influenced sound has captivated the British music press, and that buzz has started to bleed over into the US scene, aided by high-profile gigs like their performance at this year's South by Southwest festival.

Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has been playing music since 1978 and has been releasing albums for twenty years, so it's no surprise that he's garnered substantial recognition from both critics and audiences. Still, he's reached a point that few musicians get to while still at the height of their powers: becoming the subject of a documentary.

Indie rock & folk prodigy and Saddle Creek Records founder Conor Oberst has released over a dozen albums under various monikers and in collaboration with various musicians, but it's his band Bright Eyes that has most consistently been the primary vehicle for his heartfelt, erudite and emotive lyrics.

Multi-instrumentalist Meric Long began as a solo artist steadily gigging around San Fransisco in 2005. After meeting Logan Kroeber, it seemed obvious Kroeber's progressive metal/experimental drumming was a prefect fit for Long's love of West African Ewe drumming and bluesy finger picking style. With a reputation for using an alternate instrumental approach, their blend of indie-psych folk is definitely a treat for the ears.

Middle Brother may be a new band, but their members are familiar players on the indie rock scene, including Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, John J. McCauley III of Deer Tick and Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit. They first performed together under the name "MG&V" in an impromptu set at 2010's SXSW festival, but a year later they've cohered into a real live indie supergroup, with a self-titled debut album to boot. The band played a set at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas on March 19, 2011 as part of the South by Southwest festival.

A former member of '90s R&B hitmakers Tony! Toni! Tone!, Raphael Saadiq also has a deeper resume: as a producer and songwriter for many of R&B, soul and hip-hop's biggest names--and now as an established solo artist with an addictive retro-soul sound. His latest album, "Stone Rollin'," is due out in May. He played March 16 at Stubb's in Austin, TX as a part of South by Southwest.

The Strokes' fourth album, "Angles," comes on the heels of a five-year band hiatus that saw numerous solo projects and sparked doubt over whether the band would ever record together again.