Ra Ra Riot met at Syracuse University and formed in 2006. After one independently released EP, they storm onto the scene with a fantastic debut album that holds a tragic back story.

Frightened Rabbit have released their second album "The Midnight Organ Fight" to much fanfare. The Scottish band delights with upbeat songs about being very very sad while maintaining that twee accent.

The Mountain Goats have released over a dozen albums since 1991 and surround the song writing of John Darnielle. Darnielle crafts quirky indie-pop numbers that make you turn your head once you get past his oddball vocals. The new album, Heretic Pride, once again inds the band working with producer/musician John Vanderslice.

She & Him formed while Deschanel and Ward were paired up to write songs for a film soundtrack. Their sounds meshed and the product was their first album Volume One. The rough and tumble sound of M. Ward pairs exceptionally well with the silky sweetness of Deschanel. Their style seems to fit well with the era of black and white filmmaking. Their lo-fi sound imparts an immediate accessibility; one that creates a sensuous background to any activity.

Beirut couples traditional American folk traditions with a unique blend of aromatic spices from all around the world. Most notable is the influence of gypsy music from customs infused from Eastern Europe. Beirut’s sound consists of a myriad of instrumentation from the standard guitar and drums to the dense textures of accordian, mandolin, violin, ukulele, and the delicacy of a glockenspiel. Here we focus on Beirut’s first and second albums.

The 7 members of The Mountain Firework Company combine their skills to bring the folk tradition back to the mainstream. Their edgy lyrics and at-times raggedy folk style sets the scene for a rowdy pub-crawl, or a brief introspection as you go from pub to pub. Here we sit back and ponder how their songs have evolved and become transported to an intimate venue with the Mountain Firework Company.

With their vocal styles compared to Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, and other ethereal songwriters, Band Of Horses pairs these similarities with their own atmospheric indie sound. Their Sophomore effort “Cease to Begin” was hardly a slump. Topping the Billboard Charts at #35. Here we take a peak at some of their notable songs off of both their first and second albums.

Before she formed The Weepies in 2003 with Steve Tannen, Deb Talan had a pretty sweet solo career in the Boston music scene. She has released 3 excellent solo albums. We dig a little deeper into her musical past from a couple of those solo efforts.

Jenny Owen Youngs can write the heck out of a song and make you have a new appreciation for the F-word. Armed with snappy hooks and sassy lyrics, Jenny’s making waves on and off the Internet. We take a listen to snippets from her debut album “Batten The Hatches”.

Cindy Howes takes a look at a release that you have to hear about from an artist named Royal Wood.