Book of Colors’ low-fi style mixes acoustic, chamber-pop compositions with dream-soaked, introspective narratives. Ryan Gregory’s wistful, wandering violin anchors their songs, which reflect a band still forming their unique voice. American-Brazilian Andre Paraguassu and company bring a melancholic appeal that is nothing short of engaging.
For more information check out: Book of Colors, MySpace

This Piano Plays Itself gracefully infuses patterns with lush guitars and hushed vocals; a sound reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine mixed with Slint’s dynamic song structures. This Piano Plays Itself is capable of epic storytelling that whirls and whisks lyrical ideas repeating throughout songs until they gain new meaning. For more information check out: This Piano Plays Itself, MySpace

A Fight to the Death describe themselves as “Avant-Western-Americana-Gypsy music built with Latin and Mediterranean rhythms, surf twang, and melodies fit for lonely midnight drives through the desert.” Those late-night drives are a cinematic trip that Jim Jarmusch could have produced, as rag-tag companions speed past the sullen plains of middle age, searching for an oasis where still waters run deep. For more information check out: A Fight to the Death, Website

Club Awesome may have once been better known for their penchant to throw swimming pool parties, but with their new rhythm section and debut full-length, “Dynamos,” the band is deservedly getting as much attention for their music as for their antics. Tight, sing-along songs buttressed by confident vocals make tasty ear candy, and if they’re performing in vintage golf suits or Speedos, that’s just icing on the cake. For more information check out: Club Awesome, MySpace

Talented musicians specializing in a club-rousing mix of hip-hop, soul and rock, the self-deprecatingly named Grand Prize Winners from Last Year are anything but old news. Members K Slaughter, Believe, Platypus Jones and Whiteshoes Blue mix traditional guitar/bass/drums with toy xylophones and the occasional trumpet or trombone, shifting from new wave to rap to fist-pumping rock. Your head will bob to the beat, but the brain inside won’t know what to expect next.
For more information check out: GPWFLY, MySpace

Untied States straddles the line between abstract and explicit, creating art-rock that emerges a bit to the left of the current Atlanta scene. Though they maintain a semblance of structure to lure you in, Untied States’ manic expression is an audible illustration of attention deficit order. Often chaotic and always experimental, Untied States has a sound that is in a word, epic. For more information check out: Untied States, Website