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Gomez - "Split The Difference": Before their better-known album, “How We Operate,” the band Gomez released a solid, unique album that gained little recognition. “Split the Difference,” the British band’s fourth album, reached top charts in the UK––but unfortunately never made it to the US. Including UK Top-40 single, “Catch Me Up,” this album is an eclectic combination of songs that ultimately connect to show Gomez’s uniqueness as a band––they don’t fit into a specific genre; rather, they fit into many, creating their own. Four of the five members are songwriters for the band, which explains why “Split the Difference” is such a diverse album, with songs in the genres of alternative, rock, new age, and hints of newgrass.

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Fitz and the Tantrums - "Pickin Up The Pieces": Fitz and the Tantrums released their debut studio album, “Pickin’ Up the Pieces,” a year ago, to a great reception considering how little-known the band is. Only a band for a few years, Fitz and the Tantrums released a home-recorded album in 2009, and perform with a neo soul, indie pop sound. Featuring tracks like “MoneyGrabber” and “Don’t Gotta Work It Out,” the band’s influences from popular bands of the 1980’s, like the Talking Heads and The Jams, come through in the fun vibe and confrontational lyrics. Other great tracks from the album include “Winds of Change” and “Breakin’ the Chains of Love,” that reflect Motown and soul influences as well.

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Norah Jones - "Little Broken Hearts": Released just this April, Norah Jones’ fifth album, “Little Broken Hearts,” takes on a whole new sound for the singer –– going from a standard style, to indie-pop, while still receiving international recognition. “Little Broken Hearts” is Jones’ first album in three years. The album as a whole focuses on love less than her prior albums, and speaks more about independence, allowing listeners to connect more with the reality of Jones’ life. The twelve tracks on the album relate in a consistently entertaining way and differ from what Norah Jones fans are used to hearing; “Little Broken Hearts” perfectly displays Jones’ new and unique sound.

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Hurts - "Happiness": Hurts, only active as a band since 2009, released their first and only album, “Happiness,” in August of 2010. Though their tracks have not gotten attention in the US, their first single, “Better Than Love,” is the best known song from the album. The entire album flows together nicely and theme-wise, with eleven tracks (and one hidden track) in their signature, synthpop, haunting-New Wave, sound. As a band, Hurts has a pop sound, but their lyrics go deeper than typical pop music, and connect with the emotions of their audience. The synthpop sound contains messages of abandonment, in songs like “Stay” and “Sunday,” and of uncertainty, in songs like “Better Than Love” and “Blood, Tears, and Gold.”

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Bon Iver - "Blood Bank": A year after releasing his award-winning debut, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” Bon Iver released a follow-up album –– the short-winded album called “Blood Bank.” The title track was initially meant to be on the debut album, but producer (and only member of the band) Justin Vernon didn’t feel it fit with the rest of the debut; therefore, he released “Blood Bank,” an album where the track fit perfectly. This four-track album features songs written, composed and sung by Vernon – each song capturing Bon Iver’s indie-folk sound, and Vernon’s signature falsetto. Kanye West sampled the last track on the album, “Woods,” in his song “Lost in the World,” which also featured Bon Iver’s vocals. “Blood Bank,” though short, captivates listeners and captures the thoughts and emotions of Justin Vernon through an entertaining and calming four tracks.

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Guster - "Keep It Together": The alternative album, “Keep It Together,” from Guster released in 2003, features the well-known track, “Careful.”The first and second singles off the album, “Careful” and “Amsterdam,” received top ratings by many critics of different tastes and opinions. The rest of “Keep It Together” went unnoticed by listeners––although it contains twelve other tracks varying in genre and feel––making the album entertaining and captivating. The album includes delicate, sensitive songs, like “I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today” and “Backyard,” and tracks of many sounds, including newgrass tracks, “Jesus on the Radio,” and “Catch Me Up.”

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Mayer Hawthorne - "How Do You Do": Writing, singing, and composing every track on his album How Do You Do, Mayer Hawthorne created a fabulous album as an individual artist. Featuring popular singles, “The Walk” and “No Strings,” “How Do You Do” made the top ten on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, and is an consistently captivating album. Hawthorne’s sound is very R&B, and his music recalls that of the 1970’s groove era. This album differentiates itself from others in that it doesn’t sound like any other recent album – the style is uncommon, and there is nothing typical about the lyrics and vocal style of Mayer Hawthorne.

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The Cribs - "The New Fellas": Active in the music world since 2009, The Cribs, a British band formed by the three Jarman brothers, released their greatest album in 2005: “The New Fellas.” Ex-guitarist of The Smiths and Modest Mouse, Johnny Marr, joined the Jarmans on this album. As a compilation, “The New Fellas” made the top twenty in the New Musical Express, a British music award show’s “Albums of the Year” category. On “The New Fellas,” the single, “Hey Scenesters!,” was declared forty-second of the top fifty indie anthems of the year. The album also includes indie rock songs from The Cribs, like “Mirror Kissers,” “Martell,” and the song “You’re Gonna Lose Us,” which was only released on vinyl issues of the record. The Jarman brothers’ strong, English accents accompanying upbeat tracks make “The New Fellas” a collective album all the way through.

photo courtesy of tuesdayguide.com

Lissie - "Catching A Tiger": With a few great singles and recognition of her talent, the upcoming artist from Illinois, Lissie, plans to release a new album next February––but, it was her debut, full-length album, “Catching A Tiger,” that deserves more recognition. “Catching A Tiger” reached the top five on the US Billboard Folk Album charts, and her bluesy, alternative sound gained attention in the music world after her debut’s release in 2010. Featuring popular singles, “In Sleep,” “When I’m Alone,” and “Cuckoo,” “Catching A Tiger” includes twelve tracks, and every song is catchy and inviting, revealing what has now become Lissie’s signature sound. The album contains upbeat tracks like, “Little Lovin’,” “Look Away,” and “Record Collector” that give the album a warm, bubbly feel, and features the beautiful track, “Everywhere I Go,” that brings more of Lissie’s emotional ties to the album.

photo courtesy of talkrocktome.com

The Lumineers - "The Lumineers": This spring, the indie-folk group from Denver, The Lumineers, released their self-titled debut. As a comprehensive album, “The Lumineers” peaked Billboard’s charts for top folk albums and top Indie albums. The popular single, “Ho Hey,” brought a lot of recognition to the band, and reached high positions on Indie charts. As recognition continued, Alternative music critics began to pay attention to The Lumineers, their popularity rising after the release of their second single, “Stubborn Love.” The Lumineers have a unique sound, separating them from other Indie-Folk bands; the core instrument of the band is a cello, played by Neyla Pekarek. Other great tracks on the record include, “Flowers in Your Hair,” “Black Sea,” and “Flapper Girl.”