Benjamin Davis (vocals, keyboard, guitar, etc,) and Sebastien Schultz (drums) – formed in 2006 and quickly gained widespread buzz even before they released an album due to their legendary live shows.  The duo takes the stage in pseudo-army uniforms with Seb thrashing with the enthusiasm of 2 punk drummers on his kit and Ben crooning stilly on his mic.  They are joined on stage by a vintage megaphone, a reel-to-reel tape player nicknamed Irene (often counted as the third band member), and a telephone where another mic should be.

Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/badveins

The band was discovered at SXSW in 2007 by Talking Head and Modern Lover, Jerry Harrison. Harrison offered to produce the band's debut LP at his studio in Sausalito, CA and it was released in 2008 on Brando/Rocket Science. The LP spawned the single “Power to Change" and it received national attention via modern rock and college stations reaching #1 on Albany's WEQX and #5 on Austin's 101X with full time adds on CD101, Indie103 and Portland's KNRK.

Click here for more information
 --> modernoutsider.com/theblackandwhiteyears

The Calm Blue Sea’s lushly textured sound is a study in contrast. The Austin, Texas band’s music, like its oceanic name, is at once beautiful and violent, transcendent and triumphant. With songs structured by minutes rather than measures, the foursome marries post-rock fugues with classically-inspired arrangements, the aggression and heaviness of metal, the artiness of indie rock and the widescreen expanse of a film score. The end result is stunning.

Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/thecalmbluesea

Danish/American band Gliss makes a huge departure from their old sound on the new record Langsom Dans which is gathering comparisons to Beach House, Crystal Castles and Lower Dens. The LA based trio, consisting of Victoria Cecilia, Martin Klingman and David Reiss, pour their collective musical imaginations into recording timeless art pop with a precise Scandinavian texture that steps away from their previous work. The 12-track LP features heavy synths and electronic beats with Danish expatriate, Victoria Cecilia, stepping into the role as lead singer. The passionate vocal harmonies dictate the recordings with stories of coming out of the darkness into a new life, bringing to mind The XX, Portishead and Depeche Mode.

Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/gliss

Formerly known as Follow That Bird, Mirror Travel is Lauren Green, Paul Brinkley, and Tiffanie Lanmon. The three piece underwent a name change in late 2012 and, with this, bring forth their first first 7" in two years on Brooklyn label, Last Bummer, followed by a full length with the Austin-based label Modern Outsider.

Their upcoming 10 song full length was recorded in Marfa, TX this past summer at Marfa Recording Company (Grouper, Yacht, Grizzly Bear) and will be the band's first official full length label release.

Their sound is "A Storm in Heaven"-era Verve meets Siouxsie and the Banshees. Think Pretenders II. Think sun-ripended and toasted southwestern haze-gaze.


Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/mirrortravel

With humble beginnings in the heart of Cincinnati – where neighbors throw block parties that farm animals are also invited to – two friends, Jacob Merritt and Isaac Karns, began playing music. The two grew to four including Joey Cook and, most recently, Curt Kiser, and humble song-writing turned prolific. The next three years saw the release of three full-length albums, Everything Is Alive, Everybody Come Outside and One Of Us - with the band receiving critical acclaim from the likes of KEXP, WOXY, Spin and more. And 2012 has promised us another, Heaven.

Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/pomegranates

Sharp and sensible, new Los Angeles based band Soft Swells nails the canny pop sensibility of today’s indie landscape on their self-titled debut ‘Soft Swells’ LP making full use of an arsenal of sounds, including stuttering and snapping drums, handclaps, a ringing xylophone, and subtle electronics. Soft Swells is the new, full-band effort of longtime indie songwriter and gifted storyteller Tim Williams.

Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/softswells

Ume (pronounced ooo-may) is an Austin trio with an explosive yet sweet aesthetic that's been catching folks off guard - in a very good way. Their sound has been described as balancing "pop hooks and sweet female vocals with crazy heavy riffing" (Chromewaves), "poppy and surprisingly heavy... powerful and charming" (Brooklyn Vegan), "beautiful, brutal, flawlessly executed, and completely unpretentious" (Austin Sound).

Click here for more information --> modernoutsider.com/ume