10 Los Angeles Bands You Should Know

After crushing their performance at The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, Lord Huron is without a doubt on the path to becoming one of the break-out artists of 2013. “Time To Run,” the band's first single which dropped late last year, is the perfect tune for your next marijuana dance party (or regular dance party if you wanna be boring about it). In the chorus lead singer Ben Schneider declares, "I ain't ever gonna let them take the life from me," and I hope he never does.

Born in the uber-hip Echo Park enclave of Los Angeles, In The Valley Below, made up of vocalist Angela Gail and co-vocalist and guitarist Jeffrey Jacob, are quickly making a name for themselves. They sound a bit like musical Xanax—which makes sense considering the inspiration for their tunes comes from living at sea in the West Indies. In their indie lullaby, “Peaches,” the pair sweetly sings, “We won’t live too long, so let’s love for one song,” and with a tune like this it’s hard to turn down that offer.

Joshua Tillman, front man of Father John Misty, is a cranky dude and I LOVE it. The band’s interests on Facebook are “fear and fun,” so if you’re not into either of those things then this probably isn’t for you (and also you sound boring). After leaving Fleet Foxes, Tillman and fellow producer Jonathan Wilson made one of my personal favorite albums of 2012, Fear Fun. “Nancy, From Now On” is a standout from the album. A light, vibe-y tune that makes you wanna lay on a fuzzy blanket for a while and just be.

This Los Angeles duo knows how to rock a packed show in fantastic fashion. The Peach Kings, made up of Paige Wood and Steven Trezevant Dies, have a very '70s rock and roll vibe both in their music and their live presence. Their first single "Fisherman" has been on heavy rotation in my headphones. Wood’s smoky vocals paired with Trezevant Dies' dreamy guitar create a musical cocktail that goes down smooth and fucks you up in the best way.

I was turned onto Kitten by my favorite and most reliable source for new music, Neon Gold. Lead singer Chloe Chaidez has a cool factor that places her in the company of amazing ladies such as Karen O., Lykke Li, Robyn, and Alison Mosshart. The synthy beats and Chaidez’s hazy vocals mix together to form indie dance tracks that are best served BLASTING through your speakers. The band is currently on tour—first with Sir Sly and then The Joy Formidable in April. Check out “Cut It Out,” the title track from the band’s debut EP and then open Spotify and listen to the rest of it. Ready, set, go!

The Los Angeles trio Wildcat! Wildcat! make ethereal tunes that melt into your ears like warm butter (that sounds kind of gross, but you get the sentiment, right? Right?!). The boys—lead singers Jesse Taylor, Michael Wilson and drummer Jesse Carmichael—have been meeting weekly at their recording space/loft downtown and making music together since 2011. "Mr. Quiche," their synthy single, is the perfect thing to turn on should you find yourself desperately needing to slow dance with the coolest hipster in the room. And let's be honest—that’s gonna be always.

Wardell, made up of Sasha Spieldberg and her adopted brother Theo, have their debut EP dropping this March. Right now, “Opossum” is the only thing you can listen to on the Interwebz but this song is so good that it's almost okay. Sasha has a voice that sounds like it’s of another time, and the build-up of her vocals layers with the swelling music lead to a climax that will have you singing along at the top of your lungs.

Harriet made a splash last year with their catchy, kitschy debut single, “I Slept With All Your Mothers.” Most recently the LA locals have been in the studio recording new music to grace our ears with in 2013, but in the meantime here is a fantastic track from their 2012 EP Tell The Right Story. “Don’t Fight The Feeling” is a personal favorite off the debut—and not just because the title are words I live by daily. It’s slower jam that drips with sex appeal and makes you want to sway close to someone special. Lead singer Alex Casnoff (formerly of Dawes and PAPA) has the kind of voice that hits you in all the right places.

Great White Buffalo is probably the least known on this list. If early Kings Of Leon (i.e. the Aha Shake Heartbreakera) had a bunch of little brothers who knew their way around a rock song, that would be Great White Buffalo (dare I say, Princes Of Leon?). Their debut EP is available for a price of your choice, so head to Bandcamp and download now. The song included, "Burn," is like good sex; it starts slow but builds in intensity and by the end you feel like you need a cigarette.

Jenny O.’s dreamy vocals make her the perfect artist for a day driving down the PCH in the LA sunshine. After seeing her open for PAPA at The Bootleg recently it's clear that she is one to watch in 2013. You can’t find much information on the songbird’s background other than that she is from California. She just released her self-produced debut EP, Home, on Manimal Vinyl. Her first single "Well OK, Honey" has an old school feel that’s met with a lo-fi indie sound forming something I am going to coin as, “soda pop chill wave.” This single is just a taste of her musical stylings but I highly recommend getting her entire EP, it’s nothing short of magical.