Strictly by accident did I find Chasing Claymores, but I’m glad I did because they are totally worth mentioning. The band follows a harder pop/punk style, fitting in with bands like Anberlin and Rufio, both of which they’ve shared the bill with. “Smile & Fake It” looks to be the single and probably the best track to start with to get acquainted with their music.

Don’t forget about Fair. Their new album drops on Tuesday and even though the last one was good, this one out does it in almost every way. If you haven’t yet, check out our full review of the album and pick it up on 2/9/10.

“The Road You Know” is a glimpse at Say It Twice’s new EP being released in March. If I were to base my opinion of the band strictly on that song, I would have extremely high hopes. After hearing the new album however, I can say “The Road You  Know” is not a one-off and this band is the real deal. Anthem pop/rock at its heart, the music is both suited to the mainstream as well as giving the independent crowd something to secretly enjoy.

New and worthy bands? In the comments leave at least a name and link to hear some music.

Mellow and full of enchanting melodies, you should be aware of The Middle East.

Song to start with: “Blood”

Why should you care about Two Door Cinema Club before you even listen to them? Well, they are label mates with Phoenix and Mumford & Sons for one, but beyond name dropping, the slick and hip indie rock is very sticky. “Undercover Martyn” is a modest attempt at using nearly flawless hooks to take over someone’s brain. “Something Good Can Work” also sounds like a Phoenix inspired tune, but simpler. This band will take over the music scene with the release of a full album, just wait.

I wish I would have been all over the latest release from The Most Serene Republic back when it came out in July of last year.  ’…And The Ever Expanding Universe’ is comprised of an orchestral of sound, weaving in typical folk instruments into a group of melodies. “Heavens To Purgatory” should hook you in mere seconds making my job seem easy with today’s rec. Enjoy.

There is so much good music out there, it can be hard to keep up with. Rather than hold these recs back and string them out one at a time, I’m just going to dump a bunch of them out there for you to sort through. Leave your comments with your favorites.

Jonas Sees In Color – Pop/Rock [RIYL: We Shot The Moon, The Morning Light]

Wakey!Wakey! – Indie Pop [RIYL: Owl City]

Justin Levinson – Folk/Country Pop [RIYL: Paolo Nutini]

Broadcast 2000 - Indie [RIYL: Freelance Whales]

Due to a few people independently mentioning Steve Moakler, it seems that he is someone that should be on everyone’s radar. Another acoustic/pop solo artist, Steve resembles Matt Wertz as well as our recent rec Andrew Ripp. You really can’t go wrong with which song you pick to listen to first, but one of my favorites is “Slow Mo”.

While I don’t think the world needs another fairly generic pop/punk band, Ohio Avenue have their stuff down and so some out there may get some enjoyment out of the band. The problem is that the band is playing it too safe to make any real difference. “Shine Through” is a great example of following all the standard cues to make a song that, by all other means, is a good song, but is also completely forgettable.

Great backhanded recommendation I know…

Andrew Ripp possesses the pop appeal of Jason Mraz but with more soul injected into his songs. “It’s All Good” is definitely a good place to start with “Just Another Song About California” coming in at a close second. No matter where you start though you should find something that keeps you interested.

Let me just start by saying that you want to listen to Milktooth. To get a sense of the band’s style pretty quickly, I would say that they have a tendency to lay back on a solid rock groove before finally pumping up the passion/aggression and going into something that really impacts the listener. This is sort of a Copeland meets indie southern rock type of band you can really grab onto.

Full of character, Holy Fiction’s Americana/folk style sticks out of the pre-defined genre ever so slightly with the listener benefiting. “Iron Eyes” struts its stuff the most and picks up a quicker tempo and energetic ambition through the chorus, while “Exit” stays closer to the beaten path. The band’s debut album drops Feb. 23rd

With the pop sensibility (and vocal similarity) of Colbie Caillat, Nina Yasmineh shows a ton of likeability with the strongest track “Something More”. Other songs like “After” are subtler in their approach, but contain just as much enjoyment. Even though you may not initially be drawn to this style of music, it’s just good music and worth a listen.

I’ve mentioned this before, but public radio is hip. You never know what kind of good music you’re going to find hiding out. Take This American Life for example. This past week they closed out the show with “Animal” from Miike Snow (yes there are supposed to be 2 i’s). Miike Snow’s newest album is a little bit pop, a little bit electronic, and plenty of groove to get your head bobbing. “Animal” is definitely a track that should be played on the radio more.

Who decided on the genre, ‘Shoegaze’ because I’m not down with it. Regardless, please listen to Concerning Lions because they will be the best new band you check out today and possibly in awhile. This band is mostly mellower indie/rock with a jazzier side and killer vocals. My description of the band’s style may take longer than simply saying ‘Shoegaze’ but I’m still not down with it. To sum up, you need to be concerned with Concerning Lions.

The Body Rampant is not a direct parallel, but does have some similarities to bands like Matchbook Romance and Armor For Sleep. If you’ve been wanting a trip back in time when scene music had a harder edge and the vocals were distinct then The Body Rampant may be who you’re looking for.

Hipster? Maybe a little, but The Big Pink’s song “Dominos” has been in my head all afternoon and I thought I should help to pass along the favor.

Also if you enjoy the song are looking for a good radio program dishing out new music, check out ‘On The Verge‘  from KSCR which streams live over the internet Sundays at 4 pm.

Everybody Else is at it again, releasing a “Deluxe Single”. For those unaware, a deluxe single is one song done over and over in different styles, shooting for what you might call a “Value Add”. Anyway, the actual song “First Class” is good. The L.A. pop/rock band’s self titled debut found moments of unbridled highs and mediocre lows, and although it’s hard to tell from one song, “First Class” is heading in the right direction.

Featured on Names Your Should Know Vol.2, The Canvas Waiting’s latest EP ‘A Seasons Change’ really should be in your collection. Solid rock, outstanding vocals and melodies that sidestep ‘typical’. As far as slow songs and album closers go “River Hymn” is one of my favorites in both categories, a must listen to track.

Hopefully labeling Parachute Musical as piano rock doesn’t discourage anyone from listening to the band. Consistently upbeat with southern charm sprinkled in, the newest songs from the band polish an already solid style. The spunk underlying the music reminds me of when Waking Ashland was coming in to their own. The band is currently on tour with Sequoyah Prep School.

I love when I get a chance to recommend a band almost no one has heard of. Useless Education has a lot of indie rock tendencies, but the songs are also filled with a lot of pop elements to balance things out. All the songs that the band has up are pretty good, but “Journey Into The Unknown” is definitely a favorite.

I’ve mention, We The Living before, but it’s been awhile since their first record in 2007 and follow up EP in 2008. The band, who is definitely in the pop/rock camp, tends to invoke adjectives like lush and beautiful more than the typical rock ones. If the band can get a new full length together for this year, there’s a good chance you’ll be hearing their name a lot more.

Song to start with: “Best Laid Plans”

The band does have a new EP of cover songs which you can get for free by signing up for their newsletter. I get the trade off, but seriously I hate having to do stuff life that.

I almost feel like I don’t need to mention Matt Morris because soon enough he’ll be gracing everyone’s music playing device of choice, but here is a heads up anyway. Matt’s style varies fairly widely from folk to rock, even mixing in some R&B. If you’re into name dropping, Charlie Sexton & Justin Timberlake co-produced his recently released debut record. Matt has also written songs for Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Reba McEntire and Justin Timberlake.

In what can only be chalked up to an oversight, I haven’t posted about Damion Suomi’s new record which came out the same time Andy Shuaf’s new EP did about a month and a half ago. With a thick, distinguishable voice and melodies fit for any spontaneous bar sing-alongs, you may want to give him a listen.

Call this a second daily rec, or just call it a reminder, but if you haven’t checked out Crash Kings, then you need to do so right now. This may also be proof that it’s really hard to keep track of so many bands, as I didn’t even remember listening to them until I ‘re-discovered’ them. An edgier Ben Folds style pop/rock or similar to Melee’s style, you decide.

Song to start with: “1985″

Shirock, to me, feels sort of like The Kooks of the west. Quick hooks and just as much pop as rock leads to catchy, repeatable songs. Start with “Still Young” and then move to “New Solution”, you’ll be glad you did.

It seems like straight up pop/punk bands that once littered the scene are now an endangered species. Farewell Fighter comes out swinging (pun intended) on their new EP ‘The Winning Team’, and while it’s not an absolute homerun it is solid the whole way through. The EP’s title track, “The Winning Team”, is a song that hits a sweet spot and makes me long for The Starting Line of old.

[Not to be confused with the school] Harvard looks to be prepared to take over the once held positions of bands like Dead Poetic and Saosin. Yup, I said it. Anyway, the appealing part of Harvard is their ability to resist taking things too far in adding hardcore screaming simply for the sake of it. The band’s record ‘The Inevitable And I’ dropped in December of ‘09 and is just waiting to be widely adopted.

Song to start with: “On With Disease”

Up the same alley as Brett Dennen, Zach Williams really has something good going on. “Names That Fell” really kicks in about a quater of the way into the song and from that point on you should be hooked for good. The passion and urgency in his voice is part of what takes his songs to the next level. Please listen to at least one song all the way through.