 | | The four members of the rock band Virginia Coalition -- singer Andrew Poliakoff, multi-instrumentalists Paul Ottinger and Jarrett Nicolay, and drummer John Patrick -- met in junior high school in Alexandria, VA, in music class. |
 | | Boston alternative popsters the Push Stars are led by songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Chris Trapper, with bassist/keyboardist Dan McLoughlin and drummer Ryan MacMillan rounding out the lineup. |
 | | The name Granian is to singer/songwriter Garen Gueyikian what the name Alice Cooper is to Vincent Furnier: a name that was originally applied to a band but was subsequently applied to solo performances. |
 | | When he wasn't serving as one half of the Casio-core duo Sukpatch, Chris Heidman devoted his time to a variety of side projects, among them UltraChorus. |
 | | The wistful, poignant sound of Nashville's Blue Merle was born when singer/songwriter/guitarist Luke Reynolds met standup bassist Jason Oettel. |
 | | Richmond, VA-based acoustic jam-rock sextet the Pat McGee Band included guitarist Al Walsh, keyboardist Jonathan Williams, bassist John Small, percussionist Chardy McEwan, and drummer Chris Williams, in addition to titular singer/guitarist McGee, an East Coast favorite since the 1995 release of his solo album From the Wood. |
 | | There is nothing ordinary about the Pomona, California trio Geggy Tah. The group's unpredictable sound is a quirky mix of funk, jazz, alternative, and experimental rock. |
 | | Guitarist, bassist, and vocalist Pete Francis Heimbold originally gained a cult following as one-third of the group Dispatch. |
 | | The mixture of indie rock songwriting, socially conscious lyrics, and roots reggae rhythms has long been a staple in the jam band world, and State Radio delivers on all counts. |
 | | Chicago-based trio Catfish Haven play raw, soulful, and melodic indie rock that tips its hat to both the chilly North and the hazy South with equal parts passion and peril. |
 | | Virginia's Pat McGee Band is an acoustic-based sextet consisting of singer/songwriter McGee, guitarist/vocalist Al Walsh, keyboardist/vocalist Jonathan Williams, bassist John Small, percussionist Chardy McEwan and drummer Chris Williams. |
 | | Steppin' in It is a roots-based quartet from Lansing, MI, featuring singer/songwriter Joshua Davis on guitar, Dominic John Suchyta on standup bass, and Andy Wilson on harmonica with twin brother Joe Wilson on steel guitar. |
 | | Emerging from the same Oxford, England pop scene which also yielded Radiohead and Supergrass, the Candyskins were formed in 1989 by frontman Nick Cope, his guitarist brother Mark, lead guitarist Nick Burton, bassist Karl Shale and drummer John Halliday. |
 | | Carbon Leaf's brand of rootsy, Celtic-influenced rock originated in the same Richmond, VA, scene that nurtured Dave Matthews Band, Agents of Good Roots, and Pat McGee Band. |
 | | Although initially the solo project of Sindri Már Sigfússon, Seabear had morphed into a seven-piece band by 2007, when the group made its full-length debut with Ghost That Carried Us Away. |
 | | Formed in 2006 by vocalist Nick Ward and guitarist Matt Bishop, Hey Marseilles quickly expanded into an eclectic, seven-piece band. |
 | | Although the members of New Hampshire indie rock outfit Wild Light first got together in high school, it wasn't until after college that the three were able to devote full and undivided attention to the project, which got going again in 2005. |
 | | Long Island, New York-based indie pop quintet Twin Sister make music that is dreamy, yet danceable. The five members of the group -- vocalist Andrea Estella, bassist Gabe D'Amico, drummer Bryan Ujueta, keyboardist Dev “Udbhav” Gupta, and guitarist (sometimes vocalist) Eric Cardona -- crossed paths while playing in their respective bands, ultimately befriending each other and forming Twin Sister in 2008. |
 | | With their clean pop sound, catchy melodies, and clever lyrics, some journalists labeled Dada the Police of the '90s, although the trio wasn't as musically adventurous as that group. |
 | | Gomez are a five-piece British act consisting of Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitar), Tom Gray (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Paul Blackburn (bass, guitar), Olly Peacock (drums), and Ian Ball (vocals, guitar, harmonica). |
 | | Children are often raised in musical families, but few receive the same introduction to music as singer/songwriter Ben Kweller. |
 | | Though he spent the first 11 years of his life in California, it was in Australia -- his father's native land -- that guitarist John Butler picked up the instrument that would later launch his music career. |
 | | The New England jam band Dispatch was comprised of Brad Corrigan, Pete Heimbold, and Chad Urmston, who first grouped together while attending Middlebury College in Vermont. |
 | | Originally starting out at the University of Miami's music department, vocalist and keyboardist Gabe Dixon got together fellow students Winston Harrison (bass), Chandler Webber (alto saxophone), and Jano Rix (drums) in 1998 to play a number of local coffeehouse shows under the moniker of the Gabe Dixon Band. |
 | | With their relaxed, slightly jazzy pop, the Samples were one of the most popular touring bands of the early '90s. |
 | | Despite several critics dismissing Morning Runner as yet another replica of Coldplay -- the band is even on the same U. |
 | | Although the quartet of Pseudopod began in 1999 with an array of college rock elements that include funk, jazz fusion, and prog rock, the quartet eventually incorporated jam improvisations into their live set. |
 | | A folk-inflected roots rock band formed by singer and songwriter Stephen Kellogg in 2003 in Northampton, MA (most of the members were students at the nearby University of Massachusetts at Amherst), Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers (or the SK6ers, as the diehard call them) built a solid fan base through nonstop touring, mostly on the college circuit. |
 | | A feisty French rock band whose music combines elements of brash new wave rock and sleek electronic pop, Neïmo is that rare Gallic band that performs primarily in English. |
 | | O.A.R. (an acronym for the band's full moniker, Of a Revolution) transformed itself from an independent college band to a Billboard chart-topper over the course of a long, varied career. |
 | | A Vancouver band with a folk-pop take on alternative rock, 54-40 formed in 1981 as a trio consisting of bassist Brad Merritt, drummer Darryl Neudorf, and vocalist Neil Osbourne. |
 | | Nine Days was formed on Long Island by singer/songwriter/guitarists John Hampson and Brian Desveaux, who had previously played together and apart in a series of local groups. |
 | | Canada's most popular roots rock band, Blue Rodeo, became a veritable institution in their home country, although they never quite moved beyond cult status in the U. |
 | | By combining humor with an eclectic mix of folk and pop/rock, the Barenaked Ladies enjoyed considerable popularity in their native Canada before rising to international status with 1998's "One Week. |
 | | Combining elements of heartland, American trad rock, and alternative rock, Bliss 66 molds a healthy cast similar to the likes of Matchbox Twenty and Train. |
 | | The Scottish alt rock group Idlewild formed in Edinburgh in late 1995, originally comprising singer Roddy Woomble, guitarist Rod Jones, bassist Phil Scanlon, and drummer Colin Newton. |
 | | The Santa Barbara, CA, band Dishwalla made a big splash in 1996 with their catchy pop single "Counting Blue Cars. |
 | | Singer/songwriter Lois Maffeo long reigned as one of the most respected voices in American indie pop -- a key proponent of the Pacific Northwest's love rock scene, her spare, lo-fi sound and steadfast adherence to an underground ethos blazed a trail for the countless female acts to emerge in her wake. |
 | | Launched in 1991 as a folk-based acoustic duo, Vertical Horizon gradually molded itself into a slick pop/rock outfit, culminating in the band's brief (but significant) heyday at the turn of the 21st century. |
 | | Combining elements of acoustic rock, folk, and jangle pop, Sister Hazel formed in 1993 in Gainesville, FL. |
 | | The Grand Rapids quintet TenFive mixes acoustic and electric rock elements with driving rhythms. Consisting of vocalist/songwriter Leigh Kakaty, guitarists Tom Grasman, and Jason Reed, bassist James Schaap, and drummer Dylan Allison. |
 | | Though its members had been friends since adolescence, Toronto-based Vanderpark officially formed in 2001. |
 | | Best-known for their ubiquitous hit "The Distance," Cake epitomized the postmodern, irony-drenched aesthetic of '90s geek rock. |
 | | With their angst-filled hybrid of Van Morrison, the Band, and R.E.M., Counting Crows became an overnight sensation in 1994. |
 | | Actively touring throughout the '90s, Minnesota native Peter Mayer is known primarily for his earthy, intimate songwriting. |
 | | Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in fall 1996, Matchbox Twenty was pigeonholed as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the American pop scene in the middle of that decade. |
 | | Co-founded in 1999 by vocalist Alex Band and guitarist Aaron Kamin, the Calling found a home amongst such ready-for-radio rock acts of the early 21st century as Matchbox Twenty, Train, and Fastball. |
 | | The Nields are one of the most exciting of the new breed of contemporary folk-rockers. A review of a Nields concert described their music as "equal parts Beatles, Cranberries and Joni Mitchell. |
 | | Based out of Los Angeles, CA, Sugarwall mix alt-rock sensibilities with a dose of country and R&B, and their live shows are fun, high-energy affairs. |
 | | Formed after the 1997 breakup of singer/songwriter Joe Pernice's alt-country group the Scud Mountain Boys, the Pernice Brothers did an about-face from the lush '70s country sound of their final album, Massachusetts, and came up with the lush orchestrated pop of 1998's Overcome By Happiness. |