Photo: Genevieve Pierson

The Pacific Northwest is a breeding ground for some of the best indie-rock and folk music out these days. And Seattle-based band Motopony, named after Blue's 1984 Honda Trail 110 scooter, certainly helps reinforce that statement. Lead by frontman Daniel Blue's twangy vocals, Motopony fuses rock with soulful folk and blues to make a delectably woodsy sound for any indie palate.

Is it a frying pan? Is it a new kind of teeth whitener? Something that shoots lasers? Nope, Skrillex is none of those things (well, there are certainly lasers involved). Los Angeles-based dubstep poster boy Skrillex has been making waves as dance music's underdog both with his frantic musical style and his distinct look to the thrill of many and the revulsion of others. Despite the dichotomous opinions about him, Skrillex has received not one, but FIVE Grammy nominations this year, including Best New Artist, Best Dance Recording and Best Short Form Music Video. In the end, it's hard to argue with distinguished results as Skrillex's ground-up production is believed to usher in the new rave generation.

The Internet has been buzzing for some time now about a polarizing singer named Lana Del Rey--and by "buzzing," I mean hating. Styling herself as a vintage glamour-girl with a sultry voice and dangerously seductive songs, she's been described by some as sort of a rebirthed Stevie Nicks with a touch of Kate Bush. But some haters are all wound up about the singer's past persona as the wide-eyed Lizzy Grant, and about what Grant has allegedly done to transform herself into Del Rey. Almost all artists get a good stylist and public relations person, but many people are accusing Grant of going under the knife. The change from Lizzy to Lana is so glaring to some, many listeners can't get past her '40s-pinup-style makeover to appreciate the music she has released.

Lana has been questioned about her backstory of growing up poor and living in a trailer park as well. It seems that many rock snobs are more concerned with "outing" her and taking away any street or "indie" cred the singer may

Few musicians can claim as impressively diverse a résumé as Monte Pittman's. He's been a member of the iconic metal band Prong, has been Madonna's guitarist for more than 10 years (he's the man who actually taught Madge how to play!), and most recently, he served as the guitarist for Adam Lambert and musical director of Adam's Glam Nation Tour. He's also played with Melanie C and Sophie Ellis Bextor, among others.

Move over, Pete Wentz. This other "Boy" is in it to win it--"it" meaning all the ladies' attention. Once frequently overshadowed by Fall Out Boy basisst Wentz's brooding, emo good looks (the frenzy over which I personally never understood), Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump has now given himself and his sound a makeover for his solo debut. And can I just say how much I love a well-coiffed man in perfectly tailored suit?

Sans his old newsboy caps, striped scarves, and mutton-chops, the sleek and chic Stump 2.0 has moved on to a soulful new styleof rock, exploiting his intense, acrobatic vocals to their full potential. And 'o and behold, his new album is called Soul Punk, so you know exactly what you're getting into.

With his new sound, Patrick is breaking away from brand of pop-punk Fall Out Boy made famous. In particular, Stump's single "This City" has a much broader appeal and demonstrates the musician's talent and range. The remix of the song--which has Lupe Fiasco throwing

Of all the awesome performances we've been so lucky to have here at Yahoo, Peter Bjorn and John is definitely one of my favorites! Unanimously bearded, hilarious and incredibly friendly, the trio took to playing music as naturally as breathing (with some sweet improv). Since their breakout single "Young Folks" -- which featured Victoria Bergsman of the Concretes -- they continue to be the most charming band in indie rock.

Just a few weeks before they came into the office, PB&J performed in a fan's garage in San Marino, a suburb outside of Los Angeles--just because they're so nice! The band figured that out there, kids don't always have transportation or time to go to the city and don't have many good shows nearby. Later that same night they played a free show in a warehouse in downtown LA. Clearly, these guys just love to play and show people a good time.

Peter Bjorn and John are currently on their "All You Can Eat" American tour until October. They're also doing a super cool

What can be better than two talented, GQ-esque gentlemen playing Nirvana on
cellos? Umm... I'll have get back to you about that, but Croatian
musicians Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser of 2CELLOS
are destined to be future faces of modern classical music.

Former rivals in performance competitions, the pair became a Youtube
sensation after a video of them playing Michael Jackson's "Smooth
Criminal" hit three million views in just two weeks. Their online popularity landed them a record deal and even Sir Elton John
asked them to support his summer tour this year.

Not since pianist Christopher O'Riley's renditions of Radiohead have I been
so struck by covers of contemporary songs on classical instruments. Being a kid
who grew up with Mozart, Vivaldi and other tent poles of their eras (plus being
forced through piano, violin AND cello lessons myself), I've a very tender spot
for these instruments (who can say "November Rain" doesn't move
them?). They make any song immediately cinematic, and

Okay, maybe this article's title is a bit to heavy on the alliteration (say it three times fast!), but Asa's smoky voice and velveteen melodies can't help but evoke a gentle joie de vivre--even when she's singing of the trials of love and tribulations in the world. Her sound is a contemporary recipe of indie-pop, soul, reggae, world, '60s rock 'n' roll, and R&B that runs a whole gamut of emotions. I'm tempted to start down the "must categorize" path and try to come up wuth a new term for Asa (pronounced "Asha"), but I'm going to just leave the sweet sounds be. They defy definition.

Born in Paris and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, the singer's unusual name means "Hawk" in Yoruba, the Nigerian language she sings in besides English. She may not seem like a hawk with her easy smile, oversized glasses, and geek-chic style, but Asa's hunt for her art is as fierce as any bird of prey. At an early age, she was a nonstop songbird, poring over her father's records--Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, and Bob