Willy Moon (Photo: NBC)If you’ve found yourself humming the anthemic “yeah yeah, how you like me now” chorus that set a rainbow of colorful iPods a’bouncin’ in Apple’s recent TV spot—you’re not alone. The artist responsible for the foot-stomping tune, Willy Moon, has managed to carve out a name for himself in short time as both an innovative soundmaker and style influencer.

Moon, 23, has engineered his image since leaving his native New Zealand for London at age 18. A self-described “autodidact” who dropped out of school at age 16, Moon traveled Europe and settled for some time in Berlin, where he was inspired by retro pop music and began writing his own material in earnest.

Returning to London, he adopted a sharply groomed, midcentury suit-and-slicked hair look to offset his modern-sounding musical production—a combo that attracted attention right away when he released his first single via MySpace in 2010. He scored a record deal with Island Records, who put out his first EP.

By 2012 he caught the eye of rock

One of this year’s most tasteful and unexpected pleasures is surely Brightest Darkest Day, the debut album from PYYRAMIDS--whose appearance at this year’s South By Southwest conference proved them to be an equally captivating live band.

A collaborative effort between OK Go bassist Tim Nordwind and He Say, She Say singer Drea Smith, PYYRAMIDs have been described by some as “Billie Holiday fronting the Smiths”—which, as outrageous as that might sound, is not stylistically off the mark. The same energies the latter band is famed for providing permeate many of the textures of Brightest Darkest Day—not to mention some of the more tasteful, upbeat groups to be had on the 4AD Records roster of the late ‘90s—but all is capped with the rich and soothing vocals of Smith, who provides a textural depth that makes the album a very worthy candidate for repeated listening.

In stripped-down acoustic setting, PYRRAMIDS are equally appealing, as you’ll discover here in this great session Y! Music captured in our Austin headquarters last month. Most notable might have been their mesmerizing performance of “Paper Doll”-- which is gorgeous here and, sonically, considerably more refined than the pounding and appealing version to be found on Brightest Darkest Day, which we strongly suggest you also check out.

If the best part of the yearly SXSW experience is finding a new and worthwhile band you’ve never heard before, we think PYYRAMIDS are high on the list of new bands to watch out for. Just give them a listen.

Superhumanoids-WebAn intriguing LA combo with a rather memorable name, Superhumanoids play a subtle, groove-oriented sound that is hallmarked by interesting arrangements and, without exception, very memorable material.

Consisting of Sarah Chernoff, Cameron Parkins and Max St. John, the band has been together since 2010. While a few distinctive EPs have emerged, and a wealth of positive reviews, it’s safe to say that the band’s upcoming album—titled Exhibitionists and due from the Innovative Leisure label on June 11th—will likely garner them the international attention they deserve. Solid songs, contextualized via an electro-pop feel that feels distinctly modern and non-retro, may be the major reason—but that they don’t especially sound like anyone else is no small matter, either.

An early morning session at the Y! Music studios at the South By Southwest convention was one of this year’s Austin highlights. The quiet, melodic nature of the songs leapt out clearly in that laidback context, and the charming simplicity of their instrumental set-up—devices that could be carried in small suitcases—only added to their appeal. Currently on the road, and waiting to unleash Exhibitionists, Superhumanoids are a band very much worth watching out for. As you’ll see below.