debut album

The SXSW 2012 Music line-up of almost 400 bands has officially been announced.

There are more than a few favorites scheduled to play showcases during the fest, but one band especially exciting to see performing is six piece indie band Of Monsters and Men.

Editor's Note: The Life & Arts senior staff combed through this year's pop culture and selected the artists, albums, books and movements that they think, in one way or another, helped define 2011.

This is the first in a two-day series.

From the opening chords to the final remixed note of the single "Farewell", Sevonica's debut album Some Dreams Need to Sleep paints a lush picture of sun-soaked sorrow and miscommunication.

Flowing overtones complement lead singer Alex Sepassi's rich vocals and curious samples are backed by a solid percussion section.

After finally releasing their debut album Colour Trip this year, Ringo Deathstarr are making it official by trekking to Europe with none other than The Smashing Pumpkins.

Montreal has been synonymous with quality indie music for nearly a decade now (at least), and Braids are among the best of the city's class of 2011.

Their debut album, Native Speaker, shows a band fully confident in their sound and one who have developed a singular musical identity.

Santigold was in a tough position heading into this high-profile show: she has a new album ready to roll, but nobody has heard it yet.

Friday's set showed both the artist's awareness of the awkward situation and a lot of cleverness, as she deployed every trick in the book to keep the crowd on her side.

We've learned today that Sleep ∞ Over, the recording project of Stefanie Franciotti that also includes Christine Aprile (who has worked with Belaire), Eli Welbourne (yet another Belaire alumni), and Jesse Jenkins (Pure X) in its live incarnation, will release their

Many a band these days attempts to fund an album release through the means of Kickstarter, an online platform that aids in acquiring the dollars needed for any number of creative projects.

Only the truly good ones tend to meet their funding needs, however, and Shells is one of those lucky few.

The women of Warpaint know a thing or two about longevity.

The band had been together a little over five years before their first EP Exquisite Corpse was released at the end of 2009.

They immediately established themselves as a band to watch, thanks to their overall cohesiveness and their almost ungodly ability to create mood.