This was a good year for the Three Stars feature. We got to talk with a lot of up and coming local musical acts who specialize in a variety of styles. We foresee great things happening for acts like Pree and Laughing Man, and we even talked to now-Grammy nominee Christylez. Here, we recount some of our favorite moments from Three Stars interviews we conducted this year. The most interesting and most inspiring moments from January through November are all listed below, as well as some hilarious quotes that you may have missed. more ›

If a band chooses a sweet name like Solar Powered Sun Destroyer, they've already set themselves up for hefty expectations. The moniker brings to mind an all out guitar assault that leaves ears bleeding and brain cells, well, destroyed. The truth is more interesting. Yes, all five members of Solar Powered Sun Destroyer count various hardcore bands among their influences, and guitarists Justin Horenstein and Dave Davies (no, not the guy from the Kinks) both have considerable technical chops. But the guitar parts veer more toward the post-rock end of the spectrum, and the vocal melodies of John Kneip are at once powerful and sweetly emotive. At their most visceral, they could find a spot next to bands like The Life and Times or Explosions in the Sky. At their most experimental, they bring to mind M83. more ›