Wakey! Wakey!/Suzanne Choffel

Straddling a thin line between pop and indie rock, every song from Wakey! Wakey! sounds like it could be on a TV show soundtrack, which explains how frontman Michael Grubbs ended up on One Tree Hill. After dropping a string of EPs, Wakey! Wakey! got on the map with 2010's Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You; the depressing title perfectly set up listeners for its heartbroken and somber tones. Though Grubbs is the face, idea and soul of the band, it's no solo act, incorporating drums, guitars, horns and backing vocals to the lead's modestly powerful pipes and classically inspired piano. Songs like "Dance So Good" and "Almost Everything" embrace a vintage tone, so if you don't relate to a Wakey! Wakey! song in some way, you need to loosen up. (Nikki Hunt)