Northeast

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
James Murphy, the New Yorker behind the Grammy-nominated LCD Soundsystem seems to be everywhere at once. Besides recording as LCD, Murphy is also an in-demand producer/ remixer and one half of the mighty DFA production team. LCD Soundsystem's debut album in 2005 put him on the map with the catchy dance hit "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" paving the way for his "45:33" project with Nike, a continuous track that wowed joggers and dancers alike, and his latest Grammy-nominated album Sound of Silver (DFA/Capitol) that includes more of Murphy's signature pulsing beats, abstract funk, and dry sense of humor. —LW

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
One might say that the tragedy of September 11th ignited an inspirational spark in My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way's soul. A week later, he was on his way to forming one of today's most successful bands. After a major boost of popularity through MySpace, My Chemical Romance steadily and greatly expanded their fan base with the release of their first LP, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (Eyeball), followed by the chart-topping, Platinum-selling Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (Reprise), and an influential spot opening for poppunk legends Green Day. Having released their third full-length album, The Black Parade (Reprise), and adopting an intense, macabre stage show, My Chemical Romance is a rock and roll force to be reckoned with. —ET

GYM CLASS HEROES
Seamlessly melding rap, rock, R&B, and the kitchen sink is all in a day's work for Geneva, NY-based Gym Class Heroes. This high-energy outfit has been bringing the energy back into both hip hop and rock both with their genre-busting summery anthems since they met in 1997 in, where else, gym class. Their newest release As Cruel As Schoolchildren (Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen) once again sees them creating their party beats using the live instrumentation of rock and roll. —LW

VAMPIRE WEEKEND
The members of New York City's Vampire Weekend met while all attending Columbia University, and released their first EP in 2007 on XL Records. Their song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" made Rolling Stone's top 100 songs of 2007 and the buzz on the band ever since has been red hot. VW creates a unique mix of post-punk and new wave sounds with classical instrumentation and the rhythms of world music. Their first full-length album was just released on XL in February. —ET

INGRID MICHAELSON
Ingrid Michaelson first gained attention after four of her songs aired on Grey's Anatomy, including the coveted final six minutes of the 2007 season finale. Old Navy then featured her song "The Way I Am" in a commercial campaign, sparking her self-released album Girls and Boys to break the Billboard Top 200 for multiple weeks (reaching the #1 spots on both the Heatseekers and Alternative New Artist Album charts). Most recently, VH1 chose Michaelson as an artist "You Oughta Know," making her the first unsigned artist to receive the designation. —EP

THE COLOR FRED
Don't feel bad for Fred Mascherino for taking so long to complete his first solo project under the name The Color Fred. The album, Bend to Break, was placed on the back burner while he tended to the meteoric rise of his band, Taking Back Sunday, promoting their two Gold albums and touring with fellow superstars such as Linkin Park. As a vocalist/ songwriter for TBS and their brand of full-throttle modern rock, Mascherino perfected his art, which is on full display on his energetic, gutsy solo record. —EP