Every week this year, World Cafe host David Dye has highlighted an up-and-coming artist to showcase as a part of the Next series. To wrap up the last full week of 2013, he recently picked five acts he felt were particularly special:
Parquet Courts released an album and an EP this year; the band's shambolic, punk-influenced attitude caught the attention of many rock 'n' roll fans.
Also on the punky end of things is Southern California rocker Hanni El Khatib, whose recent album Head in the Dirt was produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach.
The second album from Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt, was the work of Philadelphia singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield. The spare but progressive record proved to be a promising step forward.
San Fermin, the brainchild of New York composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, features a sound that's part symphonic, part pop, part art and part rock. The result is a fully entertaining debut.
And one of our most recent discoveries: Courtney Barnett from Melbourne, Australia. The 25-year-old's breakthrough song, "Avant Gardener," captures her perfectly imperfect delivery of offhand yet introspective lyrics.
Download songs from all five artists as part of today's podcast.
Copyright 2013 XPN