The O's

Although the O's formed just last summer, the Dallas duo has wasted no time releasing an EP and a full-length record, and embarking on an extensive Midwest tour. This upward trajectory might have something to do with the fact that the band's two members, Taylor Young and John Pedigo, had no intention of wasting time finding their "sound" or experimenting with bringing others into the creative fold. "The attraction was simple and our mission determined," says the O's bio. "Write and record songs; no plugs, no electrics, just music." The stripped-down acoustic guitar and banjo arrangements on the duo's debut album, We Are the O's, are a testament to this manifesto. No-frills, sparsely arranged gems call to mind Rhett Miller and his knack for broken-down, introspective story songs, the raw and witty folk of the Mountain Goats, and the rootsy blend of pop and Americana created by the Counting Crows in its heyday.