Want to get to know a truly great indie artist? Look no further than The Antlers.

In an era where indie rock artists like the Arcade Fire have become Grammy-winning superstars, there’s a massive danger of the genre being diluted and exploited. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of unpolluted musical treasures to discover in the genre.

Local talent is something that never falls short in Detroit, from artists selling paintings on random street corners to musicians filling venues like St. Andrews and the Magic Stick. But this time, we stepped out of Detroit to check out local Michigan bands in Ann Arbor

Seeing Stars is the kind of wonderful experience you hope for every time you see a live show. This is a rock band that seems truly committed to their craft (pun partially intended as they are on the label Arts&Crafts, hardy har har!). The show cemented in my mind their status as one of the most powerful and creative forces in independent rock today. If you haven’t heard Stars, you should listen to them. And if you haven’t seen them, you SHOULD, it is well worth the $17 admission fee (or whatever it was after Ticketmaster’s cut).

We review the two hottest indie rock releases of the summer — Stars’ The Five Ghosts and The Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and deem how they stack up to each other and the bands’ past work.

The Silversun Pickups are an indie band that doesn’t sound like your average indie band. They have bits of emocore, classic rock revitalism, and psychedelia blended in. Together they offer up a unique brand of rock and roll.