The 88

Like their contemporaries Minibar, southern California's the 88 play contagious power pop that overflows with perfect multi-layered vocal harmonies. In fact, their sugary songs are so damn catchy, the band landed a song alongside Rooney and Phantom Planet on The OC soundtrack. That's not to say that they have a cookie-cutter L.A. sound. What separates the 88 from many of their musical peers is that they utilize the aural pawnshop aesthetic of janky guitars and amps -- intertwined with an unpredictable Flaming Lips-esque ingenuity. Their quasi-retro home base of classic pop is not too unlike that of '70s soft rocker Emitt Rhodes or Detroit's Brendan Benson.