Cool Hunting

William Fitzsimmons
His name echoes those of colonels and soldiers who fought in the American civil war. But far from that, William Fitzsimmons is actually an obscure songwriter from Jackson, Illinois, building a fan base through Myspace and, would you believe it, the TV show "Grey's Anatomy." When I hear his song, "It's Not True," I think of bleached wood, smoky red wine, and the great...

All My Pretty Ones
All My Pretty Ones are a six-member group from the San Francisco Bay Area. Led by songwriter Derek Schmidt, the band plays richly-orchestrated, folk-influenced music. Songs rely heavily on acoustic guitar and piano, with occasional flourishes from a wide array of instruments like oboe, upright bass, mandolin and glockenspiel. Their debut EP, "Handsbreadth," was released last year and includes five songs combining lighthearted melodies...

Cut Copy
Melbourne's Cut Copy is the hottest electro act out of Australia right now. We spoke to Mitchell Brown from the group to get the lowdown. Does Melbourne still have a dynamic creative scene? I think it really does—there's no shortage of people in Melbourne doing amazingly cool things creatively, whether it's music, art, fashion, or design. There's a lot going on. Also, for music,...

Esopus
New York-based Esopus hits newsstands only twice a year, but take a peek inside and you'll understand why. With a CD of new music in each issue, specialty papers and a hand-crafted feel, this ad-free magazine of writing and artwork strives to create a place for "unfiltered" and "un-mediated creativity." Yes, please! There's a part of us that wants to give each new issue...

Harrisons
A crackling assault of guitars and drums, lyrics that bristle with indignation. Sheffield's Harrisons are for our era what The Clash were for theirs: a voice of rebellion, masked in four minute pop gems. We spoke recently to drummer Mark White. Aside from Harrisons and Joe Cocker, what else should we know about the creative scene in Sheffield? The best band from Sheffield by...

Sugar Army
Sugar Army are four guys who've spent their lives in the dreamy slumber of West Australia, with their only savior from terminal boredom being music. With the lengthy titled opener, "And Now You're Old Enough, I Think That You Should Know," earning these indie rock purists high rotation on Australian radio network Triple J and community radio, the cheeky quartet have just added a...