Beach House

On their first two albums, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally perfected a sound so haunting and unique that they could easily have left it exactly as it was and built a small but everlasting cult around it. But while they kept the same basic ingredients — old organs and drum machines, subtle, chiming guitar, and above all, Legrand's earthy, commanding alto — for Sub Pop debut Teen Dream, released this past February, they upped their tempos and fidelity just enough to give their music a newfound immediacy and power worthy of a wider audience. Which they received: Teen Dream deservedly won universal critical praise, and the duo, after spending most of the spring and summer selling out venues across the U.S. and Europe, is now warming up amphitheaters for your mom's favorite indie-rock band, Vampire Weekend. These bewitching Baltimoreans didn't initially seem destined for stardom, but should they find it, they certainly deserve it.