From Motown to the White Stripes, Detroit has always been a hot bed for groundbreaking music. To that end, melodic rockers the Silent Years are carrying the torch and well, doing a pretty good job, with Paste Magazine and NPR singing their praises.

Drawing comparisons to bands like the Arcade Fire and fellow Michigan native Sufjan Stevens, the Silent Years create addictive tunes aided by odd instruments like the glockenspiel and the soothing falsetto of singer Josh Epstein, who tells OurStage.com, "lyrics come last for me, as I like to consider music as the pure emotional release ... I'm a poetry guy, I can't help it." But don't think they take themselves too seriously, though: a recent gig found the band employing a chorus of singers wearing Snuggies. Find out more about the band and download their first album for free here.