Foster The People

L.A. trio Foster the People work every catchy element in the hip-kid's handbook. Frontman Mark Foster, drummer Mark Pontius and bassist Cubbie Fink formed the band in late 2009, after Foster started earning a healthy living as a composer for TV and commercials; touches of MGMT's kitschy pop, Passion Pit's relentless synth-bounce, and Peter Bjorn and John's catchy dream pop fill their debut album, 2011's Torches. With those comparisons in place, it's no wonder the band landed a dream gig at Coachella 2011 before the album even came out, mostly thanks to the success of debut single "Pumped Up Kicks" and a self-titled EP. Not bad for a band that had been together just over a year.