Everyone in the music realm, particularly amongst new music fanatics and the blogosphere, loves to use the phrase, “Don’t sleep on this band.” What the hell does that mean? In layman’s terms it means, “Listen to this band right fucking now ‘cus they’re gonna be huge, and if you don’t, you’ll be sorry, you’re a sucker, and you don’t have any music credibility,” or at least, that’s how I take it.

But you know what? Sometimes you’re just too obsessed with several other breakout bands that you don’t have time to give every amazing new band equal attention. So what do you end up doing? ZZZzz… Sleeping on that band! But it’s OK, your music cred is still intact… for now. Should you have slept on that band? Nah, but we all do, ‘cus guess what? Life and other bands happen, and it’s never too late to join the music partay.

So with that, here is part one of a series (yes a series) of mostly breakout bands from the last year (and are ready to rumble in the next) that you may have possibly slept on. You’re forgiven… once you start listening. Now enjoy:

Courtney Barnett is a Melbourne, OZ based singer/songwriter with an amazing, refreshing and interesting matter-of-fact, conversational approach to her music. Barnett’s 2012 EP, I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris, put her on the map, then her presence at the CMJ Music Marathon this last year wowed and wooed music lovers alike. Since then, her name has been sprinkled on “Musicians to watch” lists to an endless degree, and for a good reason. Barnett released a double EP this year, A Sea of Split Peas. Listen for a good time:

Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener

Speedy Ortiz is the Massachusetts hailing pop punk band everyone loves to rave about post-sleep. It’s as if Speedy Ortiz slapped us silly with their rippin’ punk rock and we were astonished with the revelation that we’ve been sans-Speedy all this time. Originally starting out as front woman Sadie Dupuis’s solo project while working at a song writing summer camp, the band has flourished into a successfully loud four-piece. And, this year has been a rockin’ one for the group indeed. They signed to Carpark Records and released a roaring full-length, Major Arcana which landed them a “Best New Music” label via Pitchfork… if you want that to mean anything. They’ve also just announced a new EP, Real Hair, on the bill for February, 2014. Can’t stop ’em now!

Speedy Ortiz – Everything’s Bigger

Speedy Ortiz – No Below

Can’t get enough punk? Meet: Tweens, the scrappy, ragin’ “trash pop” trio from Cincinnati, Ohio who want you to be mean. They have just a handful of jams, but they’re gnarly enough to land the band on several “breakout band” lists across the punk rock land. Word on the street is that they’ll have a full length LP due out early 2014. Well, that’s certainly sweet for some mean tweens:

Tweens – Be Mean