Note: Voting for this round of The Freshmen closes Friday, September 7th at 2pm/ET.

Allen Stone

“Unaware”

USA Today has called Allen Stone a “pitch-perfect powerhouse” and The New York Times has likened his socially conscious music to that of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers. But the 25-year-old singer-songwriter from the tiny backwoods town of Chewelah, Washington just sees himself as “a hippie with soul.”
 

Charli XCX

“You’re The One”

“It’s quite simple,” says 19-year-old shooting star Charli XCX. “We need to reboot British girl power, but this time with edge!” A bold claim, but if there’s anyone whose fingers are best placed to hit CTRL-ALT-DEL on pop, it’s Charli. Believe all you read about breaths of fresh air and you’d half expect a force
ten gale to be blowing through the music industry but here, we have the real deal: a singer
songwriter liberated from the acoustic guitar fixation that preoccupies so many; a teenage
popstar with a good head on her shoulders and a sharp mind in her head.
 

 

Icona Pop

“Love It”

Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt formed Icona Pop right after they first met in Stockholm in 2009. Four weeks later they started gigging and haven’t stopped since. The pair merges a knack for synths and drum lines with an appreciation for pop melodies and explains it themselves like so “…that’s ‘what we are’. We don’t have to decide, because there’s no decision to be made. We just have to do exactly what we want.”
 

Polica

“Dark Star”

Minneapolis continues its golden run of producing quality talent with the first project to arrive out the Gayngs collective, the super slick electronic pop-soul outfit Poliça. Fronted by ice cool vocalist Channy Leanagh who sang with Gayngs, produced by Ryan Olson and featuring Mike Noyce from Bon Iver, it’s a who’s who of the current Twin Cities scene.
 

 

The Neighbourhood

“Female Robbery”

California indie pop band The Neighbourhood rock a deeply layered vibe that blends catchy melodies with edgier undertones that results in a sound that can be described as sweeping. The band has recently played some gigs in NYC and have an engaging live show as well. Might be all the meatballs they’ve been eating?

Who will it be this week? Vote and tell us in the comments section below.

Azealia Banks

“212″

Harlem’s Azealia Banks has pined to be in the limelight since she was a young girl at the New York high school that inspired Fame. After working in theater and a foray into television Banks found hip hop to be her road to glory. She launched an impressive debut in 2008 working with Diplo on “Seventeen” then guesting on Major Lazer’s “Can’t Stop Now.” But shizz got super real in 2011 when she released the raunchy song and video for “212″ that catapulted her to the top of many hip hop lists.

We are currently working to add this video. In the meantime you can watch it here.

Emeli Sandé

“Next To Me”

Not content with just being a brilliant singer and songwriter, Emeli Sandé studied neuroscience at Glasgow University for six years before releasing her debut album Our Version of Events. The album has garnered praise from high places with artists like Coldplay and Adele expressing admiration and The Times of London stating that Sandé “combines Winehouse sass and Nina
Simone purr” resulting in a musical start any young struggling neuroscienctist would be proud of.
 

Grimes

“Oblivion”

Emerging from the edgy DIY scene in Montreal in 2010, Grimes, the synth-pop project of one Claire Boucher, has been continuously gaining influence and fans with an alchemical creative process that uniquely merges art, fashion, punk, techno and pop (among other things) in an other-wordly yet easily accessible manner. Grimes not only has 4 releases to her credit since 2010, she also works in visual art and has produced a line of jewelery with sculptor Morgan Black most notable for its vulva-shaped rings that you just have to see for yourself. Now get some motocross action in the awesome video for “Oblivion.”
 

Joey Bada$$

“Hardknock”

Hard to imagine such gritty and well-seasoned hip hop coming from a 17 year old and his friends but Joey Bada$$ is doing just that. Riding their prodigious hip hop skills, the Brooklyn MC and his fellow colleagues in Pro Era have stormed out of the New York City buroughs and onto the national stage and will be releasing their first mixtape titled 1999 on June 12th. The success and attention that has been so quickly showered on the young MC can best be elucidated by the story he told Complex magazine about skyping into MTV Rapfix from a hallway in his high school. Off the hook. See if you agree with the hype in the new video for “Hardknock.”
 

Oberhofer

“Away Frm U”

Formed in 2008, Brooklyn band Oberhofer has recently signed to Glassnote and released their debut album Time Capsules II. The band, led by singer & namesake Brad Oberhofer, is known for their catchy pop-rock choruses and Brad’s stated desire to make as many people as possible happy via his music and you will undoubtedly be grinning and swaying to the whistle action in “Away Frm U.” Oberhofer has already played Coachella and will be touring this summer including a Lollapalooza date, so you have ample opportunity to get happy with Brad in person.
 

Who catches your ear? Vote and tell us in the comments section below.

Emily’s Army

“Broadcast This”

“Don’t Be a Dick!” Words of wisdom from the mouth of new teenage pop punk band Emily’s Army. Influenced by the rich East Bay music scene, Gilman Street, classic power pop, and garage rock, Emily’s Army craft heartfelt teenage anthems dealing in cautionary tales, politics, and the pressures of adolescence.

SBTRKT

“Wildfire”

SBTRKT’s self-titles debut album pulls off a series of impressive feats: it’s bursting with fresh ideas, and yet it sounds immediately familiar. It’s sound-patterns and rhythms can easily soundtrack the ecstatic hands in the air dance floor moments as well as reliving the monotony of the morning commute. Its influences are incorporated with subtlety and sophistication: dense enough to interpret, yet light enough to dance to.

Skrillex

“First Of The Year (Equinox)”

“I’ve been deep into electronic music my entire life. The first records I ever owned were ‘Fat of Land’ by the Prodigy and ‘Come To Daddy’ by Aphex Twin,” raves Sonny Moore, better known as emerging electronic visionary SKRILLEX. “Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails were also early influences. I’ve been dabbling in making electronic tracks on programs like Fruity Loops since I was 14 years old.”

Wallpaper

“#STUPiDFACEDD”

Wallpaper. is led by the sleazy, excess-obsessed Ricky Reed, who is also a gifted producer, multi-instrumentalist songwriter, viral media hustler and disco ball-busting crowd destroyer. Whether crafting his own electro-steeped future beats or cleverly skewering pop culture via his remixes, he effortlessly fuses a long personal history of music-making with bold showmanship and a love for trunk-rattling thump.

Washed Out

“Turn My Head”

Within and Without is the debut album by 28 year-old Atlanta-based songwriter and producer Ernest Greene, AKA Washed Out. Long adored and critically lauded in the blog world, Greene first came to prominence in the summer of 2009 after unassumingly posting a handful of bedroom-recorded tracks to his Myspace page from his family home in the seclusion of the tiny rural city of Perry, Georgia. “I’d been writing music on my own for three or four years previous to that,” Greene explains, “mostly as a way to experiment with songwriting processes. Those were just the first I ever shared.”

Who will it be this week? Vote and tell us in the comments section below.

Cults

“Abducted”

Crafting glimmering indie-pop with gloomy undertones, Brooklyn band Cults quickly stormed the blogosphere this year. After meeting in San Diego and bonding over their shared music tastes, band members Brian Oblivion and singer Madeline Follin eventually headed east and began creating. Since posting their first EP the band has steadly gained legions of fans. Cults self-titled debut full length was released this month.

Diamond Rings

“Something Else (Live)”

Toronto based Diamond Rings is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist John O who crafts smart electropop ballads often detailing the trials and tribulations of love & desire. He has gotten a lot of attention for his live shows where he can be seen playing multiple instruments simultaneously and rocking rainbow infused makeup that can’t be ignored. Diamond Rings’ debut full-length, Special Affections, is out now.

The Limousines

“Internet Killed The Video Star”

Having started creating music via email before they had even met, electropop duo The Limousines is now playing major festivals globally. With one foot firmly planted in todays internet realty and another in the world of vintage drum machines and synths the band crafts richly inspired music with sophisticated lyrics. Their latest full-length Get Sharp was just rereleased by Dangerbird Records this year.

Mac Miller

“Donald Trump”

After releasing some well received mixtapes and touring with Wiz Khalifa this spring, 19 year old Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller has established himself as a leader in the current 90s-style revivalist hip hop genre that eschews the oversaturated machismo of much of todays rap in favor of a more nuanced and vulnerable style. His latest mixtape, Best Day Ever is out now.

Young The Giant

“My Body”

With members hailing from India, Persia, Canada and the UK, California based alt-rock band Young The Giant crafts a youthful and melodic blend of rock & roll that makes good use of the diversity inherent in the band itself. Having started making music as teens as The Jakes, Young The Giant settled on their new moniker as a reflection of the maturing of their sound in 2010. Their eponymous debut album is out via Roadrunner.

Who will it be this week? Vote and tell us in the comments section below.

Graffiti6

“Stare Into The Sun”

The pairing of music producer TommyD and singer/songwriter Jamie Scott, Graffiti6 plans to self-release a whole series of EPs over the course of this year. Inspired by vintage soul and hip-hop beats, the two ground their catchy singles in traditional pop hooks and melodies that will continue to run through your head long after the song has ended.

Middle Class Rut

“New Low”

West Coast duo Zack Lopez and Sean Stockholm formed Middle Class Rut after a previous band split in 2003. Now making waves with their full-length debut No Name No Color, these two are focused on new beginnings and a fresh way to entice their devoted fan base.

Phantogram

“When I’m Small”

Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel are the duo behind Phantogram. Influenced by the surroundings of their recording studio, Harmony Lodge, in Saratoga, NY, the group uses the rural backdrop as inspiration for their unique sound: a combination of electronica and pop that leaves the listener in a world of daydreams.

Theophilus London

“Flying Overseas”

Brooklyn-based rapper, songwriter, and producer Theophilus London just released his Lovers Holiday EP last month as a follow-up to his 2009 This Charming Mixtape. This internet-savvy artist is well known for a personal connection with his fans and he’s sure to capture your heart with his modern-day love tracks.

The Vaccines

“Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra)”

Coming to you from across the pond, UK group The Vaccines drew massive attention for their performance on Live with Jools Holland and continue to collect fans in droves as they sweep the States. Set to release this month, the group’s debut album What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? is not one that you will want to miss.

Who will it be this week? Vote and tell us in the comments section below.