By Katie Olson
@nosloka

As far as festival season goes, music lovers are preoccupied with running around trying to get to their favorite bands’ shows. What they’re missing are prime acts that very well become their new favorites.

So while you were in crowd of 40,000 people watching Arcade Fire play Coachella last weekend, we took the liberty of finding your new favorite bands. These three acts will most likely be playing on repeat in your car this summer, but don’t worry, you can take all the credit.

The Colourist

Although these four Orange County natives have been active as a band since 2009, they’ve only gained traction over the past year. They made an appearance at this year’s SXSW, and then released their first full-length album, which is self-titled.

Their single, “Little Games”, has been around since the group won Best New Artist and Best Song at the O.C. Music Awards in 2009. Although their headlining tour is coming to a close this week, they have an array of music videos on YouTube and their new album is available for purchase (in vinyl or digital format) via their website.

If you like: Alt-J, Young The Giant

Hunter Hunted

Hunter Hunted is a testament to the power of radio promotion and music journalism. A Los Angeles based indie rock duo, Michael Garner and Dan Chang formed Hunter Hunted after their former band, Lady Danville, dissolved.

Local radio stations began playing their track “Keep Together” and soon after, the duo was playing a sold out show at the Troubador in Los Angeles. Only two years after forming, Hunter Hunted has released a 5-track self-titled EP , and is currently in the middle of a 35-stop tour, including seven festival appearances.

If you like: Grouplove, Youngblood Hawke

Barcelona

After releasing a 13-track album in 2007, listeners didn’t hear from this Seattle-based outfit for five years. But since November of 2013, Barcelona has released four singles and three EPs.

In 2005, the band cited Death Cab For Cutie as an influence and that sound is very apparent in their first album. But this cluster of new releases is fresh and original. There are tastes of synth and R&B at the same time; these tracks could be played in a club as well as listened to while studying.

If you like: The Neighborhood, John Newman, Foster The People