Robbie and Eliza traded songs back and forth, with each helping out with guitar and backing vocals on the other's songs. The whole night had the feeling of being in someone's living room, listening to people joke and tell stories and reminisce.

The xx are a young band: singers Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim are just 20 years old, and they only have one full length album under their belts. But on stage, their performance is smooth, solid, and mature beyond their years, showing exactly why they've been generating a lot of buzz over the past year or so.

It goes without saying that the sold out crowd at Lincoln Hall absolutely loved Fanfarlo, the London-based indie rock quintet. Their album Reservoir was one of my favorites of 2009, so I was glad to get the chance to see them live, finally.

The 22-year old Taylor's music is full of heartbreak, warnings against mean boys who will break your heart, and longing for meeting that special someone and falling in love.

The last time I saw Hockey, they were tossing out free beer at Lollapalooza, a consolation prize after their set was cut short due to a significant lack of power to the stage. This time, there were no such energy crises, and also no free beer.

While the members of Sonos, a California sextet, have their background in university a cappella choirs, they've expanded their repertoire far beyond Top 40 pop songs and into the far more juicy world of indie rock.

With just a guitar and his raw voice, Rocky Votolato puts forth a show that runs the gamut of emotion. His songs don't beat around the bush in any way; it's not so much that the songs are strictly literal, it's more the fact that they're honest.

A show by Nneka isn't just an introduction to her heartfelt brand of soul music. It's also a crash course in world affairs, the realities of living in an oil-rich nation, and in Nigerian politics.

Butch Walker can sleep well at night, knowing that if he were ever to become suddenly and inexplicably incapacitated during a concert and could no longer sing, that his incredibly exuberant fans would pick up the slack and sing every last word. Even to songs which he would much rather forget, apparently.