As far as LA's indie bands rising to commercial success this year, Foster the People takes the crown for 2011, with honorable mentions for Young the Giant and Grouplove. Now looking ahead at 2012, the dazzling pop sounds of Youngblood Hawke place them on a similar path as all the aforementioned bands. Oddly enough, according to Youngblood Hawke's biography, friends Sam Martin and Simon Katz wanted to avoid commercial pressures and started the band with a simple mindset of having fun and sharing music with friends. Whether or not the band, which also includes Tasso Smith, Alice Katz and Nik Hughes, actually has felt any pressure is unknown, but with bright vocals, sparkling percussion and fluttery guitars they should have very little trouble finding acceptance among music fans around the world.

While 2012 will most likely be a big year for Youngblood Hawke, it does not mean that 2011 was a snooze. On the contrary, the band released an EP in March and had a buzzing residency at The Satellite during the month of October. The exhilarated sounds of songs like "Rootless" and "Dannyboy" reflect the force of a radiating city. The lyrics contain a lot of motion, showing that the band members do not wait for opportunity to knock on their door. Instead, they take charge and make things happen for themselves. The band plans two wrap up a full-length album during the next two months, but do not expect them to be out of the spotlight for long. - Karla Hernández