The Maine

In a town struggling to hold onto indie cred by the hair of its collective chinny-chin-chin, a hometown concert of a successful indie rock band is like a big "HA!" to the rest of the country. Enter Tempe's own musical underdogs, The Maine. Sure, their stylists seem to be part of a movement to blend The Beatles and Hansen. And, sure, some of their lyrics tiptoe dangerously close to the line between indie edge and a high school kid's overwrought diary. But we forgive them because they're ours, and because they're actually not bad. We might even go so far as to say they're good. At the very least, when their music does take us back to high school, it's mostly in a nostalgic way. What's more, The Maine is coming home for AP Tour 2009 with a bunch of other bands that are also worth hearing but have poofy hair, like Family Force 5 and Hit the Lights. Claim you're supporting the local scene and get away with seeing those acts.