Athens, AL group Alabama Shakes crept onto many year-end lists and music minds by gaining steam off a quietly-dropped eponymous EP last September. Their gusty brand of Southern blues might appeal to fans of the Black Keys and Drive-By Truckers, but don’t let those comparison limit your interest. Frontwoman Brittany Howard’s mightily soulful vocals lead the way over a grooving backing band. The band hasn’t even released an LP yet, but they’ve alright got a swift buzz around them and videos of their live performance (“Hold On” below) show they’ve already got a confident swagger about them. I, for one, am tickled to be catching them at SXSW this year.