by Genevieve Poist > University of Maryland, College Park | photo by The Drive

Tired of your iPod playlist? Want to be a music snob and listen to stuff your friends have never heard of? Whatever your reason for wanting new music, there’s no better place to look for it than right around the corner. Here are some of the local bands DC has to offer:

KINDA PANDA is an instrumental rock band known for creating chill melodies with its slow/fast progressions. This College Park trio’s ambient sound makes it perfect music to study by, in addition to being ideal for a party or any social gathering of friends.

THE DANCE PARTY is DC’s own powerpop quartet that has already made a name for itself by performing at area hot spots like the Black Cat. These upbeat enthusiasts just released their first full-length album Friction! Friction! Friction!, a soon-to-be hit among dance-rockers and Physics professors alike.

MASON SUMMERS is a Christian punk band from College Park, reminiscent of Green Day and the Horrorpops. The trio, complete with female bassist, is known to cover old hymns, giving punk-rockers something to look forward to on Sunday mornings.

THE DRIVE, of College Park, is an alternative rock band revamping typical 90s rock with rich female vocals. Their modern twist on an old sound will satisfy those wishing Gwen Stefani had collaborated on a Third Eye Blind CD.

THE DEAD BEATS (formally The Husbands) are an indie/folk duo from Silver Spring. Male guitarist J. Andrew Bucket and female drummer Haley Baptiste manage to emulate an upbeat version of the New Pornographers.