Stadium, Damiera, Spirit of the Stairway, Radio Pioneer

Fans of experimental indie, hardcore and modern prog-rock will have a field day with this lineup, which features two up-and-coming Houston underground acts, along with a couple of harder, more experimental out-of-town groups. Stadium's music is similar to Rival Schools and Miranda Sound -- guitar-based and not overly poppy, but catchy enough to appeal to more discerning indie rock fans. Radio Pioneer, which features former members of the Tie That Binds, Guns of August and the John Sparrow, among others, mixes emolicious harmonies with clean riffs and solid rhythms. And Buffalo group Damiera's more progressive bent is in sharp contrast to Cedar Falls' Spirit of the Stairway, which works to keep hardcore alive with its pseudo-metal-style punk rock.