Continuing the lineage of fuzzed-out guitar pop bands that stretches from the Ramones to the Strokes and the Drums, Minneapolis' Howler is the brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Jordan Gatesmith. The group released its debut EP, This One's Different, in 2011; that year, a journalist who had interviewed Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis about the 10th anniversary of the Strokes' Is This It? sent a copy of Howler's demo to Travis, who signed them to the label. Howler toured with the Vaccines and was named one of NME's best new bands of 2011 as well as one of their Top 100 bands of 2012. In January of that year, the band's debut album, America Give Up, was released. ~ Heather Phares