ACL Artist Spotlight: The Temper Trap

Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time can be just what an indie band needs to break big. Over the last several years, a sizable number of relatively unknown groups have achieved mainstream consciousness by having their music featured in commercials, TV shows, and movies. Often referred to as "The OC Effect" (based on the timely explosion of Death Cab for Cutie via Seth Cohen), one song placed in the right ad or soundtrack can cement you a spot on the radars of everyone from tweens to soccer moms, and everyone in between. Just ask The Temper Trap.

A full month before their debut album, Conditions, was released in August 2009, the Australian band already had an in with American audiences, as lead single "Sweet Disposition" had been featured in the well received indie film (500) Days of Summer. Given the song's grand musical scope and the Thom Yorke/ Chris Martin influenced vocals of lead singer Dougy Mandagi, it made perfect sense when put in context with the lofty ambitions of Tom in his feelings for summer. The song climbed all the way to #9 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, and gave Glass Note Records another reason to pat themselves on the back. After all, Glass Note is also home to Mumford & Sons, who recently played to a sold out crowd at Antone's, and a little French band called Phoenix.

The Temper Trap's stadium-sized sound should please many festival attendants when they take the stage on Saturday, and they are likely win over those in the U2/Coldplay crowd that somehow managed to miss them the first time around. --Ryan Lester

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