Happy Birthday, Woven Bones and More at United States Art Authority [Giveaway]

Brattleboro, Vermont might not be the first place that comes to mind when you hear Happy Birthday's catchy, guitar-driven pop - the small community is known for its vibrant local arts scene and chilly winters, if it's known for anything at all. But the trio, who last year signed to Sub Pop Records, craft pop gems out of sweet vocal harmonies, jangly guitars and alt-rock riffs. The band was slapdashed together for one show in late 2008 when guitarist and singer Kyle Thomas wanted backup for some new songs he'd written on his own. It went well: Sub Pop signed them four performances later. Their self-titled debut album came out in March on the heels of their first single, the eminently catchy "Girls FM".

Austin's own Woven Bones kick off their nationwide tour in support of their new 7" on Hardly Art, and their debut full-length, In and Out and Back Again, released earlier this year. The garage rockers came to prominence on last year's Casual Victim Pile comp and are described on Hardly Art's website as a jumble of "raw wolfman rock, angry acid trips, psyched-out noise pop and lovelorn snarls," which sounds just about right to us.