XX Breakout

On Friday, English "chillwave" band the XX played Sonar in Baltimore. The XX are one of the biggest new bands on both sides of the Atlantic. The album made several top ten list for 2009, including Rolling Stone and NME.
Consequently, the buzz awaiting the band was pretty intense at the sold out show. XX, however, are not exactly a rock band, and it took several songs for the crowd to settle in for the laid back sounds. Once they had, everyone seemed to enjoy the show, and XX played all the songs from their debut album plus one cover.
Many dance/alternative bands from the UK have tried to find success in this country in the last few years, but something about XX feels different. They seem more popular and accessible than previous bands, and will have a chance to win over many more fans this summer when they play several major festivals in the United States, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Coachella.