Blue October w/ The Kin

Formed in the late ’90s, the Texas alternative pop quintet Blue October draws from the lighter sound of the modern-rock in vogue at the time, acts like Tripping Daisy and Better than Ezra. With their big chorus and distorted hooks, their breakout singles “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean” sounds like a relic from MTV’s 1997 buzz bin, so it’s not surprisingly they’ve been embraced by alternative-radio formats that have never moved beyond the decade. The group’s latest, Approaching Normal, has been welcomed warmly by fans of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, who has endorsed the group boisterously.