Augustana

Mellow piano rockers Augustana are a heartland equivalent to Coldplay or Keane, with a little bit of mid-'90s adult alternative throwback (think Counting Crows or the Wallflowers) as well. They initially released a pair of self-distributed CDs, the full-length Midwest Skies and Sleepless Mondays and the EP Mayfield, both in 2003, prior to signing with Epic Records in 2005. Their major-label debut, All the Stars and Boulevards, arrived in September of that year. A limited-edition reissue of the album, with extra songs and video content, was released in 2006. ~ Stewart Mason