Herbstrock

Herbstrock are a German-language pop/rock band that broke through to mainstream success in their native Austria in 2007 with their major-label debut single, "1-2-3." Though they're signed to a major label and proved themselves commercially viable, Herbstrock abide by indie rock ideals and are stylistically indebted to canonical alternative rock bands of the 1990s. They cite the German bands <a href="spotify:artist:7hVoi7crxYOHIayk4v9x4Q">Die Sterne</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4WOaecAM3RMMmrbZzNx0vu">Tocotronic</a> as key influences; musically, they're reminiscent of the American bands <a href="spotify:artist:5xU5wRTlZHVRoo2OxPvqA4">Throwing Muses</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3h1HOgVmvPlhqjz8o3LglL">Belly</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1fXw2uWfwAlNxlDsW8cKIS">Velocity Girl</a>. Founded in 2002 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, Herbstrock is comprised of Anna Müller (vocals, guitar), Sebastian Vogt (drums), Mathias "Duff" Dajeff (bass), and Thomas Eckhart (guitar). In 2007 the band benefited from valuable exposure via Anna & Du, a handysitcom (i.e., a downloadable situation comedy intended for viewing on handheld electronic devices) that ran for 40 daily episodes in May and June 2007. This exposure helped propel the band's debut single, "1-2-3," released in June by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Universal+Music+Group%22">Universal Music Group</a>, up the Austrian singles chart, where it peaked at number 26. A follow-up single, "Halt:mich," was released in November, and a full-length album, Ende:gut, followed in February 2008, becoming a Top 40 hit on the Austrian albums chart. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi