I remember hearing the name Kings of Leon a while back and not thinking twice but that's probably because I hadn't heard their music yet. And still, I'm not even sure where I first was when I heard them but when I did, it was love at first sound. I have a feeling it was somewhere between a friend's Myspace profile and 90210 but it was their appearance on SNL that sealed the deal. I was in another room when I heard 'Sex on Fire', an amazingly sexy song, blaring from the TV. When I came back in to listen, I realized I realllly liked this band.

Lucky for me(and you!) KOL is coming to Chicago on January 24th to play, Dare 2 Dream, a benefit show at the House of Blues.What this means, is that not only will you be able to see an awesome band, you'll be helping raise money for the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital and their efforts dedicated to helping kids with cancer beat the disease.

Take a listen on their Myspace page and if you like what you hear, tickets are available on www.ticketmaster.com.

Terrible Twos are the most frantically fantastic thing to come out of Detroit in recent years; a rock n roll carnival of synth sensations and guitars on speed. I had a chance to see their show at the Pike Room in Pontiac Friday October 24, and I… believe I saw the second coming. Their stage presence feeds off the audience, an audience devoid of any "scene"; only full of people strictly committed to hearing the musical genius of Detroit's native sons.

Featured in Real Detroit this summer, the band has been riding a drunk wave of local celebrity stardom since the release of their charmingly obnoxious self-titled full-length album. Playing with Psychedelic Horseshit and fellow Detroiters The Bill Bondsmen the other night, the crowd was sporadic, but the energy was stripped of all indie credibility as Terrible Twos took rightful command of the set.

Craig Brown is the mustached and insane presence of the band, running back and forth with his bass, screaming lines of life on the other side. Chris Campbell, the headband-wearing front man of the group, compliments Brown's antics with a softer, yet just as intriguing poise with his guitar. Both switch instruments continuously through the set. Jonathan Arthur, the amazingly intense guitar player sweats and kicks out riffs fast and strong. Jeffrey Jordon, the man in the back, pounds out the rough drumbeats crucial to the Two's sound. Thrown into the noise fest are the synth delicacies of leggy, immaculately dressed keyboard-player Danny Bing.

Together, the band makes perfect sense while making no sense at all. Their chemistry is a force hidden in the dark streets and chaotic nights of Detroit life. On their self-titled full length album released by X! Records, the guys electrocute themselves to a noisier stream of consciousness. The band's earlier 7", "Radical Tadpoles" is also worth a listen.

You can find Terrible Twos playing anywhere from dirty basements to the official stages of SXSW. The band is currently touring wherever and whenever, playing shows in Manhattan and Atlanta. Their next show is at the Lager House in Detroit with Lee Marvin Computer Arm and Gardens November 26.

While I was catching up on one of my daily reads, Refinery 29's Pipeline, I stumbled upon their Weekend Event Listings, which I don't usually pay attention to since they are usually New York focused. Though this time something caught my eye.

Their header collage included a pic of Maps & Atlases, one of THE best bands to come out of the Midwest recently, so I read on. It was a listing for their Brooklyn show last night at Southpaw and a cute, little compliment.

I wasn't only excited as a Midwest music fan or superfan (I've seen them in 5 different states) but as a friend. These guys are awesome and it was pretty cool to see my worlds collide.

Have a listen to "Artichokes" from their new album, "You, Me and The Mountain" to hear what I mean.