Flobots + K-OS + Trouble Andrew + Champagne Champagne

Denver’s Flobots combine rap with mopey alt-pop. The band’s quirky fusion is somewhat compelling, but its political sloganeering is clunky at best. K-OS (pronounced "chaos") skillfully combines old-school hip-hop flavor, dub, reggae, lush instrumentation, trippy drum programming and righteous lyrics—most recently evidenced on this year's Yes album.