mtvU announces the new "Freshmen 5" artists

Each semester, mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, recognizes five emerging artists that are poised to jump from college favorites to household names. The mtvU “Freshman 5” latest roster includes: B.o.B, Surfer Blood, Two Door Cinema Club, Anarbor, and Mayer Hawthorne. Videos from each artist will be in rotation on mtvU for the rest of spring semester, showcasing these talented musicians’ work to an audience of nearly 9 million college students on over 750 college campuses.

“These are the up-and-coming artists we think college students will rally around this semester, and throughout the next year,” said Eric Conte, Vice President of Programming and Production, mtvU. “We’re excited to introduce this fresh new music to a larger audience, and plan to fully support them across all of mtvU’s platforms.”

mtvU is the first network to air each “Freshman 5” artists’ videos on television. With the “Freshman 5” stamp of approval, mtvU is fully embracing these young, talented artists and will feature them throughout its on-air, online, and on-the-ground events. From the “Freshman 5,” to the annual mtvU Woodie Awards -- the only awards honoring music voted best by college students -- mtvU has a history of tapping into artists before they hit mainstream. Past “Freshman 5” alum include Grammy Award-winning artist Amy Winehouse, the Grammy Nominated Silversun Pickups, 2009 mtvU Woodie Award Performers Passion Pit, and Kidz in the Hall.

More about the spring 2010 “Freshman 5” artists:

B.o.B:
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, a city known for its outcasts, B.o.B is truly out of the ordinary. At just 19 years old, the rapper – born Bobby Ray Simmons – has become a breath of fresh air in Atlanta’s snap and trap-obsessed scene. Known primarily for his heavy smokers anthem, “Cloud 9,” and the frenetic energy of his song “Haterz Everywhere,” B.o.B scored a record deal with Atlantic Records while he was still in high school. Now, the teen-aged rap phenomenon is ready to bring his genre-bending style nationwide with his highly anticipated debut, The Adventures of B.o.B. Beyond mtvU, MTV will premiere B.o.B.'s latest video, “Nothin'' on You” on MTV2, MTV Hits and MTV Jams on March 9, 2010.

To check out B.o.B, click HERE.

Surfer Blood:
When you think of Palm Beach, Florida, what comes to mind? Palm trees swaying gently in the balmy breeze? Scantily-clad bikini buxom babes rollerblading down an infinite slab of coral-colored concrete? How about anthemic, bombastic, life-affirming indie pop? If the latter didn’t occur to you, let us introduce you to Surfer Blood: they call West Palm Beach home and, while still in their early 20s, have penned an album worth of catchy indie songs that even the most hook-laden power pop band would rightfully be jealous of. In January 2010, Surfer Blood released Astro Coast, their debut album, on Kanine Records. Their first single release, “Swim (To Reach the End)”, with its deliciously deafening swaths of reverb and feedback, comes across like early Orange Juice covering every song on Weezer’s Blue Album at once. Beyond the “Freshman 5,” mtvU will also air a short performance from SXSW in mtvU’s “Ahead of the Curve.”

To check out Surfer Blood, click HERE.

Two Door Cinema Club:
Northern Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club is a music-mad trio whose debut album fizzes with invention and sparkling tunes. Rooted in rock and pop, with elements of electronica / electro, and Afro-beats, the sum is greater than any ‘indie electro pop’ parts. Two Door Cinema Club inked a deal in North and South America with independent label Glassnote Records in November 2009, and plans to release an album early next year. Recorded in London at Eastcote Studios and produced by Elliott James (Bloc Party, Noah And The Whale) with a number of tracks mixed by Phillipe Zdar (Phoenix, Justice, Cassius), the album simply multiplies the single’s surfeit of ideas and sounds. The opening track, “Cigarettes In The Theatre,” perfectly displays the bands light-footed yet hard-driving energy, highlighted by Alex’s vocal melody, with its almost dreamy brand of urgency. It’s followed by “Come Back Home,” a sequel of sorts; introducing a bed of woozy synths that build and act as a launching pad for a digi-funk backdrop that bounces, swings and rocks behind Alex’s confessions of relationships-past.

To check out Two Door Cinema Club, click HERE.

Anarbor:
Signed to Hopeless Records when they were still in high school, Anarbor is releasing debut LP The Words You Don’t Swallow fresh off the success of their 2009 EP Free Your Mind. Soulful, fresh, genre-defying, these are only a few of the terms that immediately spark the mind when greeted with Anarbor’s gutsy and transcending debut full length, The Words You Don't Swallow. Anarbor embodies the heart of a classic rock band, and adds an element of pop-rock to create a new and current sound that is their very own. While their peers grew up listening to bands that influenced today's over-produced pop scene, Anarbor spent their time revering the rock idols of generations past. The result is an album that speaks to fans about life's highs and lows, experiences, and people that cause them.

To check out Anarbor, click HERE.

Mayer Hawthorne:
Expectations are high for this admitted vinyl junkie who never planned on taking his crooning public. Mayer Hawthorne grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, and vividly remembers, as a child, driving with his father and tuning the car radio in to the rich soul and jazz history the region provided. Few expect such heartfelt sentiment to come from a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, but he has quickly caught the ear of his family at Stones Throw label, as well as BBC Radio 1 host Gilles Peterson and producer/DJ Mark Ronson. Hawthorne’s hanging-by-a-string falsetto and breakbeat production on his first recorded effort, the tender “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” are simultaneously Smokey and J Dilla – equal parts “The Tracks of My Tears” and “Fall in Love.” mtvU premiered Mayer Hawthorne’s latest video, “I wish it would Rain,” earlier this week, and will also air a short performance from SXSW as part of mtvU’s “Ahead of the Curve.”

To check out Mayer Hawthorne, click HERE.

For more information or to vote on your favorite mtvU “Freshman 5” artists, head to:
http://www.mtvu.com/music/the-freshmen/nominees-030110/.