Hello, I'm the "Indie Virgin"

Pepper Rabbit is more than just the featured item this week at your local Panda Express; they are one of many bands that are so effing fabulous, yet unheard of by the masses, myself included. I was only just recently informed of their melodious tunes by my indie rock godmother, Miss Keshlear (The Bang Pop).

I have always been a self-proclaimed lover of music, just not necessarily of good music. I am, always have been, and always intend to be completely and utterly devoted to two bands and will never make apologies for either: Incubus being the first, and The Beatles being the second, in no particular order, of course.

I do realize how trendy it is to love both of these bands as much as I do, but that isn't going to change ever, so deal with it. I will, however, apologize for buying the music of Miss Britney Spears, Sum41, and the "I'm blue, da ba dee da ba die" guys.

I have only just recently experienced a sort of "musical awakening" if you will, and I am now being much more critical when analyzing what music is allowed to take up space on my I-pod. When shuffling through, you may still find remnants of my former musical self like "Nookie" a la Limp Bizkit or "Country Grammar" from Nelly, but you will also find the refined and mature selections that I am currently acquiring a taste for.

I compare my musical journey to the process of learning how to drink a fine wine. Most people start with a white wine for its drinkability and easy finish; I compare chardonnay to the likes of Blink 182 and Black Eyed Peas, fun but not necessarily much substance there. Next, the wine-drinker will slowly work their way to the more complex reds, which are much more well-suited for the refined palate; such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Yeasayer and Frightened Rabbit. Of course, bold red wines are not for everyone and these people should stick to listening to Kesha and avoid The Black Keys and Broken Bells, by all means.

For those just now deciding to take the plunge from "radio-whore" music to the dark side, I recommend taking it slow, maybe with Sea Wolf or The Temper Trap. Don't bite off more than you can chew with musician's names you can't even spell like Lykke Li or Sufjan Stevens. A small hint I have for you: if you are trying to pick out a cool indie rock band to check out, select one with the word "rabbit" or "bear" in the title; you will most likely have a really good shot at choosing something hip, I promise.

I am only just now, at the age of 23, learning to press "pause" on Avenged Sevenfold and to press "play" on Band of Skulls and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Do it. Give it a try at least, if you don't like it, you can always spit it out in the bucket they have at all wine-tasting counters and go back to your Miley Cyrus obsession. It's ok, I know "Party in the U.S.A." gets stuck in my head too.