In order to create the Vanguard, Zeus pinned a gigantic map of the world to the wall in his office. He picked up four golden darts. Blindfolded, he reached for the first dart, drew his hand back and flung it to the map. "Ah I see, the singer shall be from the mountains of Virginia," and so, Aaron Barr was born. Flying through the air, the second dart dropped down in Przemysl, Poland. "How cute, a potato baby will be the guitarist." The next was raised and thrown, descending upon the spot of earth called Serbia. "This little guy will witness the partition of his country. This will make him very good on the keys and bass guitar." The creator reached for the final dart, but stopped before throwing it." I need someone steady and dependable, unlike those other kookie kids. A drummer to hold the beat to the music." He let it fly and it touched down in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Young man you will be the drummer," the creator told the tango baby who had yet to be born. And, my friends, the rest is history.

Since then, The Vanguard was featured on Matt Pinfield's Morning Show on 101.9 RXP. The boys also played five shows in four days at SXSW 2009 in Austin, Texas. SPIN.com named them a buzzworthy up-and-coming band because of their "bubbling melting pot of sounds, influences, and ethnic backgrounds."

They have pre-released two songs off their forthcoming LP to be fully released later this year. Make sure to look out for their music video directed by Patryk Rebisz for their song "Rio." - Maria Clark

"Blair cites Neil Young as a primary influence, but she owes as much to early Liz Phair, with whom she shares a meandering singing style and a lyrical bluntness that sounds at once suggestive and wounded. But whereas Phair's bravado evokes exasperation, Blair's suggests a more wide-eyed sense of adventure" NPR

"Young, driven, and filled with Southern goodness, Blair's alt-country cuts are packed with the same sorrow and hope as indie-folk brethren like Bright Eyes and Cat Power" Flavorpill