This time last year, The Stranger compiled a list of great, up-and-coming bands and called them the Young Ones—bands who were new to the scene or hadn’t gotten much press but were destined for big things in the coming year. We’re doing it again for 2008.

Maybe you’ve heard of these acts before—we’ve written about most of them in the past year—but 2008 is their year to blow up.

To celebrate these bands, we’re throwing a party—a cheap night of music spread across two venues featuring almost every single Young One. On Thursday, March 6, Neumo’s and Sole Repair will host performances by Throw Me the Statue, Truckasauras, Sleepy Eyes of Death, Talbot Tagora, the Physics, the Moondoggies, and even a surprise guest. To cap everything off, we’re bringing back a couple of last year’s Young Ones—Dyme Def and Arthur & Yu—both of whom had stellar years in 2007.

Here’s the best part (yes, there’s more): Entrance to all the evening’s action costs only $5, which is a suggested donation that will go directly to benefit Real Change.

The March 6 issue of The Stranger will feature full write-ups on each of the artists we picked, but until then, click over to our Young Ones website for MP3s and videos. We’ll be featuring each band here on Line Out as the showcase gets closer.

So without further ado, 2008’s Young Ones:

Throw Me the Statue
Throw Me the Statue started as Scott Reitherman’s solo project, but has since grown into a five-piece band boasting four-part harmonies, melodica, and glockenspiel on top of the regular combo of guitars and drums. Their bright sound has hints of Of Montreal, the Microphones, and the Promise Ring, and they’re fast becoming known for energetic live shows where band members play musical chairs—each taking a turn at various instruments throughout the set.

The Moondoggies
So much more than alt-country, the Moondoggies’ soulful back-country blues summons the feel-good, live-free vibes of acts like the Byrds and the Band with memorable hooks that burst from every song by way of three-part harmonies and a roaring Rhodes piano.

Sleepy Eyes of Death
Sleepy Eyes of Death are as much a visual experience as they are an aural one. At live shows, carefully placed spotlights fade in and out of glowing red, blue, and yellow, while two smoke machines fill the room. The music shifts from intense and chaotic to fluid and melodic—live drumming and guitar pound through electronic atmospheres created by vintage analog synths and rare vocoded vocals.

Talbot Tagora
Talbot Tagora are the youngest Young Ones this year. The Eastside/Seattle trio layer disjointed guitar riffs and nervous rhythms, recalling the postpunk garble of Unwound or Erase Errata as much as the current art-noise spasms of bands like L.A.’s No Age.

PWRFL Power
PWRFL Power, the solo project of Kaz Nomura, had a great year last year. He won a slot at the Capitol Hill Block Party and a guest appearance in an Esurance commercial (which should be airing soon). But with his debut record coming out this spring on Portland’s Slender Means Society, 2008 should be PWRFL Power’s biggest year yet.

The Pharmacy
The Pharmacy have been around longer than perhaps any other bands on this list, having started in 2001. But 2008 stands to be their breakout year. The band have a new album, Choose Your Own Adventure, coming out February 28 on local indie label Don’t Stop Believin’. They’ve also finally settled into a solid lineup and become a band you can take seriously—now you know they’ll show up for the shows that they book—without losing their DIY charm.

The Physics
In 2007, the Physics impressed the local hiphop scene with their debut, Future Talk, a collection of hiphop tracks that are light and smooth but still boast plenty of energy. MC Thig Natural and DJ Jus D’Amato mix mellow funk loops with conversational flow, resulting in the laidback sound and good vibes of tracks like “Natural” and “Town Talk pt 1.”

Truckasauras
Truckasauras craft compelling yet playful techno tracks armed with an arsenal of electronic noisemakers—vintage Roland drum machines, synthesizers, a first-generation Game Boy. The band’s sense of humor comes through during the live set when they perform in front of projections of classic WWF matches and monster-truck rallies.