Though they may have nabbed their name from the Republican party, this three-piece is far from stuffy. Plus, they dress way better than Palin.

Grand Ole Party isn’t exactly underground anymore. The release of Humanimals earned a huge amount of national recognition for the band, garnering them spots on all sorts of tours, including some Rilo Kiley dates last fall. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley, The Elected…and Boy Meets World) produced the record.

Despite their growing fame, the band still hangs out in San Diego. The only difference is that now their shows are sold out affairs. I’ve seen them a couple of different times, and whether it’s been the Casbah or an outdoor setup at Independence Jam, Grand Ole Party really rocks out hard and knows how to fill a space. Cute vocalist Kristin Gundred pulls double duty as the band’s drummer, and the huge, wonderful voice that belts out of her is almost alarming. Guitarist John Paul Labno and bassist Michael Krechnyak are also notably talented.