Okay, so you’ve just moved to Pittsburgh to begin the best years of your life and the music… Okay, so you’ve just moved to Pittsburgh to begin the best years of your life and the music scene in your hometown was awesome, right? Well, don’t fret, my dear music aficionado, the ‘Burgh has a diverse music scene that anyone can be a part of.

The past year or so has seen the highest spots on the totem pole of local music become vacant, as bands like Mercury and the Buzzpoets parted ways. The members of Rusted Root are all working on solo endeavors, and The Clarks are no longer playing every weekend in the Steel City, as they have made it somewhat big in the music business.

So, with all of this taken into account, there’s still great music to occupy the time that your parents feel should be spent studying. Below is a list of several bands that are working on breaking into the music scene and turning some heads. This list doesn’t include all of the great local acts that are out there, so feel free to take it upon yourself to find out a little more about the scene on your own.

Firefly: A three-piece that straight up kicks you in the face and then makes it all feel better in the end. These guys are like that ex-girlfriend who broke your big-screen television but who you still love and want more than you did the first time around. Hard-hitting drums back the screeching guitar licks of front-man Mikey Yurick, and with the eccentricity of David Bowie matched with the heavy-hitting sounds reminiscent of older Green Day material, these guys can really put on a show.

Pete Killed Pete: The boys of Pi Kappa Alpha are regular rockers at Peter’s Pub, and after conquering the city of Pittsburgh they plan to take over the rest of the world. Already on their way to turning heads, front-man James Patla leads this group of college rockers with his raspy vocals and Pearl Jam vibe that gets the crowd rocking along.

Dodging August: This four-piece has seen some lineup changes in the past year, but they still have a decent sound, although they replaced their original lead guitarist (who was simply incredible) with another guitar player who doesn’t quite fill those shoes. Even with the change they have an incredible sound that is comparable to that of the Goo Goo Dolls and Saves the Day. With lyrics that run on for days (such as bands like Dashboard Confessional) and catchy hooks, these guys are rocking in the right direction.

Flowdown: Unadulterated groove rock. Four guys with a love of all kinds of music who can simply rock out and jam like no other band in the city. With a huge following of fans who just want to shake their asses, Flowdown brings the groove that makes you get up and move. Frontman Matt Harkness leads the emotional live show with his soulful growl as they play songs ranging from original tracks to covers of Prince and Stevie Wonder songs.