Bunbury Music Festival is just right around the corner. It's the biggest music festival in the Cincinnati area and full of an impressive number of excellent bands. This year will be my first attending and as volunteer, so I wanted to share a few bands that I am looking forward to seeing. Maybe this will get you excited enough to purchase a last minute ticket. If not, there is nothing wrong with getting new music on your Spotify accounts. If you are going, don't forget to go early and check out more of the local bands too. They need all of our support.

1. The Shins

The Shins are one of the very original indie bands as they started back in 1996. I played this band a lot during my early days hosting a radio show on campus, especially this song, which I used as the "chill out" song. We all need a mellow song and this was it. Their music is unique and interesting to me. Other hits include "Name For You" and "Simple Song."

2. Civil Twilight

I started listening to this band after hearing the above song "Letters From The Sky" and feeling nothing short of blown away. The song itself was haunting, emotional, and very powerful in general. Then after hearing one of their songs on "Arrow", I was sold. They also remind me of Coldplay a lot in terms of their earlier music which is awesome. Other great songs include "The Courage Or The Fall" and "Next to Me."

3. MUTEMATH

I don't know what it is about MUTEMATH, but they just know how to come up with good music and add a reasonable amount of synthesizer in there without it being obnoxious.They very recently opened up for Twenty One Pilots - which is kind of cool too. Other great tunes include "Light Up" and "Stratosphere."

4. The 1975

This band never fails to put me in a good mood. I absolutely grew into loving The 1975. After accidentally discovering "Chocolate", I knew I had to find more of their songs. They have playful melodies and catchy songs in general. How much more do you really need from a band? Other songs that I enjoy are "Love Me" and "Heart Out."

5. Moon Taxi

This band is one I came across not long ago, but I still really want to see them in concert because I get the impression that they bring a lot of energy to their shows. I play them often on my radio show too, which makes it even cooler. Other hits include "Red Hot Lights" and "Make Up Your Mind."

6. AFI

First off, I love this band way too much and I didn't even know that they had a new album out until I went to find songs for this article. This gets me more excited for their performance. I grew up listening to this band quite a bit, especially in middle school - cue the seventh-grade emo phase - but I still love this band so much. Each album is unique and has a different element to it. Other hits include "The Leaving Song Part II" and "Medicate" among others.

7. Thirty Seconds to Mars

This song was hands down one of the anthems for our generation. There is no denying that at all. I remember listening to this album on CD with my friends growing up, and there's just so much nostalgia for simpler times and pre-teen angst - okay maybe not the pre-teen angst part. Thirty Seconds to Mars is one of those rare bands that only gets better with each album and I could not be more proud. Plus, they are touring with Muse this summer so that makes it even better. Other great songs are "Closer to the Edge" and "A Beautiful Lie."

8. Muse

Muse is that one band that I think all of my friends got to see without me. Their sound is constantly evolving and still never fails to sound good. Hearing their first album compared to their most recent one is life changing. One of my earliest memories was learning about "Kights of Cydonia" from Guitar Hero 3 and miserably failing that song every single time for at least two weeks. Either way, Muse holds a special place in my heart with their music. Other hits include "Undisclosed Desires" and "Assassin."

In all honesty, the line-up for Saturday is certainly geared more towards EDM and hip-hop, which is why I threw on my picks for more Friday and Sunday. Again, that's a personal preference. This will be my first music festival and Bunbury, and I hope I was able to at least share some cool music with you all - even if you do not end up at Bunbury this weekend.