Recommended If You Like Lollapalooza's biggest acts

Very few bands “make it.” Far more toil in relative obscurity, only sometimes earning a fan base and a living wage for their art. A lot of these little-known or under-known acts, though, are the inspiration for or compatriots of those bigger acts, those bands that made it. Thus, The A.V. Club’s Recommended If You Like, where we start with a bigger band—Mumford And Sons, for example—and run down a few acts that Mum-fans might be into.

For this edition, we’re focusing on the groups playing Lollapalooza at Grant Park Aug. 5-7. It suffices to say that most people are at least vaguely familiar with most of the headlining acts. But what about those bands trapped in 1 p.m. performance slots? For all those fans who want to see the groups closing each night of the festival, but might also be interested in some of the acts playing earlier in the day, here are a handful of musical entities that could hit the mark.

If you like Deadmau5, check out Modeselektor:
Joel Thomas Zimmerman, a.k.a. Deadmau5, has become a dance sensation in the U.S., a country that’s not as friendly toward the kind of electronica Zimmerman makes as some other countries around the world are. Berlin’s Modeselektor can put on the kind of show that those enchanted by Deadmau5’s funky electro breaks seek elsewhere. Messing around with everything from techno to hip-hop to IDM, the duo has become a European sensation and found a fan in Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. These guys will get the party started long before the faux dance fans crash it. (Deadmau5 plays Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. Modeselektor plays Aug. 7 at 7:15 p.m.)

If you like My Morning Jacket, check out Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses:
My Morning Jacket has comfortably grown into the arena spotlight, morphing its Southern-rock and country leanings into a style that recalls classic rock at its fist-pumping best and its elaborately overblown worst. Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses can sound downright conventional in a near neo-Luddite manner in comparison, even when Bingham’s backing band is in full-on rock mode. But the Oscar winner’s hoarse vocal delivery sounds like it’s fueled by big dreams and plenty of whiskey, and his earnestness might do the trick for those perhaps displeased by MMJ’s recent musical turns. (My Morning Jacket plays Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses play Aug. 7 at 2:15 p.m.)

If you like Foo Fighters, check out Rival Schools:
It’s easy to forget the Foo Fighters’ punk persuasion with all their arena-rock posturing: Dave Grohl played in Washington, D.C. hardcore act Scream and a little band called Nirvana; Pat Smear played in legendary L.A. act The Germs; and Nate Mendel played in iconic post-hardcore act Sunny Day Real Estate. With members who played in Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, and Youth Of Today (to name a few), Rival Schools’ band members have plenty of punk left in them, and it’s noticeable in their music. Rival Schools’ songs are accessible to boot, so anyone who might think the Foo Fighters’ new material isn’t hard enough might want to take a peek at this aggro-act. (Foo Fighters play Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. Rival Schools play Aug. 7 at 1:45 p.m.)

If you like Coldplay, check out The Joy Formidable:
Like Coldplay, The Joy Formidable hails from across the pond, but the similarities between the two acts go deeper than that. Just as Chris Martin’s group is determined to make songs that pull on heartstrings and fit into pristine pop formulas, the Welsh trio sounds equally obsessed with finding its name scrawled in the notebook of every heartsick tween across the nation. Don’t let the tunes’ slightly harder instrumental “edge” trick you: The Joy Formidable’s songs are rife with so many heart-on-sleeve lyrics they could give Martin a run for his money. (Coldplay plays Aug. 5 at 8:30 p.m. The Joy Formidable plays Aug. 7 at 1 p.m.)

If you like Muse, check out Disappears:
Both bands create music that can be described as “epic” in its own right. While Muse goes for densely layered pop-rock that reaches for the skies, Disappears is more focused on densely layered krautrock that’s shrouded in waves upon waves of distortion. Both acts seem bent on reaching a sort of perfection, but while the British group is geared toward making the most pristine arena-rock tune, the Chicago group is hell-bent on finding nirvana through repetition. The results vary, but both bands can create sounds that worm their ways into someone’s head and stay put for weeks. (Muse plays Aug. 5 at 8:15 p.m. Disappears plays Aug. 6 at 12:45 p.m.)

If you like Bright Eyes, check out Lia Ices:
Quasi-folkie Lia Ices doesn’t have the kind of unkempt voice that’s partially responsible for Conor Oberst’s success with Bright Eyes. However, her classically beautiful voice is just as powerful and, with the backing of some skillfully ornate instrumental melodies, Ices should strike anyone who likes to spend time at a hot, outdoor festival listening to some stripped-down indie tunes. (Bright Eyes plays Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. Lia Ices plays Aug. 7 at 2:30 p.m.)

If you like The Cars, check out Gold Motel:
Sure, one act is a little more “new wave” and the other is a little more “indie pop.” Both The Cars and Gold Motel harness the power of pop-rock hooks to make toe-tappingly good tunes. Sure, Gold Motel’s use of keys isn’t quite as chintzy and overbearing as The Cars’, but that’s a good thing. (The Cars play Aug. 7 at 4 p.m. Gold Motel plays Aug. 7 at 12:15 p.m.)

If you like OK Go, check out Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.:
Here are a couple of bands that show how gimmickry in pop music can be a double-edged sword. Sure, OK Go found millions (and millions and millions) of fans after its homemade video for “Here It Goes Again” became an archetypal—and perhaps historical—viral video. The video also obscured the group’s musical prowess, and OK Go’s ability to consistently crank out catchy pop-rock often gets lost in the way the group has become a punch line in some circles. The same goes for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., a band that’s found a good bit of fame for having embraced a strange obsession with NASCAR imagery. The group has caught some flack for its car-crazed onstage antics, which has unfortunately overshadowed the band’s uplifting pop ditties. (OK Go plays Aug. 5 at 7:15 p.m. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. plays Aug. 7 at 3:15 p.m.)

If you like Cage The Elephant, check out Grouplove:
Cage The Elephant isn’t the only band in recent memory to combine hip-hop’s flow with twangy guitars. There’s an-ever-so-slight hip-hop inflection in Grouplove’s new spin on classic-rock guitar licks. The L.A. act doesn’t wear the influence on its sleeve like Cage, but the intro to “Gold Coast”—which combines a light, breakbeat-style instrumental with nimble geetar finger-picking straight out of a country jam—is sure to be a hit for all those who like to blast “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” on their Hummer’s stereos. (Cage The Elephant plays Aug. 7 at 5:15 p.m. Grouplove plays Aug. 6 at noon.)

If you like Beirut, check out Young Man:
Remember when Beirut was nothing more than Zach Condon strumming on a ukulele in his bedroom while romanticizing the Balkans? Well, the intimate, lo-fi tunes Colin Caulfield makes as Young Man might do the trick for anyone seeking the same kind of wistful songs that turned Condon into an indie sensation. Caulfield’s music is slightly more psychedelic and lush than derivatives of Eastern European folk, but his heartfelt execution should no doubt feel like home to anyone who ate up Gulag Orkestar. (Beirut plays Aug. 6 at 8:45 p.m. Young Man plays Aug. 7 at 3:45 p.m.)

If you like Cee Lo Green, check out Patrick Stump:
All year, Cee Lo’s been practically ubiquitous with his song “Fuck You,” showing up everywhere from The Voice to random cartoons. Say what you will about that song, but that dude knows how to both make and milk a hit, as evidenced by his previous work with Gnarls Barkley. Patrick Stump, late of Fall Out Boy, is a lot like Cee Lo in that way, churning out one sing-along jam after another, including “Oh Nostalgia” off his upcoming record, Soul Punk. The similarities don’t stop there, though. Both artists have the pipes to support their ambitious arrangements and a deep, apparent appreciation for the works of soul superstars like Marvin Gaye and Prince. (Cee Lo plays Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Patrick Stump plays Aug. 6 at 5 p.m.)

If you like The Kills, check out Wye Oak:
Just go with us here: The Kills are a man-woman duo of two very attractive people, Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart. Wye Oak, for its part, is made up of the very lovely Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack. Wye Oak leans a little dreamier than The Kills’ bluesy style, but on the Baltimore duo’s latest record, Civilian, the band ventures into some deeper, darker territory, including the addition of just a few dronier tracks. Even though Stack’s probably not lined up to marry a supermodel anytime soon, it’s a start, and Kills fans should find this act especially palatable. (The Kills play Aug. 5 at 4:30 p.m. Wye Oak plays Aug. 5 at noon.)