After a few days, where we are still hung over from the partying in Germany we are still smiling with joy just thinking of the decision to award the sceptre to FIREFLIES. The Brooklyn 4 piece has come a long way since their beginning four years ago where Dan, a singer songwriter, got together at university with Wil a guitar player into heavy rock. The two had distinctively very different musical tastes. Dan was into Bowie and Talking Heads and Wil was into heavy rock riffs like AC-DC and other "loud" bands. The two started the band and found Matt a bass player that would mould the band's sound and style thus making it more complete. A long search for a drummer lead to the very lucky encounter with Seth, a solid drummer with a groove to kill for and arms that look like sledge hammers. FIREFLIES demonstrated in Germany that pop/indie tunes with a folk/rock influence can work and be timeless as well. Away from the trends and the current scenes where bands echo’ the present style and must obey what has been a very market driven business, FIREFLIES's simple approach has taught us that fine songs mixed with an emotional delivery can still work wonders... in any age or decade. I felt the songs could work in the 80s, the 90s and beyond. This basically proves one thing: song-writing. Without that you have nothing. The other thing that we must not forget is the professional method and approach that this band applied to their long season in New York City. From the very beginning playing in small venues to the gradual step of playing the bigger places and eventually the Webster Hall, where they were picked as the best band. FIREFLIES learned that hard-core fan support and shameless promotion can lead to greater things. They are now about to start a residency in one of the finest venues in the country: Crash Mansion NYC (an L.A. equivalent has just being opened) and this was only thanks to the hard work and proving to the people that count, that they are capable of turning the place upside down if they want to. A great set played with tons of energy has also a lot to do with the fact that this band is successful at 360 degrees... the whole package. The boys did not only win best band in Germany but took the price as best drummer which was an Orion Mapex drum kit worth nearly 3 grand as well as custom made music man guitars and basses (we all know of the value of those babies). And if that is not enough they also have a fully paid 4 week full professional recording in Malmoe, Sweden (veeery cold) at the RoastingHouse studio and a slot at the Redgorilla music festival in Austin, Texas during South By SouthWest. So, the moral of the story is very simple: write good tunes and work hard on your career... that way people will take notice. Congrats you boys... DANKE... you party animals!