Most blogged artists: Yeasayer, The Morning Benders, Atkinson

Brooklyn rock band Yeasayer has been the most talked about band in the blogosphere for two weeks, following the release of its critically acclaimed second album
Odd Blood. Other top acts on February 18, according to The Hype Machine, are California indie pop group The Morning Benders and Vancouver garage-rock/noise-pop group Japandroids.

Formed in Berkeley, California, in 2005, The Morning Benders released their debut album Talking Through Tin Cans in 2008 and have toured with acts including Grizzly Bear and Death Cab for Cutie. The indie pop band is in the blogs today after releasing "Excuses," the first single from upcoming album Big Echo, as a free download. Several bloggers praise the band for its "sunshine" sound, which Music Induced Euphoria (musicinducedeuphoria.blogspot.com) says is "unparalleled this side of The Beach Boys. but somehow, they manage to deliver it in the freshest, most palatably subtle way imaginable."

Atkinson is a Venezuelan band who is popular in the blogs today thanks to a project called the Music Alliance Pact, by which more than 30 participating bloggers from around the world share a track from their home country each month. Atkinson is the pop-rock project of three musicians from other well known Venezuelan bands Desorden Publico, Zapato 3, and Amigos Invisibles.

The 10 most blogged artists on The Hype Machine on February 18 at 9:30 AM GMT:

• Yeasayer 
• the morning benders 
• Japandroids 
• The Radio Dept. 
• Local Natives 
• Pattern Is Movement 
• Toro Y Moi 
• Gorillaz 
• Kiki Pau 
• Atkinson-La Banda

Launched in 2005, The Hype Machine aggregates information from more than 1,000 music blogs worldwide. Known for identifying up-and-coming artists, the site enables music fans to easily find out what music is hot in the blogosphere and to instantly hear and buy MP3s.

http://hypem.com