Rolling Stone's Artists to Watch: The Rockers and Rappers Who Will Dominate 2007

Rose Hill Drive, a young power trio whose members somehow all manage to look like the last known photograph of Duane Allman, grew up in Boulder, Colorado, worshipping guitar-shredding groups like the Who and Van Halen. They never imagined their high school band (named after the street that guitarist Daniel Sproul, 22, and his bassist brother, Jacob, 24, grew up on) would wind up opening for both groups before the oldest member hit age twenty-five."We were used to looking for the smallest place in the city," Jacob says. "Instead, we're cruising down the highway looking for the Enormodome."

THE FORMULA (Cream + Bon Scott) x Big Cool Friend = Rose Hill Drive

SOUND Rose Hill Drive's debut sounds like it was buried in a time capsule in 1974. Their stripped-down yet highly frenzied music has drawn frequent comparisons to Cream and Led Zeppelin — but the group is growing weary of labels. "The whole new retro-band thing is getting a little old," says Daniel.

MUST-HAVE TRACK "Raise Your Hands"
Jacob Sproul palys bass like John Entwistle and sings like Bon Scott on this rock anthem.

AMAZING JOURNEY One major supporter has been Pete Townshend, who has repeatedly lavished praise on the band he hand-selected to open on the Who's current U.S. tour. He even invited the members to join him at a club gig in Chicago, where he jammed with them on the 1960s Who live staple "Young Man Blues" as well as "Raise Your Hands," a Rose Hill Drive original. "It sounds clichéd, but it seemed like everyone in the room disappeared but us four," Jacob says. "Pete's just out-of-control cool. He adds these riffs, despite not knowing the song well, which were just instantly badass." ANDY GREENE

Next: Check out the Artists to Watch from Issue 1049 — April 3, 2008

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