Andy Black, William Control, Palaye Royale

Andy Black (aka Andy Biersack) is best known as the founder and frontman of Black Veil Brides, a heavily eye-linered hard rock band that sounds like Mötley Crüe playing Misfits covers next to the sale rack at Hot Topic. But deep inside Black beats a heart for pop music, and on his debut album The Shadow Side, he jumps feet first into a world of programmed beats, ’80s-flavored synths and anthemic choruses that’ll echo nicely down the hallway of any high school. Some of Black’s goth-kid stylings are a bit much (in one song, he’s mad at the homecoming king), but give credit where it’s due: the guy knows how to write a huge hook.