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UPDATE: A DAY TO REMEMBER has been voted Buzzworthy's Favorite Breakthrough Band Of 2011!

Looking back at 2011 in music, some of the year's biggest stories were ruled by major pop stars -- Katy Perry and Rihanna's chart domination, Lady Gaga's ongoing costume changes and baffling videos, Beyoncé's ongoing flawlessness, Adele's never-ending vocal glory. And, of course hip-hop's heavy hitters like Jay-Z and Kanye's collaboration, Drake's long-awaited (and worth-the-wait) album and Wiz Khalifa's big breakthrough.

But what about the bands that broke through in 2011? The groups that grew from music blog acclaim to radio chart-climbers to... wait... are they playing "Cough Syrup" AT MY STARBUCKS? Well we weren't content to let some of our favorite bands that went from near-obscurity to near-ubiquity in 2011 not get their due. So we took a good hard look at some of the most-buzzed-about bands (specifically, big musical acts that consisted of at least two or more people, and no, Lady Gaga and Jo Calderone do NOT count as two people in this case) and came up with a list of our favorite breakthrough bands of the year. Those bands are: A Day To Remember, All Star Weekend, Big Time Rush, Black Veil Brides, Breathe Carolina, Foster The People, Hot Chelle Rae, Karmin, Mindless Behavior, Odd Future and Young The Giant.

Check out the list of breakthrough bands below, and vote for your favorite breakthrough band of 2011. Voting closes Friday, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. ET, and we'll announce the winner on Friday, Dec. 16, at 12 p.m. ET!

+ A Day To Remember: While the The Ocala post-hard-core band's third album, Homesick, catapulted A Day To Remember into sold-out show status, it was their fourth album, What Separates Me From You, arguably their best album to date, that cemented their punk-superstar status. What Separates Me From You was released in late 2010, but 2011 became the band’s biggest year yet, with increased radio play, increased sales, bigger shows, a headlining spot at Warped Tour and even a spot on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- and not to mention, more than 2.5 MILLION Facebook fans, all while perfecting their sound. Haters, that's not selling out. That’s straight-up winning.

+ All Star Weekend: Though the Cali band's been around since, well, the early days of "Sonny With A Chance," the threesome shed their mouse-eared image and emerged as a viable pop-rock contender with their sophomore album, All The Way. All Star Weekend's breakthrough singles, "Not Your Birthday" and "Blame It On September," racked up online video streams and gained them a legion of committed fans -- almost 1 million fans on Facebook -- more grown up than the afternoon-TV set.

+ Big Time Rush: You're probably thinking, well, of course boy band Big Time Rush made this list. Both Buzzworthy and Nickelodeon are rocking on Viacom's dime, after all. And true, "Big Time Rush" the show has been one of Nickelodeon's top shows since it premiered in early 2010, pulling in more than 7 million viewers, making it Nickelodeon's biggest live-action series debut ever. But Big Time Rush the band has become a runaway success in its own right since the 2011 release of their smash singles "Worldwide" and "If I Ruled The World," which have sold millions of downloads. Their sophomore album, Elevate, was just released less than a month ago and debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart. It's already poised to outsell their B.T.R. debut. Another year of relentless touring -- including a winter stint at Radio City -- and their upcoming TV movie, Big Time Movie, should help.

+ Black Veil Brides: No, Black Veil Brides are not a KISS cover band (though they cover them on their new Rebels EP). No, they didn't get their start this year, and no, they're absolutely not a joke. At all. The Los Angeles melodic-metal band you may have never heard of has racked up TENS OF MILLIONS of YouTube views and legions of devoted bridesmaids who love them more than they can ever scream. And while their 2010 full-length debut hit No. 1 on Billboard's Independent Release chart, in 2011 alone, Black Veil Brides released a second full-length and just dropped the aforementioned Rebels EP, covered AP magazine's "100 Bands You Need To Know In 2011" April issue, played Warped Tour, turned every head in the house when they walked the red carpet at the VMAs and hit the road on the "Buried Alive" tour. And they'll embark on a world tour in 2012. Oh, and they won Revolver’s 2011 Golden Gods Best New Band Award and have consistently maintained their reputation of being some of the nicest guys in the business. What did you do this year?

+ Breathe Carolina: Sure, Breathe Carolina's David Schmitt and Kyle Even may not GAF about much more than making party-ready synth dance tracks in Denver, but they probably do GAF that their wasted-anthem “Blackout” -- a song that premiered here on Buzzworthy back in June and took them less than a day to write -- became the song that launched their radio career breakthrough hit, earned them a headlining spot on the "Scream It Like You Mean It" tour, and a not-at-all unenviable number of video plays.

+ Foster The People: If you went anywhere in 2011 and DIDN’T hear Foster The People's breakthrough hit, "Pumped Up Kicks," then you either spent the year orbiting Earth from space (and really, that's hardly an excuse) or you don't own ears. Next to Adele's dueling singles, "Pumped Up Kicks" absolutely owned 2011, which, if you're Mark Foster, Mark Pontius or Cubbie Fink, was easily the best year of your career: Coachella, car commercials, Kimmel, Fallon, "Saturday Night Live," nonstop spins at radio, literally MILLIONS of digital downloads, a pair of VMA nominations and a pair of GRAMMY nominations, a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, and certified gold status for their debut album, Torches. Foster The People made it cool to whistle, and even cooler to be Foster The People.

Check out more breakthrough bands of 2011, and vote for your favorite after the jump!

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Tags A Day To Remember, All Star Weekend, Best Of 2011, Big Time Rush, Black Veil Brides, Breathe Carolina, Foster The People, Hot Chelle Rae, Karmin, Mindless Behavior, Odd Future

Most people probably don't imagine the serene ski slopes of Denver, and think "Let's start an electronic rock band!" But Kyle Even and David Schmitt of Breathe Carolina aren't your average Mountain Time Zoners. The two dudes have been creating their catchy blend of synthy beats and melodic screaming since 2006, and they don't really GAF what you have to say about it. (No seriously, one of their songs is called "I.D.G.A.F.")

Get to know this week's MTV Push artists by taking a look through some of our exclusive videos and interviews with the guys. On how the band got their name, no, they didn't just pick their most peaceful vacation spot. David was actually inspired by a dream: "It was a dream I had about this woman named Carolina... It just stuck with me." That miiiight have to do what actually happened in that dream, but we don't want to pry.

We also learn more about the real tattoo David got during what was supposed to be just a scene at a tattoo parlor in their video "Blackout" spoiler alert: It's a unicorn), what exactly the "BC Twist" is and see the dudes shred it live during performances of "Edge Of Heaven" and "Blackout."

Watch more videos after the jump, and try to see if you can help Breathe Carolina with their hangover in their latest video "Blackout" below.

++ BREATHE CAROLINA, "BLACKOUT"

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Related Content Breathe Carolina Talks To MTV Act, Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Breathe Carolina, MTV Push, MTV PUSH: Breathe Carolina, PUSH, PUSH: Breathe Carolina, video

You guys went nuts when we brought you "Blackout," Breathe Carolina's first single off of their latest album, Hell Is What You Make It. Now, we're going nuts over the video for the song. CAN'T. STOP. DANCING.

The video opens with a VERY HUNGOVER Breathe Carolina sitting at a diner with a couple clowns -- like, circus clowns, not like "Those guys are clowns!" You know, because why not? Then we're quickly brought back to the previous night where we watch Kyle Even and David Schmitt try to recall their blackout from start to finish. The usual suspects are on the scene: an insane rock show, a strip club, a NSFW hotel room food fight and a near drowning. Man, if I had a quarter...

In between the rowdy shots, we see Breathe Carolina on stage and in the club performing their synth-y ode to trying not to get too drunk: "I'm only getting started/I won't black out/Let's go a little harder/I won't black out." That's what you say now, boys. The next thing you know there's nacho cheese all over your pillow, and you can't see out of your left eye.

+ Watch Breathe Carolina's "Blackout" video.

Related Content Song Premiere: Breathe Carolina's 'Blackout', Follow Buzzworthy On Twitter

Tags Breathe Carolina

Ever since a 30-second preview of electro-pop duo Breathe Carolina's new track "Blackout" hit the internet late last year, devotees of the Denver-based duo have been clamoring for a full version. Well, wait no more, friends, because we've got the exclusive track below.

You probably already skipped this paragraph and raced to the Play button, but just in case you're still reading this, a.) we appreciate it and b.) "Blackout" is the first single off of Breathe Carolina's third album, Hell Is What You Make It. The track recalls anthemic dance-pop acts such as Kevin Rudolf and Flo Rida, as Moroder-esque synths and four-on-the-floor beats propel the song that blends house, Italo disco, synth pop and electro. Translation: You will play this song, dance around like a maniac psycho and play this song again.

The heavily effected vocals mask the motivational hook, which is perfectly suited to a night out. "I'm only getting started, I won't black out. Let's go a little harder." It may not be Shakespeare, but the up-with-everything sentiment aligns with the stadium-ready sound.

Breathe Carolina's Kyle Even and David Schmitt, who D.N.G.A.F., as you're aware, are prepping the July 12 release of Hell is What You Make It on Fearless Records and are set to headline the "Scream It Like You Mean It" tour.

+ Listen to Breathe Carolina's "Blackout" below.

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Tags Breathe Carolina, Buzzworthy Song Premiere

We're all about the new Fearless Records compilation Punk Goes Pop Vol. 3 around these parts. There's just something about these recent, chart-scaling jams getting retrofitted into punk-friendly jams. And it's pretty compelling to hear the how and why from the bands about what they chose to cover in the first place.

Previously we saw Mayday Parade rock a version of Jason Derulo's "In My Head" and Breathe Carolina take on Jay Sean's "Down." And today, we have Atlanta screamo band Woe, Is Me tackling Katy Perry's indecision anthem, "Hot N Cold."

Woe, Is Me are no strangers to pop covers; the band garnered online acclaim with a take on Ke$ha's "TiK ToK." And it was familiarity with the structure of Ke$ha's track that made the group comfortable with Katy's song, choosing it over possible covers of tracks by Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift. Makes sense. After all, "TiK ToK" and "Hot N Cold" were both cowritten by Dr. Luke.)

Woe, Is Me's version of "Hot N Cold" is 50 percent faithful to the original and...50 percent punishing, metal and gravel-throated growls. It must be heard to be believed.

Watch Woe, Is Me discuss the group's cover of Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold," from Punk Goes Pop Vol. 3 and listen to the song below. Plus, check out Katy's "Hot N Cold" video for comparison.

Punk Goes Pop Vol. 3 is out now.

Tags Breathe Carolina, Jason DeRulo, Jay Sean, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Kelly Clarkson, Mayday Parade, Taylor Swift, video, Woe Is Me

The other day we posted a pretty sick video of techno-screamo band Breathe Carolina talking about their cover of Jay Sean's "Down," from Fearless Records' Punk Goes Pop Vol. 3. And today we've got an exclusive look at Mayday Parade talking about their take on Jason Derulo's dance track "In My Head," from the same compilation.

The choice of the Jason Derulo track was something of an 11th-hour decision for Mayday Parade. According to lead singer Derek Sanders, the band's used to flying by the seat of their pants. Sanders obviously has respect for the song, calling it "fun" and "super catchy."

Mayday Parade did a much more rock-friendly version of the song, as you'd expect, complete with heavy drumming and gang vocals.

Check out the interview with Mayday Parade's Derek Sanders and the band's cover of Jason Derulo's "In My Head" in the video below, then do a little compare and contrast with Jason Derulo's original video, directly below that. Punk Goes Pop Vol. 3 is out now.

Tags Breathe Carolina, Jason DeRulo, Jay Sean, Mayday Parade, video

(Credit: Splash News)

Punk Goes Pop is a cool compilation series, now in its third rev, that finds the finest young emo, screamo, pop-punk and indie bands covering today's chart-topping hits.

Volume three of the compilation has The Ready Set covering B.o.B and Hayley Williams' "Airplanes" and Mayday Parade putting their spin on Jason Derulo's "In My Head." But perhaps the standout track is the electro-screamo band Breathe Carolina's take on Jay Sean's infectious dance-friendly smash, "Down."

Honestly, Breathe Carolina probably have a lot more in common, musically, with Jay Sean than they do with a lot of punk bands. In the video below, Breathe's David Schmitt talks about how the song not only appealed to the band on a technical level but "Down" even struck a chord with the way the duo talks. Apparently they like to ask if people are "down" with things all the time. Two points for convenience!

Watch Breathe Carolina's David Schmitt talk about why his band chose to cover Jay Sean's "Down," then listen to the cover in the video below.

Punk Goes Pop Volume 3 is out now.

Tags B.o.B., Breathe Carolina, Hayley Williams, Jason DeRulo, Jay Sean, The Ready Set, video

Hey! After Cute Is What We Aim For, Meg & Dia, Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue and Anarbor hit the stage at NYC's Fillmore / Irving Plaza tonight, all of the Take Action Tour bands will be running a jeans drive and doing an acoustic performance tomorrow at the DoSomething.org offices (address below)!!!

First off, I gotta tip my hat to DoSomething.org for having one of the most straightforward URLs on the internet. None of this "AOL" ambiguity. Do something. Dot org.

Also, while my hat is off, I tip my toupee to Hopeless Records. The non-profit Sub City subsidiary (!) signs bands only on the condition that they fulfill certain pro-social commitments throughout their recording and touring process. In their nine years of existence, Hopeless has raised more than 1.5 million dollars for more than 50 charities. That's $1,500,000.

Finally, I tip my dandruff to the bands on the Take Action Tour, who are clearly in it for more than free Ed Hardy t-shirts. Super cool of them to show up and get people excited about a good cause. People like me. That's right. You heard it here first. I'm excited about jeans. Here's them deets.

Take Action Tour Jeans Drive
THURS FEB 19, 4-6 PM
24-32 Union Square East | 4th Floor
New York, NY 10003

RUN! Bring jeans! Or at least wear cute underwear! More tour dates after the jump!

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Tags Anarbor, Breathe Carolina, Cute Is What We Aim For, Every Avenue, Meg & Dia