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One of this year’s nominees for mtvU’s Woodie of the Year award, the indie band Silversun Pickups are beginning to receive the mainstream attention they deserve. While you may not have heard of this award (given to the artist who made the biggest splash on mtvU – the college campus edition of MTV), you’ve no doubt heard of the other nominees: Asher Roth, Kings of Leon, Drake, and MGMT. That the Pickups are categorized with such popular acts comes as no surprise; their third and latest album Swoon, which came out in April of this year, hit number seven on the Billboard Top 200 and number one on the Top Independent Albums List. This was a significant accomplishment for the band whose first full-length album Carnavas, released in July 2006, peaked at eighty on the Billboard 200.

In the nearly three years between the releases of their two albums, the Los Angeles, California based band toured extensively all over the country. Playing mostly in clubs and smaller venues, the band gradually garnered enough attention from hits like “Well Thought Out Twinkles” and “Panic Switch” to play big name music festivals including South By Southwest, Austin City Limits, Coachella and Lollapalooza. Their song “Lazy Eye” was even featured on the video games Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Aubert has even joked about the band’s transformation saying, “We still constantly think we have to do it all, like we always did, so it’s a challenge for us to, you know, let [management] do their jobs. It’s a weird notion after all these years to delegate. But we’ve gotten better at it. Actually, we don’t do anything anymore. Nothing. Not even in our personal lives. Management does everything. ‘I need a bath. Call somebody to come over and turn the water on, dammit!’”

Clearly the hardworking and talented band is doing something right though. Drawing comparisons to The Smashing Pumpkins, the Pickups are known for their hard rock and great shows. Catch them in Providence at Lupo’s this October 17.