After a roundup of last year’s music best-of’s, it’s time to start filling our 2009 list with hidden gems and discovery goodies. First up, Chicago-based alt-rock getup Company of Thieves.

Full of raw rock power, socially conscious, and brimming with fascination over history’s misunderstood heroes, the trio nails every box on the hipster checklist. Not to mention they’re not too shabby looking, either.

Their sound is distinct yet familiar — Evanescence meets The Cranberries meet an angrier Ingrid Michaelson, with a twist all their own.

Company of Thieves is vocalist Genevieve Schatz, guitarist Marc Walloch and drummer Mike Ortiz.

Check out their Ordinary Riches album and grab “Oscar Wilde,” one of the strongest tracks on it, as a free download on iTunes.

These guys will hit the Big Time in ’09, mark our words – SXSW, primetime drama soundtracks and TV commercial scores, here they come.