Austin, Texas, indie popsters Spoon first hit the scene in 1996, releasing their debut album on New York's venerable Matador Records. With a solid, melodic punk sound firmly in place, Spoon would go on to develop a bolder, more adventurous aesthetic,…

Formed in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1990s, Death Cab for Cutie deals in guitar rock that is informed by a striking sensitivity. Led by singer/guitarist Benjamin Gibbard, the group straddles the line between indie and emo rock, earning the…

This US indie rock band may be better known by the acting resumes of a few of their members. Jason Schwartzman (b. 26 June 1980, Los Angeles, California, USA; drums) is the son of actress Talia Shire, and has starred in movies such as Rushmore and Sl…

Singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett started out under the moniker A Man Called E, releasing two albums of dark, melodic pop in the early 1990s. After forming Eels and signing to a new label, Everett's work became even darker, and the production bec…

Beck Hansen, the quintessential California slacker, came up among the lo-fi ranks, pushing a blend of country blues, Dylan-inspired wordplay, punk, and hip-hop. His straight-out-of-the-gate 1994 smash, "Loser," made him a star seemingly overnight. Su…

After making their initial impact with the single, "Popular", this Los Angeles, California, USA-based alternative rock band then struggled to shake off accusations that they were a "novelty band". The single - a teenage guide to winning popularity - …

Combining the influences of new wave, post-punk, and lo-fi, Washington's Modest Mouse spent the second half of the 1990s becoming one of the most renowned indie-rock bands in America. Though often tagged an emo group, Modest Mouse transcends sub-genr…

In 2002, Interpol helped lead the charge of New York bands influenced by the post-punk and new wave sounds of the early 1980s. With Cure-like moody guitar and synth riffs and dour, Ian Curtis-style vocals, they conjured up a dark but infectious sound…

The 80s-pop inspired group Rooney is comprised of Robert Carmine vocalsguitar Taylor Locke guitar Matt Winter bass Louie Stephens keyboards and Ned Brower drums They began honing their own indie rock appeal in 2000 and cite the Beach Boys and ELO as …

In 2000, Coldplay emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become a worldwide smash with their debut album PARACHUTES and hit single "Yellow." They're generally lumped in with the Britpop crowd, but, like Travis, they favor a more thoughtful, melodic pop …

Like so many underground NYC rock bands, the Strokes first generated publicity in the U.K., though it didn't take long for their no-frills sound to catch on at home. Paying homage to their influences, the group purveys a mix of Velvet Underground/New…

In the late 1990s, the Albuquerque indie-rock band Flake Music morphed into the Shins, led by vocalist-guitarist James Mercer. Upon the release of 2001's OH, INVERTED WORLD, the Shins garnered a landslide of critical acclaim with their amiable, 1960…

This UK duo, comprising guitarist/vocalist Ollie Knights and multi-instrumentalist Gale Paridjanian, grew up as friends in Balham, south London. Both were members of their local church choir, and in 1989 they sang in front of the Queen at the memoria…

There was no shortage of new post-punk inspired outfits emerging in the early 2000's. However, Scottish band Franz Ferdinand had a slightly different take on things, bearing the marked influence of countrymen Josef K and Orange Juice as well as usual…

Separately, synth player Jimmy Tamborello and singer Ben Gibbard were known for their work in electronica and emo, respectively, with Dntel and Death Cab For Cutie. Together, they became a powerful pop duo, combinining Tamborello's melodic knowhow an…

b. Akron, Ohio, USA. This highly literate singer-songwriter, who also works as an artist and a poet, was the first non-world music artist to be signed to Peter Gabriel's Real World Records. After graduating from Firestone high school in 1990 Arthur w…

Amidst a field overcrowded with teen-pop and nu-metal, Detroit's White Stripes emerged at the tail end of the 1990s as a new hope for gutsy, no-frills rock & roll. Their doggedly minimalist sound--just one guitar and a drum kit--heralded a return to …

In late 2003 things picked up rapidly and a bit weirdly for folkie Alexi Murdoch Moving to balmy Los Angeles from Scotland in the late 90s Murdoch let the sleepy weepy UK folk sound seep into indie and lo-fi influences But he never did much with his …