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…

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…

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…

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…

Starting out in the late 1990s, pop-punk band Yellowcard got together in Jacksonville, FL, but eventually migrated to California, where they built a grass-roots following through their indie releases. One thing in particular that set Yellowcard apart…

Lead by iconic frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the Dandy Warhols are one of pop music's most inspired and musically infectious bands, embodying the wild abandon and hedonist artistry of rock's past. The Portland, Oregon quartet mix a heavy dose of 1…

This US punk pop band was formed in 1998 in Santa Barbara, California, USA, by college friends Tim Pagnotta (guitar/vocals), Airin Older (bass/vocals) and Ben Davis (drums/vocals). Adding guitarist Marko 72 (ex-Ataris) to the line-up, Sugarcult soon …

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,…

The roots of Los Angeles band Maroon 5 lay in the late-1990s Weezer-influenced alt-rock outfit Kara's Flowers. After that group disbanded, the members eventually started a new band (along with a second guitarist). Rechristening themselves Maroon 5, t…

Weezer's 1994 debut yielded the band two big hit singles in "Buddy Holly" and "Undone - The Sweater Song," whose quirky appeal gave the initial impression that the group was some kind of novelty act. Despite the wiseacre veneer though, Weezer went on…

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…

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 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 …

British trio Keane, who trade in the sort of grandiose, melancholy Britpop that was the chief domain of Coldplay for much of the early 2000s, broke big with their 2004 debut album, HOPES AND FEARS. While many hear the band's sound as yet another wate…

Formed in 1999 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Hot Hot Heat looked back nearly 20 years for inspiration, as they fashioned their sound after quirky post punk outfits such as XTC and the Cure. After a number of personnel changes, the line-up se…

Given their presence on Californian Punk label Drive-Thru, it could be assumed that Something Corporate chose their name as an ironic swipe against the mainstream and although the band also appeared on the Warped tour they made little effort to disgu…

Depending on how you look at it, the Vines are either the Australian Hives or the Australian Strokes. In either case, their hyperactive neo-garage rock sound endeared them to the huge audience infatuated with that style in the early 2000s. Their 2002…

Generally, the punk-inspired generation of bands that came to prominence in the late '90s fell into two camps; cred-soaked aesthetes in thrall to the art-punk approach of emo godfathers Fugazi and radio-friendly pop-punks following in the footsteps o…

Dashboard Confessional began as a solo project for Chris Carrabba, a member of the late-1990s Florida hardcore scene. With his introspective lyrics, heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, and spare acoustic guitar playing, Carrabba soon won over a devoted follo…