Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. were largely responsible for returning lead guitar to indie rock and, along with their peers the Pixies, they injected late-'80s alternative rock with monumental levels of pure guitar noise.
The National
Setting up their tunes on a creative territory amid American electric rock and indie rock's mellowest tunes, the National ultimately present melodious and inspiring compositions also enlightened by a set of influences, including country-rock and even British pop/rock.
Polvo
One of the most popular and accomplished bands in the arty, noisy indie rock offshoot dubbed math rock, Polvo touched on many of the style's hallmarks: dissonant, intricately layered guitars that often employed alternate tunings; odd, off-kilter rhythms; an emphasis on dense sonic...
Silver Jews
A beautiful mess of indie rock, country-rock and lo-fi with lyrics both witty and profound, the Silver Jews were formed in 1989 by writer/musician David Berman with his friends, guitarist/singer Stephen Malkmus and drummer Bob Nastanovich.
De La Soul
At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as the future of hip-hop. With its colorful, neo-psychedelic collage of samples and styles, plus the Long Island trio's low-key, clever rhymes and goofy humor, the album sounded like nothing...
Raekwon
Raekwon may not have achieved the solo stardom of his fellow Wu-Tang Clan mates Method Man or Ol' Dirty Bastard, but along with Genius/GZA and frequent partner Ghostface Killah, he's done some of the most inventive, critically acclaimed work outside the confines of the group.
Stars of the Lid
Ambient drone duo Stars of the Lid was formed in Austin, TX, by guitarists Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie, the latter also a member of Windsor for the Derby as well as the longtime soundman for Bedhead.
Ghostface Killah
As one of the original members of the seminal '90s rap crew the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah (aka Tony Starks) made an impact before he released his debut album, Ironman, late in 1996.
Mono
Japanese experimental group Mono came together in 2000, choosing to forgo vocals and concentrate instead on atmospheric classical-inspired rock music. The foursome, bassist Tamaki (the lone female in the group), drummer Yasunori Takada, and guitarists Takaakira "Taka"...
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead was formed in late 1994 by singers/guitarists/drummers Jason Reece and Conrad Keely, longtime friends who originally met in Hawaii before both settled in the perennial indie hotbed of Olympia, WA (where Reece fronted the notorious Mukilteo Fairies).
Four Tet
Spawned from the urge to do something apart from his post-rock band Fridge, Kieran Hebden's Four Tet project balances organic and programmed sounds. Hebden formed Fridge with Sam Jeffers and Adam Ilhan while still in high school.
Saul Williams
First establishing himself as an influential poet, and then as an award-winning screenwriter/actor, Saul Williams then went on to establish himself as an MC. His approach to MCing, though, wasn't exactly in line with the traditional school of hip-hop.
Okkervil River
Combining folk-rock inspirations and alternative rock sways, Okkervil River creates a particular visionary sound, strongly founded on dark and profound lyrics and on chaotic visions of patterned sound compounds.
Adem
British singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Adem Ilhan writes pastoral pop that's augmented by eclectic instrumentation and wistful and irreverent lyrics. He began recording in his teens as the bass player for the popular post-rock trio Fridge, recording four full-length records...
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene materialized in 1999 when K.C. Accidental's Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, formerly of By Divine Right, bonded their friendship into a band. They spent the next few years honing an atmospheric rock sound in their native Toronto and the dynamic was great.
The Paper Chase
The Dallas, TX-based trio the Paper Chase provided a jagged structure of avant-garde jazz, noise, indie, and punk since their formation in 1998. With comparisons to the likes of Drive Like Jehu and King Crimson, Beatville Records -- primarily know for its ska and reggae releases...
Constantines
The Constantines first rocked their way out of Guelph, Ontario, in 1999, with Bryan Webb and Steve Lambke on vocals and guitar; bassist Dallas Wehrle; keyboardist Will Kidman; and drummer Doug McGregor.
Explosions in the Sky
With a reputation for a scathingly intense live performance and a quickly sold-out CD-R demo, How Strange, Innocence, which was later reissued in 2005, Explosions in the Sky was touted early on in their career as the next phenomenon in moody and dynamic instrumental indie rock Ã...
The Octopus Project
Toto Miranda, Josh Lambert, and Yvonne Lambert came together as a junky, dirty, hook-heavy electronic trio called the Octopus Project in the late '90s. Their music caught the ears of the folks at Peek-a-boo Records in 2001, and the band released their first album on that label, Identification...
Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine is the stage name for one Samuel Beam, a Florida native who made his name by releasing lo-fi tapes in Miami. After catching the attention of Sub Pop honcho Jonathan Poneman, Beam was asked to send material to the label for submission.
Western Keys
The Austin, TX, band Western Keys, led by Post-Parlo records head Ben Dickey (formerly of Capsize and New Cuba), presents a bit of a conundrum for those quick to lump bands into the alt-country sphere.
Eluvium
Portland, Oregon resident Matthew Cooper records under the alias Eluvium. His ambient washes and symponic guitar pieces would feel equally as home on a Brian Eno record as a Fennesz recording.
Animal Collective
In 2000, in New York City, Avey Tare (aka David Porter) and Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) established Animal Collective with the issue of Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished on their own Animal imprint.
Jens Lekman
Sweden's Jens Lekman emerged from relative obscurity to quickly establish himself as the darling of the global indie pop set, winning widespread acclaim from fans and critics for his uncommonly witty and well-crafted pop songs.
Battles
Battles is a quartet comprised of drummer John Stanier of Helmet and Tomahawk, guitarist/keyboardist Ian Williams of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress, guitarist David Konopka of Lynx, and avant solo musician Tyondai Braxton.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Originally started by former Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jeremy Barnes, A Hawk and a Hacksaw released its self-titled debut, on which Barnes played all the instruments and which explored 20th century American music, in 2004 on Leaf Records.
The Drift
Formed in San Francisco in 2002, the Drift initially started out as a side project of Tarentel guitarist/keyboardist Danny Grody and Lazarus bassist Trevor Montgomery, and became more of a full-time affair after Montgomery's departure.
Lichens
Lichens was the solo improv project of Chicago composer Robert Lowe, previously known as the bassist with art rock combo 90 Day Men. A product of the Kansas City area, Lowe signed on with 90 Day Men in 1996, just prior to their relocation from St.
The Field
One of the Kompakt label's most beloved and polarizing producers (he's often accused of being a formula-reliant one-trick pony), Sweden's Axel Willner debuted with Things Keep Falling Down, a 12" containing a pair of blissed-out trance-techno tracks over ten minutes in length...
Sunset Rubdown
Easily one of the busiest people in indie rock, vocalist/keyboardist Spencer Krug of the critically hailed Montreal band Wolf Parade (as well as part time Frog Eyes member) leads Sunset Rubdown, intended to be an additional outlet for Krug's songwriting and slightly more experimental...
Beach House
Alex Scally (guitar/keyboards) and Victoria Legrand (vocals/keyboards), the latter of whom is the niece of French composer Michel Legrand, create the dreamy lo-fi sounds of Beach House.
Ola Podrida
Ola Podrida, the brainchild of David Wingo, was born in early 2005, after Wingo had returned to his native Texas from New York. Although he had played instruments throughout high school and college and even composed the scores for friend David Gordon Green's movies George Washington...
Atlas Sound
Atlas Sound is the solo project of Bradford Cox, the striking and eccentric vocalist for experimental indie rockers Deerhunter. Cox was born in 1982 in Athens, GA, a town whose burgeoning music scene greatly influenced the singer.