The sharply dressed Zoot Woman is a three-man pop group that owes as much to Hall & Oates as Pet Shop Boys. Stuart Price (bass) met brothers Johnny (guitar, vocals) and Adam Blake (keyboards) while at school in Reading, England. Though the group's basic setup is much like a rock band, electronics play a significant role in their sound. They... [+] Read More

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More apt to cite stately rock paragons Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson as their inspirations than Derrick May or Aphex Twin, the French duo Air gained inclusion into the late-'90s electronica surge due chiefly to the labels their recordings appeared on, not the actual music they produced. Their sound, a variant of the classic disco sound coaxed... [+] Read More

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Cassius, a new addition to the top ranks of French electronica circa 1999, actually comprised two of the scene's most experienced producers: Philippe Zdar and Hubert Blanc-Francart (aka Boombass). Besides their productions for Mo' Wax as La Funk Mob, the duo had also manned the boards for several excellent LPs by French rapper MC Solaar. They... [+] Read More

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In similar company with new-school French progressive dance artists such as Motorbass, Air, Cassius, and Dimitri from Paris, Parisian duo Daft Punk quickly rose to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and hip-hop. The combined talents of DJs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and... [+] Read More

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Erlend Øye is the geek spectacled half of Norway's Kings of Convenience, a two-man outfit that utilizes acoustic guitars, wistful vocals, and the softer side of computer music to make hipster pop ballads. Øye's success with Kings of Convenience, after the 2001 album Quiet Is the New Loud, drove his desire to make music, but his Convenience... [+] Read More

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Mackintosh Braun is an Oregon based electronic duo that is reaching listeners far beyond their local Portland ties. Their debut album "The Sound" is quite frankly a headphone masterpiece, filled with rich detail and soothing vocal harmonies. "The idea was to create an album that you didn't have to skip through, hopefully this is one of those... [+] Read More

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Playgroup is a studio party/rumpus-room collective orchestrated by Trevor Jackson, a graphic designer (sleeves by Eric B. & Rakim, Stereo MCs, and the Jungle Brothers), producer, and remixer (Massive Attack, U2) who has worked under the Underdog and Skull pseudonyms. Jackson also runs his own Output label. A melting pot of disco, funk, hip-hop,... [+] Read More

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French pop trio Prototypes were formed in Paris during 2003. Comprised of two members of Bosco (bass and synth player Stéphane Bodin and guitarist François Marché) and fronted by vocalist Isabelle Le Doussal (who was performing under the name Bubble Star), the group (with the help of Mitch Pires on drums) released their first LP, Tout le Monde... [+] Read More

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Singer Xavier Boyer and bassist Pedro Resende formed Parisian pop combo Tahiti 80 in 1993 as students at the University of Rouen, bonding on the strength of their shared affinity for the music of the British Invasion era. A handful of demos followed before the duo recruited guitarist Mederic Gontier in 1994, and with the addition of drummer... [+] Read More

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Neo-soul combo the National Trust are the brainchild of guitarist and composer Neil Rosario, who first surfaced in 1990 with the noise rock trio Dolomite. The original lineup dissolved in 1992 after issuing just one single, "Tarantula," but Rosario and bassist Doug DeMers soon reunited, adding vocalist/drummer Rian Murphy and guitarist John... [+] Read More

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