Ashtray Boy is two indie-pop bands in one: the first existed in Chicago, the other -- simultaneously -- in Sydney, Australia. Both were led by vocalist Randall Lee, formerly of the Cannanes and Nice; after the latter's 1993 demise, Lee began splitting his time between his native Australia and the U.S., and the first Ashtray Boy line-up formed... [+] Read More

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A Japanese-born duo relocated to New York and christened with an Italian band name, Cibo Matto's music mirrored the melting-pot aesthetics of their origins, resulting in a heady brew of funk samples, hip-hop rhythms, tape loops, and fractured pop melodies all topped off by surreal narratives sung in a combination of French and broken English.... [+] Read More

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Much-missed indie-pop combo Holiday formed on the campus of Yale University in late 1992; originally comprising singer/guitarist Josh Gennet, guitarist Matt Snow, bassist Andrew Park and an Alesis drum machine, the group -- initially dubbed Wimp Rocket -- self-released their 1993 debut cassette The Big Pickle before adding drummer Paul Moyano... [+] Read More

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Le Concorde is the second group name adopted by singer/songwriter Stephen Becker, following his previous one, Post Office. Becker, a Northwestern University Ph.D. who grew up in Seattle, had two album releases as Post Office, 1996's Public Displays of Affection and 2001's Chris Stamey-produced Fables in Slang on the indie label Spade Kitty... [+] Read More

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Retro-futurists My Favorite formed in Long Island, NY, where singer/composer Michael Grace, Jr. first met guitarist Darren Amadio while still in middle school. The duo later formed My Favorite while attending SUNY Stony Brook, adding singer/keyboardist Andrea Vaughn, bassist Gilbert Amad and drummer Tod; profoundly inspired by the music of the... [+] Read More

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The Magnetic Fields are a bona fide band, but in most essential respects they are the project of studio wunderkind Stephin Merritt. Merritt writes, produces, and (generally) sings all of their material, as well as plays many of the instruments, concocting a sort of indie pop synth rock. While the Magnetic Fields may draw upon the electronic... [+] Read More

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The Rentals were the new wave-influenced project of singer/songwriter Matt Sharp, former bassist for power pop favorites Weezer. Born in Arlington, VA, on September 22, 1969, Sharp co-founded Weezer in 1992, and in the months to follow, the band emerged as one of the most popular up-and-coming acts on the Los Angeles club scene; their... [+] Read More

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