Artist Index

John Vanderslice has been a pillar of indie ingenuity for over a decade, admired as much for his recording as for his weighty songwriting (Vanderslice founded an all-analog recording studio, Tiny Telephone, in San Francisco in 1997, which counts Death Cab for Cutie, Okkervil River, and Spoon, among its clients).  But his new album finally shifts toward a familiarity that should draw new listeners in without sacrificing the sonic artistry for which he is known. iTunes

Producer Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson, The Woes) helped Jenny Owen Youngs develop a broad soundscape on her Nettwerk debut Transmitter Failure.  Throughout the album, Youngs deftly switches between her signature soulful melodies and grittier tunes with witty lyrics. iTunes

Hollywood, Broadway, TV, music – Mos Def has done them all well, and not only is he not slowing down, but he still seems to enjoy them all.  His latest solo project has further bolstered his already wide acclaim as an eclectic hip hop artist. iTunes

Brooklyn's Dirty Projectors, led by Dave Longstreth, are on a serious roll.  Before the release of their Domino Records debut, they collaborated separately with Bjork and David Byrne.  Where do they go from here? iTunes

Born in South Florida to Ecuadorean immigrant parents, Roberto Carlos Lange was influenced by the sounds and colors where he grew up, especially the late-night, muffled bass in and around his house.  He makes that kind of hazy indirectness work on the found-sound collages of Awe Owe. myspace.com

Richard Frenneaux, the founder and frontman of Red Light Company, grew up in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.  When he decided to form a band, he recruited via the internet, attracting musicians to a set of already-recorded material.  myspace.com

What do you get when you put Vampire Weekend's keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot's lead singer Wes Miles together?  Well, neither.  Their side-project is an outlet for the electronic tendencies not indulged at their day jobs.  btw, they owe Tom Tom Club an apology. iTunes

Of course these dudes are French.  The band's earnestness seems to flaunt their influences – from the Beatles, duh, to the Beach Boys, Elliott Smith, as well as their classically-trained backgrounds. myspace.com

These 12 (at the time of recording) multi-instrumentalists from Albuquerque could eventually give Beirut, DeVotchKa, and other gypsy-influenced artists a run for their money.  But, as A Hawk and a Hacksaw is an instrumental affair, let's hope they encompass some singing on future projects. iTunes

After teenager Alessi Lauren-Marke signed with Virgin Records in her native England, she decided to record her first full-length album in Nebraska with Bright Eyes members Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott.  The result is the haunting chamber-folk of Notes from the Treehouse. myspace.com

Modeselektor (Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary), meet Apparat (Sascha Ring).  Apparat, meet Modeselektor.  The resulting collaboration, Moderat, merges the skills of both artists’ experimental yet club-ready beats. iTunes

Manners is Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos' first full-length lp.  His 2008 ep Chunk of Change won fans with its playful sing-alongs atop simple and quirky dance beats, and the new album ups the ante with deeper songwriting and tighter production. iTunes

Marshall Crenshaw is back!  He never left, of course, still playing dozens of shows each year on the self-described "NPR circuit".  But Jaggedland, his first studio recording in more than six years, is a bracingly dynamic and intimate collection.  The sessions included legendary drummer Jim Keltner, guitarists Greg Leisz (Lucinda Williams, Robert Plant) and Wayne Kramer (MC5s) as well as vibraphonist Emil Richards (Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra). iTunes

YACHT is just one of several creative outlets for musician and multimedia artist Jona Bechtolt.  He formed the Blow in 2002 with Khaela Maricich, then began his YACHT solo project shortly thereafter.  Now, after several years of juggling visual and musical arts, he is set to release YACHT’s newest album this summer. myspace.com

It's impossible to pin down Randolph Chabot's recording moniker Deastro.  There are synths, there are beats.  There are also lush Brian Wilson-inspired vocal performances, heartfelt lyrics, and a live band backing most of the album.  iTunes

Despite their age, the young teenagers Ivan and Ada who make up Tiny Masters of Today can easily run with the big dogs of the music business. This is quite evident on their newest album, Skeletons, in which they collaborate with big names such as Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Fred Schneider of The B-52's. With their short, energetic punk songs, you can't help but think of classically punk bands such as The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. iTunes

Portland by way of Alabama couple Kevin and Anita Robinson trade in classic rock, folk, and psychedelia.  Recently, they've evolved into a quartet after years touring and recording as a duo. iTunes

It's a bold move when a band launches their career with a single song.  Perhaps for Jason Friedman and Eleanore Everdell, they felt justified having laid their previous band, The Boggs, to rest.  The first evidence of the new incarnation is a single – jagged guitar with a programmed rhythm section – with a dubbed-out remix of the same song as the b-side.  Everdell's airy vocals float somewhere above the proceedings. myspace.com

School friends Ritzy Bryan and Rhydian Dafydd formed The Joy Formidable in their hometown of Mold, North Wales, and eventually settled in London with drummer Matt Thomas. myspace.com

With only the Bedrooms ep on their resume thus far, the five -piece from Brooklyn has a wealth of possibility ahead of them.  They're currently working on a debut full-length with producer Britt Myers (Essex Green). iTunes