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Menomena, the Portland, OR, based experimental rock trio, practice Northwest indie songcraft through a Chicago post-rock lens, illuminating the quiet recesses with an unpredictable, experimental light. Their latest album is 2007's Friend and Foe, out now on barsuk Records.

Les Savy Fav was getting nervy and convivial at a time when bands in Providence (not bands from Providence) were introverted on stage. LSF, in spirit, were stepping into shoes cobbled by Providence natives Six Finger Satellite and The Hydrogen Terrors (the first four bands mentioned in the 'Chorus' section of the original liner notes are a clear-cut profile of LSF inspiration).

Chromeo is Pee Thug and Dave 1: best friends since their Montreal adolescence, virtuoso musicians, walking hip hop encyclopedias, and the only successful Arab/Jew partnership since the dawn of human culture.

Bloc Party is an autonomous unit of un-extraordinary kids reared on pop culture between the years of 1976 and the present day. Like many such kids, they eventually concluded that their attempts to imitate what had informed them could actually be a worthy variation on their many predecessors.