Ratatat

Formerly known as Cherry, this NYC duo is already familiar to hipsters from touring with Interpol. (In fact, Interpol's Paul Banks occasionally guests on guitar.) Ratatat's founders, Mike "Snake" Stroud and Evan 'E*Vax" Mast, have been making music out of a Crown Heights apartment in Brooklyn since 2001, their unique sound born of a combined love of Jay-Z, The Rolling Stones, Timbaland, and Beethoven. Mike is one of New York's best guitarists and has spent his time touring the world with Ben Kweller and Dashboard Confessional; Evan has been producing music as E*vax for the past few years. Now back in their bedroom studio, the pair has made a sing-along record, just without words. While dance music is trying to re-invent itself and rock is returning to its roots, Ratatat seem to make a happy mess in both fields.