Stereolab

With their hypnotic rhythms and mesmerizing vocals, Stereolab are one of indie's most distinctive and influential bands. Led by Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier, the group celebrated strands of pop music -- bossa nova, lounge-pop, movie soundtracks -- traditionally banished from rock's lineage. On early singles and albums such as 1993's Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements, Stereolab combined '60s pop melodies with an art rock aesthetic borrowed from Krautrock bands like Faust and Neu!; by the time of 1996's Emperor Tomato Ketchup, their sound incorporated jazz, hip-ho...