Who? New York-based composer, singer, producer, and songwriter Max Avery Lichtenstein got his start punctuating emotions on indie film scores immersed in tales of schizophrenic mothers (Tarnation), heroin addicts (Jesus' Son) and incest (The King).

Who? Formerly of Deerhoof, Chris Cohen (vocals/guitars) met Nedelle Torrisi (strings/vocals) while writing and recording under the Curtains moniker, where Torrisi, now a triple-album artist in her own right, was a just a backing vocalist.

"All we ever think about is sex / Nothing really matters to me now," drawled the lips of a leather jacket-clad Donald Cumming and his crew of Virgins. The words came from a new Strokes-type feet-shuffler called "Fast Times," which lived up to its name in the pit of Chicago's Schubas

Sensory overload met beatnik jazz yelps as the Japanese Beck kicked off an exclusive five-date extravaganza at the Windy City's Metro last night (Jan. 23). A strobe flashed "The Cornelius Group…Sensuous…Synchronized Show!" across a giant white silkscreen, and a fuzz-heavy riff off the Mario Brothers' theme song teased fans before Cornelius, a.k.a.

Who? Kooky white rhymer Andrew "Vulture V" Field-Pickering took a liking to ProTools mad scientist Nick "Ricky Rabbit" Rivetti's beats -- or lack thereof -- through a friend's car stereo. From there, the two quickly became a Maryland by way of D.C.

Who? Elijah Oberman (fiddle), Ian Brannigan (guitar), Louisa Rachel Solomon (bass) and Temim Fruchter (drums) is a band bent on putting politics back in punk. Just a year out from their union in college, the foursome caught the crest of a foamy blogger-hype wave without so much as a single pressed. Their self-released LP, The Red Sea, is out now.