Rilo Kiley

One of indie rock's most enjoyable new bands, Rilo Kiley's led by former child actors Blake Sennett and Jenny Lewis -- though it's the latter's sexy singing and thoughtful lyricism that truly elevates the band. Saddle Creek released 2002's The Execution of All Things, a stunning album that mixed country twang with indie pop, and included several astounding tracks, such as "The Good That Won't Come Out," which assails typically ineffectual indie pessimism: "Let's talk about the modern age/All our friends were gathered . . .just talking shit about how we're so upset about the disappearing ground/As we watch it melt." Lewis followed Execution with a stint in the über-successful Postal Service, and then returned to the fold to record Rilo's latest, More Adventurous. Frustrated by Saddle Creek's unwillingness to even consider servicing radio, Rilo Kiley started its own label, and initial returns signal a critical hit, with Lewis' songwriting even earning a congratulatory phone call from Elvis Costello.