In a nutshell: Eight dreamy, world-weary Indianapolis musicians brought together by a shared love of woodsy Americana and chamber pop. Their cello-laden debut, 2006's The Dust of Retreat, caught the attention of Epic Records; the band signed on without reservation.

Even though singer Santi White mocks New York City scenesters on her single "L.E.S. Artistes," she's the first to admit that she could easily be mistaken for one. Today, for instance, the stylish 32-year-old Brooklynite, who performs as Santogold, is sporting a jaunty fedora and recovering from an all-night party with her producers, indie dance titans Diplo and Spank Rock.

"It's the fucking weather," says 15-year-old Black Tide lead singer/guitarist Gabe Garcia, explaining why Florida produces so many extreme-metal bands, such as Deicide and Obituary. "The heat makes everybody go crazy, and the humidity makes you angry."

In a nutshell: Brought together in 2003 by a love of lager and lyrics about odd animals, singer/guitarist Matthew "Murph" Murphy, drummer/singer Dan Haggis, and bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen met while enrolled at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, cofounded by Paul McCartney.

In a nutshell: The Memphis native's musical career got off to an early start after his dad gave him an ultimatum in 1995: Do your homework or give up your guitar. The decision was a no-brainer for Reatard (born Jay Lindsey), whose moniker comes from a misspelling on an early homemade cassette. "I moved out of my dad's house and never showed up for the first day of grade nine," he says.

In a nutshell: Thrown out of her school choir at age eight for being too loud, Welsh native Aimee-Ann Duffy poured all her energy into a pink karaoke machine, a gift from Santa. On it she recorded countless original songs, sending CDs off to record companies. "That machine was my dear friend for about six years," the singer says over a latte in a London café.