Fol Chen

Putting their own spin on the dance-pop genre by embracing co-ed vocals, oddball experimentation, and a mysterious public image, Fol Chen began attracting blog attention in early 2009. The bandmates (as well as their label, Asthmatic Kitty) maintained a good deal of secrecy from the start, remaining reluctant to divulge the members' names or identities. To promote the release of their debut album, Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made, the enigmatic group took to the internet, where they unveiled an animated music video (with singing fish and dancing lions replacing the actual musicians) and issued a press release that likened their music to "that mysterious black object that the creepy family is staring at on the cover of Led Zeppelin's Presence album." The record was released in February 2009, drawing comparisons to Of Montreal's outrageous, off-kilter pop. The group also issued a digital EP that year, and returned in 2010 with Part II: The New December.