Emil & Friends

Landing between the stylish synths of Phoenix and colorful retro-pop flourishes of MGMT, Emil & Friends is the eclectic electronic and neo-psychedelic-styled brainchild of Emil Hewitt. Starting out in Boston in the late aughts, Hewitt hooked listeners with a Wikipedia hoax that claimed the project included actor Emile Hirsch. Fortunately, his charming vocals, bright beats, and dancefloor-summoning basslines proved there was substance alongside the silliness. By 2010, he had relocated to New York and signed with the Cantora label, where he released the EP Downed Economy that summer. Thanks to its bubbling blend of electronica, disco, folk, and pop and his rousing live performances (featuring a rotating lineup of Friends), Emil & Friends became a favorite on the indie music blogosphere. His first full-length, Lo & Behold, arrived the following fall.