Grizzly Bear

Unlike many other headline-hogging Brooklyn bands, Grizzly Bear didn't prick the ears of critics and a growing cult following by treating their tracks like a twisted art project. Quite the opposite, actually — Grizzly Bear records sound crisp and colorful, bursting at the grooves with candied keys ("Two Weeks"), dovetailing melodies ("Knife"), heaven-sent harmonies ("While You Wait for the Others"), and the pristine lead vocals of two very different singers, Daniel Rossen (see also his side project, Department of Eagles) and group founder Ed Droste. And that's not even getting into Grizzly Bear's laidback start as a solo act, which is skimmed in our Next Steps.

A guy with a guitar that's as battered and bruised as his heart — that's how Grizzly Bear began, with frontman Ed Droste capturing his foggy freak-folk tunes on a handheld cassette player. Things are a tad more hi-fi these days, but no less haunting. Take the alternate Horn Of Plenty tracks on Friend, an EP that expands Droste's spare soundscapes with the help of famous friends ("Alligator," as backed by members of Beirut and Dirty Projectors) and Grizzly Bear's full band (the chilling chamber pop of "Shift"). And just to show us that all Grizzly Bear songs are ripe for reinterpretation, Michael McDonald puts a blue-eyed-soul spin on "While You Wait for the Others" and Dntel (a.k.a. the producer behind Postal Service) drapes "Merge" in snow-blind beats and queasy synth lines.

As if supporting Radiohead in 2008 wasn't surreal enough, Grizzly Bear had an unexpected guest drop by their Brooklyn waterfront show the following summer: Jay-Z, who told MTV, "They're an incredible band . . . what the indie rock movement is doing right now is very inspiring." Indeed. In fact, Grizzly Bear's been on top of their game for a while, from the partly cloudy bedroom recordings that carry Horn Of Plenty to the rarities that dot Sorry for the Delay (yep, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a hazy Yes cover). And then there are the lush, fully orchestrated tracks on Yellow House and Veckatimest, albums that fill even the most cavernous rooms with ecstatic chorus lines and elegant arrangements. (Grizzly Bear has performed with a small orchestra several times). Now, if only they could score a guest spot on The Blueprint 4 . . .