Houses' Dexter Tortoriello and Megan Messina hail from Chicago, but the roots of their dreamy electro-pop can be traced back to a potent three-month stay in Hawaii. The duo returned to Chicago in April 2010. Tortoriello subsequently posted the first Houses song, “Endless Spring,” online, where it was championed by Pitchfork; by the end of May, Tortoriello had signed to Lefse Records, also home to the like-minded Neon Indian and How to Dress Well. Messina joined the band at this point, and the pair finished the album over the summer. Houses played their first gig at the 2010 CMJ Festival in October 2010, a few days after their debut album, All Night, was released. ~ Heather Phares