After leading indie rock bands the Van Pelt and the Lapse in the late '90s, New York City's Chris Leo (brother of Ted Leo and Danny Leo) formed Vague Angels, which initially began as a group of musicians who helped him record the album Truth Loved in 2004 as the fictitious band the Breaks from Leo's first novel. Leo eventually turned Vague Angels into a full band with the addition of songwriter Young-Ah Kim, guitarist/keyboardist Gary Keating, and drummer Patrick Brennan. The first proper record from Vague Angels, Let's Duke It Out at Kilkenny Katz, a stripped-down acoustic outing featuring Leo's poetic storytelling, was released by Pretty Activity Records in spring 2006 and coincides with Leo's second book. ~ Kenyon Hopkin