I like the NY based indie group Ra Ra Riot, mostly because of their ability to combine the lustrous sounds of chamber pop orchestra with bright and inventive indie rock riffs. If I had gotten to play this kind of music while learning the cello (instead of the bum - bum - bum of the Jurassic Park Theme Song. . . don’t worry, I wouldn’t remember that part either!) I might have stuck with it. Ha.

Off their album The Rhumb Line, “Each Year” is a lighthearted favorite with contagious rhythms. “Winter ‘05″ is joyful yet somber with lots of pretty cello in it too – one of the loveliest instruments on earth, in my humble opinion of course. Check out their video for “Ghost Under Rocks” below. . .

Aussie artists Firekites have a jazzy electronic feel to their sound that gives off a relaxed creative vibe with every note. A unique approach, their album The Bowery surfs through genres unexpectedly but not at the expense of the music. With the tunes on your headphones you’ll feel like you’re riding a nice wave of indie jazz with an electric spark every now and then.

“Same Suburb, Different Park”

Okkervil River’s latest album The Stand Ins, the other half of their 2007 release Stage Names, is a satisfying listen from beginning to end. Thanks to the banjo, the folky motown la la las, the steady beat and philisophical lyrics, their single “Lost Coastlines” will stick in your brain, but in a good way. I especially liked the TV heads in their video. Reminds me of Flight of the Conchords “The Humans Are Dead” because their robot heads look kinda similar to the TVs. That might be a stretch, but whatevs. Affirmative.