Ratatat

Arena rock built byte-by-byte: Ratatat has sonic ambitions way beyond their two-dude-in-a-bedroom setup. Brooklynites Evan Mast and Mike Stroud got their break in 2002 when their first single, "17 Years," released on Mast's own Audiodregs label, gained attention from DJs across the U.S. With Mast on beat production and bass and Stroud -- a sought-after guitarist who also plays in Dashboard Confessional's touring lineup -- ripping up various looped six-strings, Ratatat released its self-titled debut in 2003 and opened for a slew of major indie acts. Their stripped down, amped up sound appealed to rockers and rappers enough that they self-released a CD of their own compositions backing a cappella tracks by Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Raekwon and more. Their official sophomore album, Classics, dropped in 2006, followed by 2008's LP3 and 2010's LP4.