Shins, The Vinyl Records
In the mid-'90s, the Albuquerque indie rock band Flake Music morphed into the Shins, led by vocalist and guitarist James Mercer. Upon the release of 2001's Oh, Inverted World, the group's amiable, '60s-influenced power pop caused a landslide of critical acclaim. Subsequent touring further raised the Shins' profile, and their eagerly awaited sophomore album, Chutes Too Narrow, revealed another set of clever and quirky material.