Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire's brutal and beautiful distorted noise collages made them one of the biggest and most influential indie bands of the '00s. The group formed around Win Butler and wife Regine Chassagne, and soon grew to five official members, then seven over time. The Montreal rockers earned lofty praise quickly, forming in mid-2003 and winning a large number of fans after their debut full-length, Funeral, released near the end of 2004. The combination of moodiness and joy in their semi-orchestral pop-rock resonated with critics and rock fans alike; the album was nominated for a Grammy and landed near the top of numerous decade's-end lists. Following a hefty tour schedule in support of Funeral, the band began recording a follow-up, Neon Bible. Another rich, robust set, the album released in 2007 to more critical praise. Next came a year of touring, concerts in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama, and Arcade Fire's increasingly visible presence in pop culture; their song "Wake Up" was featured in commercials for the Partners in Health charity that ran during the 2010 Super Bowl. Later in 2010, they released another ambitious concept album, The Suburbs.