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During the composition of his Second Symphony, Beethoven began to acknowledge the deterioration of his hearing, but the piece had a humorous and happy air. His contemporaries applauded it as a work of power and depth, but they commonly described his music of that time as bizarre.

The Guillemots are an internationally diverse quartet begun by the classically trained British musician Fyfe Dangerfield. Bassist Aristazabal Hawkes is Canadian, the drummer Rican Caol is Scottish, and the guitarist MC Lord Magrao is Brazilian.

The Flaming Lips have become the flagship band for modern psychedelic pop, pushing the boundaries of sound while steadily growing a fanatic audience over the last 20 years. Not too bad for a group of "fearless freaks" from Oklahoma City.

Scottish singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch has risen to the top of the folk-pop genre by employing hushed, heartbreaking vocals in a style reminiscent of Nick Drake. In June, Murdoch independently released his first full-length album, Time Without Consequence.

Conrad Johnson made his Kashmere High School Stage Band a national phenomenon — not just at band competitions, but in the world of commercial popular music. The recordings he made of the band continue to influence musicians to this day, and are being re-released.

The New Orleans Social Club, a loose affiliation of famed New Orleans musicians, are trying to restore a bit of the city's musical heritage with a new CD — and in the process, restore a piece of their own lives washed away by Hurricane Katrina.

The hip-hop group Modill has absorbed the best of Chicago's blues, soul, house and funk traditions, distilling its essence into their debut album, Midnight Green.

The English rock band Art Brut erupts with a fireball of adolescent rage on "My Little Brother." Singer Eddie Argos sneers and shouts, with sarcastic, often-humorous observations that mock, yet ultimately glorify, the unique power of rock 'n' roll.

The Austin, Texas indie-rock group What Made Milwaukee Famous are redefining what can be accomplished for an unsigned band. A strong word-of-mouth reputation for their live shows coupled with the critical endorsement of many influential music blogs has positioned the band as one of 2006’s inevitable breakouts.

After fans clamored for its release, Extraordinary Machine finally came out. The result is honed down to its essential and most striking features: Fiona Apple's voice and a modest accompaniment produced by Dr. Dre protege Mike Elizondo.