The Rosebuds
Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp
Reside: Raleigh, North Carolina
Modern chamber pop that's got serious style.  Released Night of the Furies in 2007 (QRO Review).

Dean & Britta
Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips
Reside: New York, NY
Former Luna members have been around in the down-tempo rock scene for a while.  Recently released Back Numbers (QRO Review)

Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan
Dave Portner & Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir
Reside:  New York, NY
He's in Animal Collective and she was in múm. Releasing Pullhair Rubeye in 2007.

 

Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon (with others)
Reside: New York, NY
Ageless wonders.  Some key members in the foundation of the alternative movement. (QRO Photo Gallery)

Blanche
Dan & Tracee Miller (with others)
Reside: Detroit, Michigan
Country-western throwbacks bring the charm and class.  Well-connected and respected throughout the Detroit scene.  Seeing them live is truly a blast from the past (QRO Photo Gallery).

Mates of State
Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel
Reside:  East Haven, Connecticut
High-energy rockouts with solid harmonies.  Currently, one of the more hip couples on the list.  Released Bring It Back in 2006.

The Besnard Lakes
Jace Lasek & Olga Gorea (with others)
Reside: Montreal, Quebec
Serious, drawn-out, droning art-rock surrounded by a huge band.  Recently released The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse (QRO Review)

The Arcade Fire
Win Butler & Régine Chassagne (with others)
Reside: Montreal, Quebec
Indie powerhouses that blew up with Funeral and have steadily gotten bigger since.  Recently released Neon Bible (QRO Review)

Sunsplit
Ryan & Aislinn Van Kriedt
Reside: Philadelphia, PA
Raucus psych-rock with arena rock tinge.  Recently released Sing For Sunday (QRO Review).

The Handsome Family
Brett & Rennie Sparks
Reside: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Nice alt-country gothic folk harmonies can be charming and mesmerizing.  Released Last Days Of Wonder in 2006.

Over the Rhine
Linford Detweiler & Karin Bergquist (with others)
Reside: Cincinnati, Ohio
Cool, dark alt-rock with smooth vocals and music with a loungey slickness.  Will release The Trumpet Child in 2007.
 

Low
Alan Sparhawk & Mimi Parker (with others)
Reside: Duluth, Minnesota
Slow-core icons have been around for awhile.  Most recently released Drums & Guns in 2007 (QRO Review).

Yo La Tengo
Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley
Reside: Hoboken, New Jersey
Alt-rock veterans with one of the more eccentric catalogs of their peers.  Released I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass in 2006 (QRO Top 15 of 2006)