Tapes 'n Tapes

Until a couple of years ago, the phrase Tapes 'n Tapes was more likely to evoke your uncle's awesome 8-track collection than an indie-rock band from Minneapolis. But the group's debut LP, The Loon, went viral like LOLcats with its infectious cocktail of Modest Mouse guitar skronk and lilting ballads of tossed-off charm reminiscent of the Walkmen. Whereas The Loon sounded a bit like unearthing a sundry pile of tapes, the group's 2008 follow-up, Walk It Off, sounded more like a digital-era rock record, with its slick Dave Fridmann production. Fans of similar bands, like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Sunset Rubdown, could hardly complain, and even George Michael got his due with a song vaguely reminiscent of "Faith." More tapes, please.