The Stratford 4 – Love & Distortion (2003)

Alt-popsters the Stratford 4 consists of members Chris Streng (vocals, guitar), Jake Hosek (guitar), Andrea Caturegli (drums), and Sheetal Singh (bass) -- and although the quartet is based in San Francisco, almost half of their members hail originally from Seattle. Formed in 1998, the band quickly latched onto the multi-layered, psychedelic sound of such artists as My Bloody Valentine and Yo La Tengo, eventually resulting in a recording contract with the Jetset label and the January 2002 release of their debut full-length, The Revolt Against Tired Noises. In addition to music, Singh is the co-founder of the Popular Noise Foundation, a self-described "community organization for musicians" in San Fransico. The group's sophomore album, Love and Distortion, arrived in early 2003. ~ Greg Prato