The Faint

It's hard to imagine a band like the Faint coming out of Omaha, but if crops can be turned into automotive fuel, there's no reason this corn-fed quintet can't distill its own electronics-fueled version of high-octane indie rock. After an early start with the name Norman Bailer, whose lineup briefly included Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst -- the Faint built a local following before breaking out with 2001's Danse Macabre, which darkened indie songwriting with goth mascara (then spangled it with electro's shiny circuits). Danse Macabre Remixes brought them all the way over to the club, with help from remixers like Paul Oakenfold and Tommie Sunshine; subsequent albums Wet From Birth and Fasciinatiion have continued to burrow wormholes from the present day back to the '80s new-wave glory days.