Arcade Fire

“Who are Arcade Fire?” was the burning question when the Canadian collective won the Grammy for Album of the Year for 2010’s The Suburbs over pop superstars including Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

But that year’s biggest underdogs had already been not-so-quietly revolutionizing indie rock for over half a decade with sweeping anthems that confront death and dissonance while affirming life.

Formed by husband-and-wife multi-instrumentalists Win Butler and Régine Chassagne in 2001, the band rose out of Montreal’s blossoming indie scene, expanding their lineup—and instrument arsenal—to brew up an ecstatic mix of art-pop, post-punk, heartland rock, and classical elements.