Music Hall of Williamsburg

GZA
The Genius, aka the GZA, was the most cerebral MC in the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as perhaps the most acclaimed. His cool, precise flow and intricate, literate rhymes weren't as theatrical as Method Man or Ol' Dirty Bastard, the two biggest commercial stars to spring from the collective....

Frankie Rose
After putting in time with Vivian Girls (serving as the band's drummer and writing "Where Do You Run To," a highlight of their first album), Crystal Stilts, and the Dum Dum Girls, Brooklyn-based noise pop drummer/vocalist Frankie Rose decided to work on her own material -- a series of luminous, reverb-slicked indie pop tunes influenced by Talulah Gosh, Black Tambourine, and My Bloody Valentine....

The Olivia Tremor Control
As much a concept as a band, the Olivia Tremor Control was one of the most visible and innovative members of the Elephant 6 collective, a coterie of like-minded, lo-fi indie groups -- including the Apples in Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Secret Square -- who shared musicians, ideas, and sensibilities....

Ultramagnetic MC's
Arising from the Boogie Down Bronx in the mid-'80s as a far-flung hip-hop trio with a heap of new ideas to try out, Ultramagnetic's Kool Keith, Ced Gee, and DJ Moe Love occupy something of a singular place in the old-school pantheon....

Bowerbirds
The Bowerbirds sit on the dividing line between the freak folk contingent led by Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom and the more straightforward sunshine pop of Lavender Diamond: for all the self-conscious quirkiness of their lineup and instrumentation, there's an unfeigned positivity to their music that's refreshingly direct....