The Shins

The Shins comes from New Mexico (USA). Formed in 1997 by James Mercer (guitar, vocals), Dave Hernandez (guitar), Ron Lewis (bass), Eric Johnson (claviers) and Joe Plummer (battery, also at Modest Mouse), the combo quickly starts on tour, supporting Modest Mouse and signs with Sub Pop in 2000. Their first album, Oh! Inverted World, presents a shiny indie rock, inspired among others by Beach Boys. The record was very successful and some songs would even be used in commercials, series ( Scrubs) or movies, notably in Zach Braff's Garden State (2006), which gave a second breath to the band's career.
Americans thus go their hole on the indie pop/rock scene alongside Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend or The Decemberists. In 2003 Chutes Too Narrow was released, which continued the momentum of the first album without competing with it. It will take until 2007 for The Shins to publish their third effort, Wincing The Night Away with more worked compositions. This record marks the best historical start for Sub Pop and for the group at sales levels (118,000 copies sold in the USA in the first week).