OK Go

OK Go are four guys from Chicago who write songs that don't seem to have much deep meaning yet are jam-packed with whiz kid hooks. They might appear as a fun-loving college band without serious intentions, but that's not exactly true. They were signed to a major label right after forming in 1998. They've had hit singles played on the radio ("Get Over It" from their debut) but to their credit, they don't engage in pretentious rock star posing (except for their recent tongue-in-cheek pimped out fashion sense) going so far as to make fun of themselves by learning a complicated 1980s-era dance routine (choreographed by a band member's sister) for the sake of their live show. This resulted in a fall-on-the-floor hysterical music video for "A Million Ways," which was recorded in a suburban backyard. It was never intended for public release, but like the Tommy Lee and Pamela video, it caught on in an online whirl, and they were forced to release it as their next single. But despite all signs indicating that they are carefree funsters, OK Go are also NPR-loving brainiacs and perfectionists who compose scores for underground indie flicks and worked closely with producer Tore (Franz Ferdinand) Johansson on their sophomore album recording scores of songs, only to abandon many of them when they didn't seem worthy of release. OK Go just make it look like they're effortlessly churning out power pop when in truth they work hard and relentlessly -- even moving to Los Angeles to help further their prodigious career goals.