The Antlers

The Antlers began as the solo project of Peter Silberman, who crafted poignant dream pop -- from the lo-fi folk of Uprooted to the ambient rock of In the Attic of the Universe -- in his Brooklyn bedroom. But it wasn't until he joined forces with drummer Michael Lerner and multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci for 2009's Hospice that his sound began to cement. That album's gut-wrenching story follows a hospice worker and a terminally ill patient, and though it was still very much Silberman's baby, Lerner and Cicci helped bring his tale to life with huge crescendos and sweeping post-rock dirges. The album landed on several Best of 2009 lists, earning the band a significant indie following; the follow-up, 2011's Burst Apart, was the group's first true collaborative effort. Its electronic influence, from Boards of Canada to Radiohead, makes it softer and subtler than its predecessor, but just as poignant.