The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

• Genre: Baroque Pop
• Hometown: Chicago
• The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Website

About

Literalists beware: the bombastic songwriting of frontman Elia Einhorn owes more to jangling alt staples like Morrissey and Belle and Sebastian than any element of the band's moniker. Einhorn founded the loose collective of musicians with Matthew Kerstein and cellist Ellen O'Hayer in 2001, the same year they recorded their self-released four-track debut, Do You Still Stick Out in the Crowd. Einhorn gathered a loose collective of Chicago indie-rock illuminati for the band's 2003 follow-up, I Bet You Say That to All the Boys, which was lauded by local press and was followed by national touring and appearances with the Arcade Fire and the Olivia Tremor Control. Kerstein left the band before the recording of 2007's self-titled effort, which was released on Bloodshot and featured guest spots by a who's-who of Chicago indie rockers. Though more than 50 players are credited on the album, the band's live shows are a bit smaller, including Einhorn and a rotating cast.

- Nate Cavalieri