More and more frequently, indie rock acts are not only proving that the typical guitar-bass-drums formula isn't necessarily the only path to success, but that no more than two band members are really needed.
As a result two-piece bands are simply everywhere.
Take, for example, our own fair city, in which one might find duos like RTB2, Smile Smile, The O's and Fight Bite playing any given weekend. But it's hardly just a local trend; even tonight, as pop singer Pink brings her Funhouse tour to the American Airlines Center, indie duo The Ting Tings will be following in tow as her opening act.
In honor of The Tine Tings, here's a list of our favorite indie rock duos--starting with that very alliteratively named duo.
Who: The Ting Tings
Instrumentation: guitar, bass, drums, vocals
Why we love 'em: They combine tongue-in-cheek pop and fuck you-style punk to create songs so chock full of hooks that they never fail to get a party started.
Who: Rodrigo y Gabriela
Instrumentation: two acoustic guitars
Why we love 'em: What's not to love about dueling Mexican classical guitarists who often cite Metallica as their major influence?
Who: Mates of State
Instrumentation: synthesizers, drums, competing vocals
Why we love 'em: It's not just because they're indie rock's "THAT couple." Through chaotic organs, crooked waltz drumming, and complex vocal harmonies this act manages to create more of a ruckus than most bands three times its size.
Who: The White Stripes
Instrumentation: guitar, drums, vocals
Why we love 'em: Perhaps the most quintessential rock duo of all time? With their extremely raw brand of garage rock, Jack and Meg were the first to ever make us question the bass guitar's very existence.
Who: RTB2
Instrumentation: guitar, drums, vocals
Why we love 'em: Don't think for a second that these guys are just a throw-in to give the list some local interest. The Denton boys put on absolutely raucous live shows that simultaneously display their raw energy and instrumental dexterity--only to top it all off with vocals so soulfully sweet that they'll send chills down your spine.
Who: The Black Keys
Instrumentation: guitar, drums, vocals
Why we love 'em: No matter how hard the music media tried to pin this band's blues-influenced garage rock as White Stripes clones, the Akron duo--never content to simply live in the Stripes' shadow--managed to find a niche is its own.
Who: The Submarines
Instrumentation: piano, drums, guitar, vocals
Why we love 'em: The Submarines' song "You Me and the Bourgeoisie" has been featured in so many iPhone commercials, it's starting to become known as "the song that launched a thousand apps".
Who: The Kills
Instrumentation: guitars, drum machine, vocals
Why we love 'em: Sure, Jamie Hince may be one of the more innovative guitarists around--but frontwoman Alison Mosshart is the real star of the show here. The seductive-yet-ferocious duality of her onstage persona is just one of the many reasons why this band may have put on the best performance the Granada Theater has seen all year.
