Album: Robots in Disguise, We're in the Music Biz, (President)

When bands start writing songs about being in a band, it's a big neon sign spelling "creative bankruptcy", right? In which case, how does one explain Robots in Disguise? From day one, they have written songs about the music business and the indie scene, and done it with a brio and wit that are impossible to dismiss. The electro-rock duo are endlessly allusive and often outright referential, but RID's smart, sharp insider's perspective on planet pop, welded to a jagged yet sugary sound which combines the best bits of Chicks on Speed and Elastica, is a joy. And the bitchier they get, the more brilliant 'We're in the Music Biz' becomes.