Murder By Death

At first glance, Murder By Death is a pretty dumb band name. Of course, this quartet's first moniker was Little Joe Gould, and almost anything is an improvement from that. But silly name aside, the group has carved out a pretty interesting niche for itself, thanks to four full-lengths full of spooky, cello-and-piano-accented gothic indie rock with a new-age Johnny Cash as a frontman. With a catalog full of songs about whiskey, the devil, zombies and love, it would be easy for MBD to be embedded in kitsch, but they take what they do incredibly seriously. More proof? The band's fifth album, Good Morning, Magpie, comes out in April. If you were ever looking for the perfect soundtrack as you sharpen a set of knives, this is it.