Evan Sult and Paige Brubeck have been the darlings of the St. Louis music scene since their arrival in 2008, but not until this year has their band, Sleepy Kitty, truly ascended to the top of the rock heap. Incorporating elements from post-punk, cabaret, hip-hop and pop with seamless finesse, the duo is at its best wailing away on such towering guitar tracks as "Speaking Politely" and the Beatles-via-Hubert Selby Jr.-borrowing "Seventeen." This year's debut full-length, Infinity City, delivered the versatility and vibrancy long promised by the duo's shows and screen-printing work, and a tireless ethic for playing out of town demonstrated the group's willingness to shed the blood, sweat and gas money necessary to build an audience outside its comfort zone on Cherokee Street. Equally at home at underground DIY venues, rock clubs and even city parks, Sleepy Kitty has set the bar for both ass-kicking and professionalism in St. Louis rock music, and that is not an easy balance to strike.