De Novo Dahl

In fall 2005 Nashville kitchen-sink pop collaborators De Novo Dahl were in a good spot. Their first full-length, Cats & Kittens, was cruising out on nationwide distribution and earning positive press in Pitchfork and Spin. But just as their stars seemed to align, half the band quit — all in the same week. Each of the exiting band members had his reasons (pursuing his own music, school, getting married and settling down), but De Novo Dahl were a band of six highly creative individuals who also shared a house — and locals wondered whether, like an episode of Real World: East Nashville, creative tensions flared and people just stopped being polite. No matter: Just listen to the dreamy song "Shout" on the band's MySpace page (myspace.com /denovodahl). A tune that's as folky as it is indebted to '60s pop, "Shout" mixes the frenetic energy of Arcade Fire with the sunny optimism of a Polyphonic Spree song. The now-quintet's new record is expected this year on big-label Roadrunner Records.