Barcelona, Spain

Appropriately taking their name from the controversial Japanese writer, literate Barcelona indie pop outfit Mishima formed around 1999, with original members including main singer and songwriter David Carabén as well as Christian Aloy (guitars), Marc Lloret (keyboards), Óscar d'Aniello (drum programming), and Dani Acedo (bass). Mishima's first two albums, 2000's Lipstick Traces and 2003's The Fall of the Public Man, were sung in English, but the band achieved critical and popular recognition when it switched to Catalan for its third record, Trucar a Casa. Recollir les Fotos. Pagar la Multa (2005), a path continued in all of their successive releases. Mishima's lineup experienced a few changes along the way, with Dani Vega, Alfons Serra, and Xavi Caparrós replacing Aloy, Acedo, and d'Aniello, respectively. ~ Mariano Prunes