Stereolab

More than two decades ago, motorik pop-rock act Stereolab recorded portions of its two most beloved albums (Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Dots and Loops) in Chicago, working with local producer John McEntire of instrumental rock outfit Tortoise. It's fitting that a decade after the group (or The Groop, as they refer to themselves) went on hiatus in 2009, the newly-reunited Stereolab will play its first two U.S. concerts in the city that helped shape tracks like "Cybele's Reverie" and "Miss Modular." Founding members Lætitia Sadier and Tim Gane have spent much of the past 10 years dancing around the distinct work that they developed together, with Sadier turning out spacey solo records while Gane explored intricate krautrock under the moniker of Cavern Of Anti-Matter. Reunited and dropping into familiar grooves once more, Stereolab's experimental spirit is on display for a new generation (and anyone who missed out the first time around)—the band's music doesn't just sound ahead of its time, it often feels like a transmission from another timeline altogether.