Hollywood’s hip Zooey Deschanel and indie-rock stalwart M. Ward deliver endearingly sparse retro-pop tunes.

• She & Him is comprised of Zooey Deschanel, the charismatic star of TV sitcom New Girl and blockbusters like 500 Days of Summer, and M. Ward, an experimental folk artist.
• The duo first performed a song together for the 2007 film The Go-Getter and released their first album, Volume One, the next year. Its follow up, Volume Two, peaked at No. 1 on top rock and independent album charts. Volume 3, which She & Him say is an “effortlessly effervescent bleached-out-in-the-sun pop record,” will be released in May.
• “With its nostalgic covers, wall-of-sound harmonies, and sunny imagery, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward’s latest [album] is a beguiling memory-picnic through a land where everyone is forgiving, self-deprecating, and pleasant.”—Paste on Volume Two
• Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Camera Obscura is a progressive outfit known for “creating lush indie pop with orchestral flourishes and romantic lyrics” (AllMusic.com). Their album My Maudlin Career (2009) boasts a mix of ballads and up-tempo songs.