Sean O'Hagan

As the guiding force behind High Llamas and a floating member of Stereolab, singer, songwriter, and arranger Sean O'Hagan developed a very specific sonic fingerprint -- Baroque 1960s melodies, sweeping orchestral strings, and warmly bleeping vintage synths, all commingled in smooth harmonies -- that helped define a niche of the indie sound of the '90s and proved influential to those who followed in both bands' footsteps. The High Llamas released albums throughout the decade that balanced soft rock songcraft (Gideon Gaye), circular arrangements (Hawaii), and trippy easy listening music (Cold and Bouncy). Meanwhile, with Stereolab, O'Hagan contributed keyboards and to space age arrangements. The High Llamas never strayed far from O'Hagan's original idiosyncratic template, though twists included 2003's mostly acoustic Beet, Maize & Corn and 2016's theatrical Here Come the Rattling Trees. In 2019, he set aside the High Llamas name for the solo album Radum Calls, Radum Calls.