Formed in New York in 1999, experimental band The Books were responsible for some of the strangest and most beautiful albums of the '00s. A duo comprised of guitarist Nick Zammuto and cellist Paul de Jong, The Books released their debut album Thought for Food in 2002 to instant acclaim. Critics initially considered them part of the folktronica movement, but their delicate collages of sampled sounds and thrift shop instruments on albums like 2005's Lost and Safe owed more to avant-garde composers like Steve Reich. They went on hiatus in 2012 to focus on other projects.