San Francisco's "drum punk" trio Mi Ami formed in 2007 and began working on a sound inspired by dub, free jazz, Afro-beat, and dance music. Mi Ami released a series of vinyl singles and played local gigs with bands like No Age, and were signed by Quarterstick Records in 2008. Their debut for the label, the Enchonecho EP, arrived in January 2009, with their first full-length, Watersports, following a month later. The band moved to Thrill Jockey for 2010's Steal Your Face. ~ Heather Phares