Scott and Seth Avett head up this North Carolina-based sextet, with the brothers' guitar and banjo riffs accompanied by an eclectic ensemble that includes double bass, violin, and cello. Their eponymous 2000 EP sparked a run of self-released and independent projects before the group joined forces with Rick Rubin's American Recordings label for their 2009 breakthrough, I and Love and You. Embracing a sound that mixes bluegrass and ragtime influences with punk and pop overtones, The Avett Brothers make music that hits both experimental and emotional notes.