Porter Block

An XTC-inspired power pop duo that sounded something like a cross between Fountains of Wayne and Ben Folds Five, Porter Block formed in 2005 as a collaboration between Peter Block and Caleb Sherman. The New York natives were both experienced musicians by the time they started working together. Block, for instance, had contributed tunes to various advertisements and films, and had collaborated with artists like Dean & Britta (formerly of Luna) and ADM (Lordz); Sherman, meanwhile, had established himself as a producer in Nashville and New York. Drawing on their collective songwriting and production talents, the duo released their first full-length, Suburban Sprawl, on Engine Room Records in 2006.