Metric

If cool were measured in Chuck E. Cheese tickets, Metric lead singer and keyboardist Emily Haines would get you a prize from the top shelf. From sharing a New York flat with Yeah Yeah Yeahs bad girl Karen O. to moonlighting as a member of the show-stealing Broken Social Scene, this siren is just a little too fuck-you punk for the masses — but the indie kids practically worship her. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the remaining three members of this Toronto foursome — which effectively marries polished, math-rock beats with gritty, street-smart melodies — are the perfect complement to Haines’ bratty, garage-revivalist attitude. With its latest release, Live It Out, Metric seems to have discovered the secret formula for making straight-up rock that teeters between crass and class.