Sound Tribe Sector 9

One of the first improvisational jam bands to use a canvas of electronic- and dance-based sounds instead of rock- and blues-based ones, Sound Tribe Sector 9 is at the forefront of an offshoot of jam music affectionately called jamtronica. They play long, free-form sets, shifting textures like a funkier, more groove-based incarnation of the post-rock band Tortoise and flaunting a grand-scale light show that, much like the music itself, is largely improvised. Though they're best known for their live shows, they're also a prolific studio band. This summer they released their latest EP, When the Dust Settles.