John Maus

While John Maus might have been born in the small town of Austin, Minnesota, rather than the live music capitol of Austin, Texas, he began playing live music early on as a part of indie mainstay Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Clearly picking up influences from his stint with Pink, Maus dropped his first solo album in 2006, an experimental bedroom pop saga. Always off-kilter and quirky, Maus croons baritone vocals over fairly sparse synth beats and guitars, but is most known for his over-the-top live performances, which generally include screaming and maniacal dancing. Maus has also taught philosophy and theory at the University of Hawaii.