Junior Boys Southern acoustics Junior Boys, the duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, is one of the best things going in indie electronica right now. The cool, techno-based pop on their So This Is Goodbye album radiates a sophisticated sheen. The slick sounds and slightly self-deprecating vocals bring to mind acts like Postal Service, but upon closer inspection their complex, layered melodies also show the influence of beat-makers from Timbaland to Caribou.   Subtle Hip-hop jumble The Oakland, CA-based artists known as Subtle are creating some of the strangest music out there. Their members include avant-garde hip-hop figures Adam "doseone" Drucker and Jeffrey "jel" Logan and they make their sounds using synths, samplers, guitars and cellos. Their latest album, For Hero: For Fool is a conflagration of hip-hop, indie rock and jazz that doseone talks about in terms of graphic novels and board games rather than beats and rhymes.   Landon Pigg Easygoing indie It's not that surprising that Nashville-based indie rock sensation Landon Pigg credits goofball comic Ray Stevens as an early bit of inspiration. Just listen to his clever lyrics about love and confusion and you can see this guy has a sense of humor. The music on his debut album, is a sweet blend of pop and rock that bears the influence of easygoing troubadour Rufus Wainwright as well as the melodic crunch of Led Zeppelin.   Kinnie Starr Manic MC It's not surprising that Vancouver-based singer/MC Kinnie Starr's fourth solo album, Anything, is such a manic affair when you look at her background. She credits artists from De La Soul and Led Zeppelin to Neil Young and Sade with inspiring her music. Anything starts off with some fierce rhyme spitting, but manages to chart a course through quirky pop songs featuring Tegan (of Tegan and Sara) and mellow ballads before it's done.     Denny Vergara Los Angeles-based artist Denny Vergara got his first paying job as an illustrator in elementary school: His classmates broke him off some cash for a wacky drawing of their teacher that eventually landed him in the principal's office. It seems he hasn't looked back since. He's still creating art, though these days he describes his work as a "natural blend of anime, Marvel Comics, Renaissance masters and contemporary movies."   doPi Karaoke doPi Karaoke bills itself as a "party in a pod," and it's an accurate description, especially if you’re in the company of those who savor the joys of off-key singing. The system turns any video MP3 player into a portable karaoke box. After downloading the songs from doPi's website, use the included microphone to sing your lungs out to the lyrics appearing on your MP3's screen while the songs play.   Virtual Laguna Beach It's a lot more entertaining to be ensnarled in fake dramas of your own making than living them vicariously through a reality show. MTV knows that as well, so they've come up with the online social networking site Virtual Laguna Beach. It's a digital world where you can hit the beach, go partying at clubs and shopping at local boutiques with other Laguna Beach pals, just like on the show.   Knights of Prosperity Just when it seems like Eugene Gurkin's dream of opening a bar is never going to be more than a fantasy, this frustrated janitor has a surprising epiphany. His dream isn't that elusive, especially if he can recruit a gang of fellow misfits to join him in some modern-day Robin Hood shenanigans. What happens next is the story of Knights of Prosperity, the hilarious, uplifting new ABC series from the creators of Ed.   Copyright © 2006 Nokia. All rights reserved. Nokia, Nokia Connecting People, N-Gage and all Nokia phone model numbers are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation. Other company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.