Sanawon

Although the Korean term Sanawon signifies "fierce," the Chicago-based duo leans toward the twee wing of indie pop, largely because frontwoman Jenny Choi delivers vocals lighter than air and closely echoing those of the Sundays' Harriet Wheeler as well as Saint Etienne's Sarah Cracknell. At the core of the group's sound sit Choi's own vocals, keyboards, and cello, fleshed out by drummer Philip Stone—also her husband—alongside occasional guest players handling bass and guitar. While Sanawon itself did not coalesce until 2004, Choi and Stone had already collaborated and pursued separate projects across Chicago's indie-rock community in the years leading up to that date. A classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Choi first drew notice leading Jenny Choi and the Third Shift, whose debut Bittersweet appeared in 1998. Following the 2001 release Grand and Ashland, that band dissolved, prompting Choi to issue the solo set Postcard Stories in 2003 with assistance from Stone. In the same year she launched the Asians in Rock Tour, a traveling showcase for indie-rock acts fronted by Asian Americans whose stated goal, according to her mission statement, was to "give voice to the often silent 'model' minority by broadening the cookie cutter stereotypes often relegated to Asian Americans, and to inspire Asian youth to avoid assimilating to mainstream tendencies in their artistry by finding original ways to articulate their own unique cultural context and identities." Choi and Stone also joined Ben Weasel—known from Screeching Weasel—in the short-lived trio Sweet Black and Blue, and both contribute as session musicians to numerous other recordings. The duo's initial Sanawon album, Tiny Airplane, surfaced in 2005 via the Suburban Home imprint.