Playlist: The 5 Best Live Acts

The Seattle duo Smoosh is extraordinarily precocious: these two sisters are just reaching high school and already demonstrate considerable skill on the drums and keyboards. They’ve released two infectious rock albums, “She Like Electric” and “Free to Stay” under the tutelage of Death Cab for Cutie drummer Jason McGerr. The pair tours around the United States, playing guitar-free and without backup from any other musicians—apart from occasional help on the bass from little sis. The girls have supported the likes of Cat Power and Death Cab for Cutie on tour.

Watch Smoosh perform five of their songs at an April 2008 concert on Fabchannel. The site provides high-quality videos and lets you embed them elsewhere.

Smoosh was profiled on the A&E program “Child Stars III,” where their parents sound off on what makes the girls good, how they got involved in music-making, and what the future holds. Watch clips from the show on YouTube.

Visit the band’s Web site for more information, including tour dates and multimedia.

In June 2007, Of Montreal put on an impromptu show with fellow rocker Axe Riverboy; it was caught on film by the venerable music video blog Concerts à Emporter.

Visit Of Montreal’s MySpace page to stream songs from their latest album, see tour dates, and hear a cover of one of M.I.A.’s songs—we’ll be profiling her below.

Maya Arulpragasam has lived in London, Sri Lanka, India and Brooklyn. In Sri Lanka, she witnessed and suffered from the civil war there, and her tragic experiences are reflected in her music. Sinister, dark, reflective and moving, her songs can be dire and dance worthy all at once. She’s unlike any other musician currently recording, and her live shows keep her firmly on the map.

Read a biography of M.I.A.’s fascinating life at AllMusic.

M.I.A. released her second full-length album, “Kala,” in 2007. The album, which is named after her mother, more than validated the hype the artist has received for the past few years. Watch her perform the hit “Jimmy” on her Web site. “Jimmy” is a cover of an old Indian disco hit.

At the Bonnaroo Festival this June, M.I.A. announced during her performance that the festival was her "last gig ever." She has also cancelled her summer tour. Jon Pareles of the New York Times reasons that "pop retirements are rarely permanent."

A contributor to The New York Times’s new music blog, Measure for Measure, Bird writes about his song making process alongside Rosanne Cash and others. In his May 11 entry, he says that writing and performing music have practically become one and the same for him, and that “the improvisation and conversation with the audience from show to show keep the songs fluid and alive.”

Watch Andrew Bird perform a whole set of songs on Fabchannel. This 2007 concert features songs from Bird’s latest album, “Armchair Apocrypha,” as well as older hits.

Watch Marshall perform cover track “The Greatest” on French television in 2007.