Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand (CD Format)

Debuting around the same time as the likeminded Arctic Monkeys and Libertines, Franz Ferdinand crafted an introduction that matched the wry wit of an art-school band with the mass appeal of stadium rockers. In other words, music you’d be just as likely to hear in a dimly lit hipster bar as in a game of Guitar Hero. Led by the gargantuan “Take Me Out” (and the equally great “Jacqueline” and “The Dark of the Matinée”), the album was a punk-spiked, stylish alternative to the straightforward fare of mid-’00s modern-rock radio—plenty tough, but smart enough to play it close to the vest.