1. Thomas Bangalter And Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo (Daft Punk)/Laurent Brancowitz (Phoenix) - Darlin'
Before Daft Punk 'got lucky' and Phoenix succumbed to full-on 'Lisztomania', the members of each had to get their start somewhere. For Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Phoenix guitarist Laurent Brancowitz, that start was a naff, Beach Boys-inspired garage-punk band called Darlin.' The name Darlin' itself is derived from the Beach Boys song of the same name. The music they made was lo-fi, riffy, super-minimalistic punk, the shabby likes of which led to one music reviewer inadvertently spawning the French dance duo's future name (in how he referred to Darlin's music as a "daft punky thrash"). For the most part, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo have successfully avoided picking up a guitar since - that is, up until last year's surprisingly organic-sounding Random Access Memories - focusing instead on EDM and assorted other robot sounds. Brancowitz, on the other hand, has risen from his formative ashes like the mythological bird-like creature of his namesake, refining his guitar sounds and testing the fabric of what can be achieved with simple instruments (with even a Grammy under his belt). But just for old time's same, here's "Cindy So Loud" by the short-lived threesome.