Capital Cities

Certain bands have the boon of being able to go through musical droughts and not release a lick of new music, yet still tour every year and tantalize fans with the same old song and dance. Electro-funk duo Capital Cities, made famous for their enduring radio hit “Safe and Sound,” represent just that kind of group.

A half-decade after meeting on Craigslist, Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian are enjoying a long-overdue moment of mainstream recognition as the indie-pop duo Capital Cities.

Soon the pair were recording jingles for companies like Hallmark and Honda, and gigging around town as Capital Cities. They began working on this year's ...