The Archers of Loaf were darlings of the indie world in the early to mid-'90s, thanks to an off-kilter sound that was edgy and challenging, yet melodically accessible at the same time. Cornerstones of the Chapel Hill, NC, indie scene that also spawned Superchunk and Polvo, the Archers' chief inspirations were the Replacements and Sonic Youth,... [+] Read More

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Cat Power was the alias of Chan Marshall, a Southern-bred singer/songwriter whose father, Charlie, was an itinerant pianist. After dropping out of high school, Marshall found herself in New York; performing under the name Cat Power, she was booked as the opening act for Liz Phair, where she met Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and Two Dollar... [+] Read More

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After the breakup of Mazzy Star, vocalist Hope Sandoval joined with Colm O'Ciosoig (formerly of My Bloody Valentine) to form Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions. The project retained the laid-back, slowcore sound of Mazzy Star, and much like Mazzy Star, featured Sandoval's sensuous, hypnotic voice. However, it replaced the psychedelic leanings... [+] Read More

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Formed in Duluth, Minnesota in 1994, Low was perhaps the slowest of the so-called "slowcore" bands -- delicate, austere, and hypnotic, the trio's music rarely rose above a whisper, divining its dramatic tension in the unsettling open spaces created by the absence of sound. Initially comprising the husband and wife team of guitarist/vocalist Alan... [+] Read More

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Alternative country singer/songwriter Neko Case won a steadily growing cult audience for her smoky, sophisticated vocals and the downcast beauty of her music. Born in Alexandria, VA, Case moved around often as a child, spending the largest part of her youth in Tacoma, WA. She left her parents at age 15, and three years later she started playing... [+] Read More

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Madison, WI, emo trio Rainer Maria emerged in 1995 from the ashes of another poetically inclined local combo, Ezra Pound, reuniting singer/guitarist Kyle Fischer and drummer William Kuehn. Enlisting singer/bassist Caithlin De Marrais, within six weeks Rainer Maria recorded their first demo cassette, quickly selling out all 350 copies. Following... [+] Read More

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1998's Arches and Aisles, the final album by indie-rockers the Spinanes, was a solo album for singer/guitarist Rebecca Gates in all but name; for her next project, she made her solo status official, retiring the Spinanes name. Gates originally formed the Spinanes in 1991 with drummer Scott Plouf in Portland, OR; the band became one of Sub Pop's... [+] Read More

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The frontwoman for beloved British club-pop trio Saint Etienne, diva Sarah Cracknell was born April 12, 1967 in Chelmsford, Essex; raised primarily in the Windsor area, as a youth she attended convent school, and later briefly studied drama. After a stint with the little-known Prime Time, in the spring of 1991 Cracknell was recruited to sing on... [+] Read More

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Folksinger and songwriter Sinéad Lohan debuted in early 1995 with the album Who Do You Think I Am, scoring several major hits in her native Ireland with singles including "Sailing By" and the Bob Dylan cover "To Ramona." After touring the UK in support of avowed fan Joan Baez, Lohan travelled to New Orleans to collaborate with producer Malcolm... [+] Read More

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Tindersticks were one of the most original and distinctive British acts of the '90s, standing apart from both the British indie scene and the rash of Brit-pop guitar combos that dominated the U.K. charts. Where their contemporaries were often direct and to the point, Tindersticks were obtuse and leisurely, crafting dense, difficult songs layered... [+] Read More

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