Like Squirrel Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy revived big band music for the '90s. BBVD concentrated on the swinging days of the '40s and '50s, borrowing some of the Rat Pack lingo in addition to the zoot suits. Formed in Los Angeles in 1992, the group quickly built up a following by playing regularly on the local lounge circuit, playing to... [+] Read More

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Former Stray Cat Brian Setzer was born in New York City and raised in Long Island. His first instrument, at age eight, was the euphonium, and he played the tuba-like instrument for ten years. He began having dreams of leading a big band with horns as a teen, but got sidetracked by punk. Initially, as a guitarist and songwriter, he took his... [+] Read More

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Former Stray Cat Brian Setzer was born in New York City and raised in Long Island. His first instrument, at age eight, was the euphonium, and he played the tuba-like instrument for ten years. He began having dreams of leading a big band with horns as a teen, but got sidetracked by punk. Initially, as a guitarist and songwriter, he took his... [+] Read More

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Hepcat was among the most celebrated bands to emerge from the Southern California ska revival scene of the 1990s, winning fans with their infectious Caribbean melodies, soulful harmonies and swinging rhythms, all informed by elements of reggae, rock steady, R&B and jazz. Comprising vocalists Greg Lee and Alex Desert, keyboardist Deston Berry,... [+] Read More

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Ska-punkers Home Grown formed in 1993 in Orange County, California. Comprising singer/bassist Adam Lohrbach, singer/guitarist John E. Trash, guitarist Ian Cone and drummer Bob Herco, the group debuted in 1995 with "Mean Street," a track on the Liberation Records compilation Punk Sucks; the label then issued Home Grown's full-length debut, That's... [+] Read More

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Retro-swingers the Royal Crown Revue comprised vocalist Eddie Nichols, guitarist James Achor, bassist Veikko Lepisto, tenor saxophonist Mando Dorame, baritone saxophonist Bill Ungerman, trumpeter Scott Steen and drummer Daniel Glass. Debuting in 1991 with the LP Kings of Gangster Bop, the group was almost the first to catch the wave of swing-era... [+] Read More

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The commercialization of alternative music in the '90s resulted in many strange one-hit wonders, but few were quite as unpredictable as the Squirrel Nut Zippers. During a time when hipsters were obsessed with swing music in its relation to Sinatra and Martin's Rat Pack, the Zippers were fascinated with big-band swing and Harlem, creating a... [+] Read More

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The Atomic Fireballs were formed in Detroit in 1996 by John Bunkley and James Bostek. The two of them met when Bostek's wife was working with Bunkley and introduced them. Although the group plays their own brand of high-energy swing music, they list their influences to be as far ranging as Louis Jordan and Black Flag. The lineup of the group is... [+] Read More

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Another group in the '90s retro resurrection of mid-century swing/jump-blues music spearheaded by Squirrel Nut Zippers and Royal Crown Revue, Mighty Blue Kings formed in Chicago during 1994, a septet of youthful but experienced musicians who wanted to offer clubgoers a night out 1940s-style. Vocalist Ross Bon, guitarist Gareth Best, saxophone... [+] Read More

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Although many mistake alterna-ska punkers the Suicide Machines as being from California, where most of the genre's bands come from, they're in fact Detroit natives. Starting off in the early '90s, the quartet consisted of Jason Navarro (vocals), Dan Lukacinsky (guitar/vocals), Royce Nunley (bass/vocals), and Erin Pitman (drums) and released... [+] Read More

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