From the group's inception in the mid-'70s onward, the New York-based Controlled Bleeding remained one of the most prolific and unpredictable American industrial bands, exploring the extremes of both unchecked sonic fury and free-floating ambient dub.

Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Lemos, a high-school English teacher... [+] Read More

Yes No

More than any other hardcore band, the Minutemen epitomized the free-thinking independent ideals that formed the core of punk/alternative music. Wildy eclectic and politically revolutionary, the Minutemen never stayed in one place too long; they moved from punk to free jazz to funk to folk at a blinding speed. And they toured and recorded at... [+] Read More

Yes No

Combining jagged, roaring guitars and stop-start dynamics with melodic pop hooks, intertwining male-female harmonies and evocative, cryptic lyrics, the Pixies were one of the most influential American alternative rock bands of the late '80s. The Pixies weren't accomplished musicians -- Black Francis wailed and bashed out chords while Joey... [+] Read More

Yes No

During the early-'90s alternative rock explosion, several female singer/songwriters rose to prominence, but few were as distinctive or as widely praised as Polly Jean Harvey. Over the course of three albums, Harvey established herself as one of the most individual and influential songwriters of the '90s, exploring themes of sex, love, and... [+] Read More

Yes No

Erroneously regarded as a synth pop band -- and, every now and then -- as a band that peaked with a song placed in a scene of Real Genius, the Comsat Angels were one of the finest bands of the post-punk/new wave era. Often as moody if less dramatic than Joy Division, their first and best albums -- 1980's Waiting for a Miracle, 1981's Sleep No... [+] Read More

Yes No

Out of all the late-'70s punk and post-punk bands, none were longer-lived or were more prolific than the Fall. Throughout their career, the band underwent a myriad of lineup changes, but at the center of it all was vocalist Mark E. Smith. With his snarling, nearly incomprehensible vocals and consuming bitter cynicism, Smith became a cult legend... [+] Read More

Yes No

Of the countless bands to emerge from the New York City underground during the post-punk era, few if any were as unique and influential as the Feelies; nerdy, nervous, and noisy, even decades later their droning, skittering avant-garde pop remains a key touchstone of the American indie music scene. Named in reference to Aldous Huxley's paranoid... [+] Read More

Yes No

More than any band that came out of late-'70s England, the Mekons (the name taken from the popular sci-fi comic Dan Dare) have perhaps the most devoted fans of any band even remotely connected to punk rock. And why not? After 25 years together, this band, with an ever-shifting lineup (only Jon Langford and Tom Greenhalgh remain from the original... [+] Read More

Yes No

Oblomov were founded in 1998 in Rome (Italy) by Enrico Le Pera (guitar/vocals), Maurizio Di Nofa (bass) and Francesco Petricca (drums/electronics). After countless auditions, the three decided that Flavia Bruni would be their definitive vocalist. In 2002 the band self produced and released its four tracks full lenght eponiymous cd. Critically... [+] Read More

Yes No

Hard to believe, but as the decade turned from the '70s to the '80s, scenemakers and postpunk trendwatchers were looking for the next burgeoning proto-alternative scene to be emerging from...well, Akron, Ohio. Famous for being both the birthplace of Pretender Chrissie Hynde and home of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Akron (aka "Rubber City")... [+] Read More

Yes No

Wire emerged out of the British punk explosion but, from the outset, maintained a distance from that scene and resisted easy categorization. While punk rapidly became a caricature of itself, Wire's musical identity -- focused on experimentation and process -- was constantly metamorphosing. Their first three albums alone attest to a startling... [+] Read More

Yes No