Red Hot Chili Peppers

 

 

I remember in the mid-80s when RHCP and Fishbone would play every Friday at the Roxy on the (now-gone) Sunset Strip for $4. Back then, who would've thought...

Of Monsters And Men

 

 

Of Monsters And Men hail from Iceland and the fact they can't be compared to Bjork/Sugarcubes despite having a female singer is quite refreshing. Their sound has gone from an acoustic-based rock songs to more electronic-oriented pop sound.

The Fixx

 

The Fixx is a British band that oddly found little success in their homeland, but scored multiple hits in the US.  Those hits have often overshadowed that their first few albums were really stellar post-punk works.

Screaming Trees

 

 

Screaming Trees. RIP Mark Lanegan.

The Enemy

 

The Enemy's first two albums were Brit-pop with punky energy and catchy tunes. Their third album, however, was something much more emotive, with soaring melodies and a grand, sweeping kind of feeling. They promptly broke up after that album, leaving it one of the decade's unheard classics.

John Grant

 

To look at John Grant, you may imagine some kind of rustic, folksy music.  Instead, he uses 70s era electronics, 80s new wave, and his malleable voice to create something entirely its own.  Sometimes experimental, almost avant garde, other times very danceable pop tunes.

Future Islands

 

 

As pure a New Wave sound as you can get.