Lambchop

With their sneering wit and DIY punk aesthetic, Lambchop offered a genuine alternative to country music's honky tonk glitz and homespun, rural lullabies when they emerged in the late 1980s. Led by front man Kurt Wagner, the band described themselves as "Nashville's most messed up country band" and won over a college rock and indie audience with early albums I Hope You're Sitting Down (1994), How I Quit Smoking (1996) and Thriller (1997). Incorporating soul influences such as Curtis Mayfield and Barry White, Nixon (2000) proved a big breakthrough in the UK and they went on to experiment with a harder post-rock sound on Damaged (2006) and Sinatra style crooning on Mr. M (2012). The band remains one of Nashville's great outsiders with a cast of 18 revolving members, though they have inspired the likes of Drive By Truckers, The National and Bright Eyes, and in 2012 Wagner wrote the lyrics to Tim Burgess' album Oh No I Love You.