The Effigies

One of the first major bands on the Chicago punk scene, the Effigies arrived as first-era punk was being supplanted by hardcore, but their sound was something apart from both styles. They were less interested in speed than impact; their songs were simple but intelligently constructed, their lyrics were angry but artful meditations on urban alienation with shout-along choruses, and their performances were muscular and made clever use of dynamics, with the guitars grinding and slashing with a sophistication that set them apart from their peers. The Effigies' influence in the Midwest was significant, and one can hear the faint echo of their early work in bands like Naked Raygun and Big Black. They moved into a more streamlined post-punk sound on later works like 1984's For Ever Grounded that paid even less attention to punk orthodoxy without sacrificing their passion and vehemence.