Railroad Jerk

Railroad Jerk took the tropes of blues and roots rock, mixed them with the energy of punk and the clatter of noise rock, and hot-wired it all into a raucous, combustible sound that made them one of the most respected indie bands of their day. Emerging from the New York underground scene near the end of the 1980s, the group's taut, electrifying live show helped them win a deal with Matador Records, and their first two albums, 1990's Railroad Jerk and 1992's Raise the Plow, accurately captured their edgy attack. They made more effective use of the studio on 1995's One Track Mind, and "The Ballad of Railroad Jerk," "Rollerkoaster," and "Bang the Drum" earned spins on college radio, with the latter two also scoring MTV play. Railroad Jerk ended their run with 1996's The Third Rail, their best-realized studio effort.