Mixing the barroom grit of roots-rock with the radio-ready hooks of power-pop, the Old 97's picked up where alt-country innovators like Uncle Tupelo left off, paving the way for bands like the Drive-By Truckers. After forming in the Texas' early ‘90s indie rock scene, the band soon became one of the most critically acclaimed acts in the United States. They recorded a string of solid indie albums in the ‘90s, and finally hit a breakthrough with 1999's Fight Songs. Their twangy but evocative sound propelled them to mainstream success alongside artists like Wilco and Whiskeytown.