German punk-pop outfit Madsen derived its moniker from the surname of the three Madsen brothers at the lineup's core: singer/guitarist Sebastian, lead guitarist Johannes, and drummer Sascha, all products of the Wendlands area. The siblings began collaborating as teens and in the late '90s, formed the hard rock band Alice's Gun. The rap-metal project Hoerstuatz later followed, and in 2004, they shifted their emphasis yet again to punk, recruiting bassist Niko Maurer and keyboardist Folkert Jahnke to complete the Madsen roster. ~ Jason Ankeny