MX-80

MX-80 (also known as MX-80 Sound) debuted in the early years of the American new wave explosion, and while the scene provided a context for their work, they didn't fit the framework of the new music. Their jagged melodies and shifting tempos, the force of Bruce Anderson's guitar, and the deadpan vocals of Rich Stim suggested an amalgam of art rock, heavy metal, and prog rock. Their music was too challenging for many listeners, and their sole major-label release, 1977's Hard Attack, went unreleased in the United States. They developed a following after relocating from Indiana to San Francisco, and their next two albums -- 1980's Out of the Tunnel and 1981's Crowd Control -- were their most popular releases, and among their very best. By the 1990s, MX-80 were a part-time concern, but 2005's We're an American Band confirmed they were still as individualistic and uncompromised as ever.