Urge Overkill

Exuding a rebels-without-a-cause swagger, Urge Overkill were primed to be rock stars from the start. Formed in 1985, the Chicago band had all the key elements in place: squalling guitars, endless punk attitude and even burgeoning producer/engineer Steve Albini (then-roommate of vocalist/guitarist Nash Kato) working the boards. Following the release of their 1989 debut album, the dirty, dissonant Jesus Urge Superstar, Urge Overkill stormed forward with a string of albums that beefed up their rock intensity, highlighted their glammy power-pop proclivities and brought a welcome sense of humour to the otherwise angsty indie scene. During that time, they opened for Nirvana on their Nevermind tour, signed to Geffen Records for 1993’s Saturation (featuring the '70s-style groover “Sister Havana”) and landed their slinky version of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” in a pivotal scene in 1994’s Pulp Fiction. Following that blockbuster moment, they unleashed one more set—1995’s dark and brooding Exit the Dragon—before in-group tensions splintered the band. Following a reunion in 2004, the band have occasionally popped up to prove rock 'n' roll is still alive and well with releases like 2011’s Rock & Roll Submarine and 2022’s Oui.