The Minneapolis-based indie-pop duo Sukpatch comprised small-town Southerners Chris Heidman and Stephen Cruze, who created a novel amalgamation of lo-fi pop, samples, and hip-hop beats. The pair began recording songs at home on cheap equipment in the early '90s, passing cassettes of their work around to a circle of friends. Soon they were releasing records on the Seattle indie label Slabco, including the 1996 album Haulin' Ass and Smokin' Grass and the 1997 EP Honky Tonk Operation, as well as numerous 7" singles. They eventually caught the attention of the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label and signed on in 1998, issuing the somewhat more elaborately produced EP Tie Down That Shiny Wave in 1999. ~ Steve Huey