>> Violent Femmes

One of the earliest bands to apply a punk ethos to acoustic music, the Violent Femmes create a wired and jagged sound, focusing on both the interplay between the band's guitar and bass as well as front man Gordon Gano's nervous lyrics and delivery, frequently focusing on teen angst exuality and mental breakdown. Though radically outside the mainstream at their debut, music tastes slowly shifted, helping the Femmes' sound build a tremendous following, both artistically and popularly.