Jesus Lizard | Head

The band thrived in the underground of the 90s, and from the freedom of Touch and Go in particular; under pressure from no one but themselves, the Jesus Lizard raised a bar that few bands have reached since (and, for whatever reason, one they struggled to reach themselves after migrating to Capitol Records after Down). They were raucous and heavy without the rigidity of later hardcore or the meat-headedness of metal; they played art-rock that actually rocked.