Morphine

Morphine rose to cult fave status in the '90s, releasing four full-length records of excellent cigar bar pop songs. Their unique brand of mid-tempo sax, bass, drums, and vocal pop met with great approval from the more fashionable, less resourceful college students who enjoyed their angst bottled and served with an antique finish at the student union. Despite their guilt-by-association to the cocktails and Kerouac students of life, the muscle car honks and simple melodies of Dana Colley's alto/tenor sax as well as the disarming sincerity of Mark Sandman's schmaltzy fish and chips baritone contrasted with the underground ‘90s guitar revolution with rich, memorable sounds. Channelling the storytellin' patience and poetic romanticism of Tom Waits with Sinatra's showmanship, Sandman imparted his porches-and-whiskey struggles to the front row like a gentleman.