Unwound

Washington-based trio Unwound have made an impact on the Indie Rock world by creating what amounts to a hell of a lot of racket. While they fly the flag for the extreme end of Indie Rock noise, they've spent much of their career looking for chances to stretch themselves. Their first full-length release in 1993, Fake Train (Kill Rock Stars), marked the creation of a new, stark musical landscape comprised of melodic, frenzied bursts of noise. Over their next two albums in 1994, New Plastic Ideas and in 1995, The Future of What, Unwound continued to musically extend themselves by adding more melody to the mix without sacrificing their trademark staccato outbursts and abrasive ambience. Tracing something of a continual upward spiral of exploration, they took yet another turn on Repetition in 1996, opening up to the idea of free form "jams" with the addition of horns. The following year brought Challenge for a Civilized Society, arguably their best release, once again saw the band looking to expand on their explosive yet melodic sound, with the keys of Pacific Northwest Indie Rock stalwart Steve Fisk filling out the tonal spectrum.