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Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their fusion of Grateful Dead style bluegrass rock with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, Indian influences.

Rusted Root is often lumped together with other bands under the jam band label, though they have somewhat rejected this categorization. Rusted Root formed in 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and made its indie record debut in 1992 with Cruel Sun, which was rereleased in 2002. The group's major-label debut album was 1994's When I Woke, a hit on college radio and a platinum record. The album hit the top 40 in early 1995, peaking at #33. Along with their inspiring live shows, Rusted Root began working on contributions to the movies Twister and Home for the Holidays. Their next studio album was Remember (1996), followed by Rusted Root (1998) and Welcome to My Party (2002). Welcome to My Party was criticized by fans, who are affectionately known as Rootheads. Many felt the band's departure from tribal grooves to a poppier feel was an attempt to sell out. Remember reached the Top 40 in the US, while Rusted Root found its sales buoyed by the use of the band's cover of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on an episode of Ally McBeal. A live double album followed in 2004. Its greatest-hits album was released in April 2005 as part of Universal Music's 20th Century Masters series. The band has released three EPs, Evil Ways, Airplane, and Live, which came packaged with a documentary video cassette.
Current members
* Michael Glabicki - lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Liz Berlin - percussion, backing vocals
* Patrick Norman - bass guitar, backing vocals, percussion
* Jason Miller - drums, percussion
* Colter Harper- guitar, backing vocals
* Preach Freedom- percussion, backing vocals
* Dirk Miller- guitar, backing vocals
Discography
Albums
* Cruel Sun (1992)
* When I Woke (1994)
* Remember (1996)
* Rusted Root (1998)
* Welcome to My Party (2002)
* Rusted Root Live (2004)
* Greatest Hits (2005)
* Stereo Rodeo (2009)
EPs
* Live (1995)
* Evil Ways (1996)
* Airplane (1998)

R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe (lead vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Bill Berry (drums and percussion).

R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M.'s 1994 release Monster was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million. The following year, Bill Berry left the band amicably, with Buck, Mills, and Stipe continuing as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Discography
* Murmur (1983)
* Reckoning (1984)
* Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
* Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
* Document (1987)
* Green (1988)
* Out of Time (1991)
* Automatic for the People (1992)
* Monster (1994)
* New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
* Up (1998)
* Reveal (2001)
* Around the Sun (2004)
* Accelerate (2008)

John Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known (and occasionally parodied) for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism.

Stipe is in charge of the band's visual image, often selecting album artwork and directing many of the band's music videos. Stipe's work extends outside of the music industry, and he runs his own film production companies, C-00 and Single Cell Pictures. Stipe was born in Decatur, Georgia. Stipe was a military brat; his father was a serviceman in the United States Army whose career resulted in frequent relocations for his family. Stipe and his family moved to various locales during his childhood, including Germany, Texas, Illinois, Alabama and Georgia. Stipe graduated from Collinsville (Illinois) High School in 1978, and enrolled at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, as an art major, studying photography and painting.
Film and television work
In early 1987 Stipe co-founded C00 Films with Jim Mckay, a mixed-media company that was "designed to channel its founder's creative talents towards the creation and promotion of alternative film works." Stipe and his producing partner, Sandy Stern, have served as executive producers on films including Being John Malkovich, Velvet Goldmine, and Man on the Moon. He was also credited as a producer of the 2004 film Saved!. Stipe has made a number of acting appearances on film and on television. Stipe appeared in an episode of The Adventures of Pete & Pete as an ice cream man named Captain Scrummy. Stipe has appeared as himself with R.E.M. on Sesame Street playing a reworked version of "Shiny Happy People" called "Furry Happy Monsters", and appeared in an episode of The Simpsons titled "Homer the Moe", where R.E.M. was tricked into playing a show in Homer Simpson's garage. Stipe also voiced a reindeer named Schnitzel in the Christmas cartoon special Olive, the Other Reindeer.
Discography
* With The Golden Palominos: "Boy (Go)", "Omaha", and "Clustering Train" on Visions of Excess (1985). "Alive and Living Now" on Drunk With Passion (1991).
* With Indigo Girls : "Kid Fears" on Indigo Girls (1988)
* With Neneh Cherry: "Trout" on Homebrew (1992).
* "My Gang" on Kerouac: Kicks Joy Darkness (1997).
* With Vic Chesnutt: "Injured Bird" on The End of Violence (1997).
* With Rain Phoenix: "Happiness" on the soundtrack for the film Happiness (1998).
* With Community Trolls: "Tainted Obligation" (1983) on To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet (2002).
* With The Indigo Girls: "I'll Give You My Skin" on Rarities (2005).
* "L'Hôtel" (Serge Gainsbourg cover) on Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited (2006).
* With Placebo: "Broken Promise" on Meds (2007).
* With Miguel Bosé: Lo Que Hay Es Lo Que Ves on "Papito" (2007)
Singles
* 2006 "In the Sun" (with Chris Martin), #1 (Canada)
Compilation albums
* Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films - "Opening Melody - Little April Shower" (with Natalie Merchant and Mark Bingham and The Roches)

The Housemartins were an English alternative rock band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time (the back cover of London 0 Hull 4 contained the message, "Take Jesus, Take Marx, Take Hope"). The band was formed in 1983 by Paul Heaton (vocals) and Stan Cullimore (guitar) who initially performed as a busking duo.

They then expanded by recruiting Ted Key (bass), former guitarist with The Gargoyles, and Dodger (drummer on loan from 3-Action!) who was then replaced by Chris Lang. The band's membership changed considerably over the years. Ted Key left at the end of 1985 and was replaced by Norman Cook the future Fatboy Slim & drummer Chris Lang was replaced by Hugh Whitaker, former drummer with The Gargoyles, who in turn was replaced with Dave Hemingway.
The band often referred to themselves as "the 4th best band in Hull", referring to Hull, the city in England where the band formed in 1983. (The three bands that were "better" were Red Guitars, 3-Action!, and The Gargoyles.)
Albums
* London 0 Hull 4 (October 1986, Go! Discs, UK #3)
* The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death (Sep 1987, Go! Discs, UK #9)

10,000 Maniacs was a United States-based alternative rock band, formed in 1981 and active with various line-ups through 2007. Their best-known member is Natalie Merchant, who left the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career.

Discography
* Human Conflict Number Five (1982)
* Secrets of the I Ching (1983)
* The Wishing Chair (1985)
* In My Tribe (1987)
* Blind Man's Zoo (1989)
* Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982-1983 (1990)
* Our Time in Eden (1992)
* MTV Unplugged (1993)
* Love Among the Ruins (1997)
* The Earth Pressed Flat (1999)
* Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings (2004)
* Live Twenty-Five (2006)

Cake are an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California which has had several hits throughout the 1990s and 2000s from six albums.

Cake was formed in 1991 by vocalist/songwriter John McCrea, guitarist Greg Brown, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, bassist Shon Meckfessel and drummer Frank French. Shon Meckfessel soon left and was replaced by Gabe Nelson. In 1993, the band released its debut single, "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle." Although self-released, the single managed to hit number 31 on the US Modern Rock Tracks. After the moderate radio success of their first single, Cake released their debut album entitled Motorcade of Generosity. Eventually, Cake signed a deal with Capricorn records, who in turn released the album nationally. Some time after this deal Gabe Nelson and Frank French left the band.