Jawbox

In their eight-year existence, Jawbox released four studio albums of increasingly skillful post-punk, not necessarily carrying the torch of their Washington DC, elders (Minor Threat, Embrace, Rites of Spring), but instead building on the tradition of Chicago's thriving early-'80s scene (Big Black, Naked Raygun, Effigies). Highly and perhaps unfairly scrutinized for being the first act to leave über-indie Dischord Records, the band proved cynics wrong by releasing two excellent LPs for Atlantic that easily surpassed their Dischord output, all the while retaining their integrity and creative control.