Everclear

Though Everclear's Northwestern grunge-punk style was hardly revolutionary when the band became popular in 1995, the band's superb songs and Art Alexakis' us-against-them lyrics were taken to heart by bored Gen-X teens. The band's sound reflected the rock, post-punk and singer/songwriter influences of Alexakis like X, the Replacements, the Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Elvis Costello. Also elemental to Everclear's success was their obsessive touring schedule and agressive self-promotion.