Meat Puppets

Formed by brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood with drummer Derrick Bostrom almost 30 years ago, the Meat Puppets spent the '80s baking a punk-tinged, acid-drenched brand of Byrds-ish country rock in their hometown Phoenix sun. They finally got their props as an influence when the bros guested with Nirvana on the latter's legendary 1993 MTV Unplugged performance. After a short major-label career, two breakups, chronic drug problems, and a prison bid (by Cris for felony assault on a security guard), the Puppets resurfaced with 2007's Rise to Your Knees. It's an album that, like the revived live show, evokes the spontaneity of the band's wild early days.