The Feelies

Surging out of New Jersey in the mid-’70s and nursing an obsession with The Velvet Underground’s insistent chug, The Feelies broke through to critical (if not popular) consciousness with their 1980 debut, Crazy Rhythms. An outgrowth of the new-wave/post-punk era, their sound had an endless forward motion, driven by percussion that almost completely eschewed cymbals in favor of a constant, tribal thud. (Legend is that bandleader Glenn Mercer felt cymbals drowned out the trebly sounds of guitars and keyboards that he was most interested in exploring.) After releasing a few under-the-radar albums, The Feelies disbanded in the early ’90s. But break-ups are no longer permanent, so they recently regrouped to put out Here Before, their first album in 20 years.

Updated 04/16/2012