Artist The Hypstrz

Later known as the core of legendarily loud locals Mighty Mofos, brothers Ernie and Bill Batson started out roaring in seminal '70s combo The Hypstrz, which helped set the stage for the '80s explosion of punk rock in the Twin Cities by looking even further back to the past. Passionate garage-rock archivists, they specialized in unearthing the kind of forgotten ’60s proto-punk gems collected on compilations likeNuggets and giving them a high-octane overhaul. A 2005 self-titled compilation gathers a 1979 EP, the 15-song album Hypsterization!, and a sizzling slab of previously unreleased songs recorded live in 1979 at the Longhorn Bar, capturing the band in its prime, and a vital snapshot of Twin Cities music history at a creative peak.

Updated 11/23/2010