Anarchy in Paris!

The concept was simple yet unique: marry the post-Stooges guitar aggression of the "class of 77" punk school with the artsy electronically processed aesthetic of Roxy Music, Robert Fripp, and Brian Eno. The sound: big killer punk rock guitar hooks, squealing textural synth noises, shouted French vocals, and a cheap, adrenaline-fueled drum machine. While most people were just discovering punk, Metal Urbain were blazing the trails for what was to become "post-punk," with a sound so distinct that Rough Trade would make them their first ever release. Sure, echoes of Metal Urbain can be heard in popular indie bands from the '80s like Big Black and Jesus And Mary Chain, but only now, almost 30 years after their first release, can their genius and foresight be fully appreciated.