Practitioners of a style that combines herky-jerky, post-new wave rhythms with blues and folk, Railroad Jerk came together on the lower east side of New York City, and their music reflected the grittiness and urgency of that area. Marcellus Hall (b. Great Bluff, Minnesota, USA; vocals/guitar), who also worked as a cartoonist for New York Perspectives, met Tony Lee (b. Cherry Point, North Carolina, USA; bass) in Trenton, New Jersey, and the two began a musical partnership. With Jes Aspinall (b. Essex, England; drums) and Phillip (b. Belgium; guitar) they formed Railroad Jerk in the spring of 1989. By the end of that year, Phillip had left and Chris Mueller joined on guitar. The band's repertoire at the time consisted of songs with off-kilter, slap-happy drum beats, skewed, angular guitar lines and Hall's inspired yelping and absurdist lyrics. These tunes were augmented by twisted cover versions of songs by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Donovan. Reminiscent of a more urban Pavement (perhaps owing to the Fall influence), they were signed by Matador Records, who released the band's self-titled debut in 1990.

Listen to Railroad Jerk at Finetune.

• Band the Drum
• One Step Forward

• Sonic Youth
• Jesus & Mary Chain
• Interpol
• The Birthday Party
• The Fall
• Liars
• Swans
• Gang of Four
• Joy Division
• Bloc Party
• The Charlatans U.K.
• The Cure
• The Stone Roses
• Bauhaus
• Love And Rockets
• Spacemen 3
• The Psychedelic Furs
• Tones On Tail
• Catherine Wheel
• Happy Mondays

• Buckydb