Lohio

Ass Ponys were local heroes in their native Cincinnati and then one-hit wonders with the 1995 alt-rock radio smash "Little Bastard." But with Lohio and its predecessor, Some Stupid with a Flare Gun, the group solidified its standing as a first-rate purveyor of smart roots rock played with heart and a goofy grin. Like Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Ponys singer and songwriter Chuck Cleaver has a pinched tone and a penchant for telling weird tales. On Lohio he sings with equal passion about old TV shows and morphine fixes, dead babies and forgotten crushes. Confessional songwriting may be increasingly dominated by smirking ironists and self-serious sad sacks, but thankfully, Ass Ponys never got the memo. --Anders Smith Lindall