Pioneering industrial band from London, TG was formed in 1975 out of performance art group COUM Transmissions. Their scandalous 1976 "Prostitution" show at the London Institute for Contemporary Art nearly caused a riot and obscenity charges leading Tory MP Nicholas Fairburn to call them "wreckers o

Industrial metal, Post-punk, Rhythmic, Rough, True industrial

Steve Earle, the renowned country music rebel, once said of his early mentor: "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole wide world, and "I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." A bold statement -- but in certain regards, Van Zandt's influence stretches as

Contemplative, Gritty, Rebel, Rough, Smoky

Niggaz With Attitude. The name says everything. Shamelessly self-promoting and utterly megalomaniacal, N.W.A forged an image of ghetto life that would come to define the entire hip hop scene in LA. They exploited America's most deep-seated fears of (and fascination with) race and violence. They said

In-your-face, Profane, Rough, Slangy, Violent

Drawing from a tradition that embraces excess -- whether it be in poetry, rock 'n' roll, life, or all of the above -- Patti Smith brings passion and wit to her rough-edged, anarchist music. Her songs recall the lives of such debauched, ecstatic souls as Rimbaud, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and James

Agitated, Bombast, Dissonant, Gritty, Hard rock, Punk, Religious, Rough