Fuzzy by Grant Lee Buffalo

Fuzzy, Grant Lee Buffalo's debut, came out on Slash Records in February 1993, barely two years after the Los Angeles trio rose from the ashes of Shiva Burlesque. Grant-Lee Phillips sings and plays guitar, Paul Kimble handles bass and Joey Peters drums, and between them they kick up a racket far bigger than three people should. By the band's own account, this is where their sound came together: twelve-string acoustics driven until they howl with feedback, bass fed through distortion, drums that stomp and thunder, and pump organ and parlor piano creaking away underneath like furniture from another century.

It's folk-steeped rock with dust on its boots, and Phillips' fascination with American history and landscapes gives the band's songs a real sense of place. The title track brought them to a wider audience, and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. went so far as to call it the best album of the year. Mighty Joe Moon came next.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.