The Jayhawks

The Jayhawks were definitely swimming against the tide when the emerged from a crowded Minneapolis music scene halfway through the 1980s - a memorable decade that saw the likes of the Replacements, Soul Asylum, Husker Du, and Prince put Minnesota on the musical map in a big way. Forging a rootsy sound that wasn't quite rock or country -- "Hank Williams on speed" somebody once memorably called it -- The Jayhawks quickly turned into one of the most important bands of the post punk era. Over the course of two decades, several albums, countless memorable live shows and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve wile winning the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans, and peers in the process. Named after "The Hawks" - as in "Levon and the Hawks", the name of Dylan's backing band in the 60s before they became known as "The Band" -- The Jayhawks and their fellow travelers even helped make the world safe again for artists who weren't afraid to fuse traditional rock, country, and folk influences.