Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments

In the mid-'90s, after Nirvana and Green Day blew up, the majors started signing indie bands regardless of commercial potential. They also offered distribution to tiny labels too weird for MTV. Case in point: after hooking up with American, the Onion imprint dropped titles by two freaky bands, V-3 and Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments. Although T.J.S.A.'s Bait and Switch flopped (no duh), it was the band's artistic apex -- the ultimate fusion of lo-fi noise and barbed hooks. Crank this nugget.