Origin:

Decades:

In the 1970s, Tom Waits combined a lyrical focus on desperate, lowlife characters with a persona that seemed to embody the same lifestyle, which he sang about in a raspy, gravelly voice. From the '80s on, his work became increasingly theatrical as he moved into acting and composing. Growing up in southern California, Waits attracted the attention of manager Herb Cohen, who also handled Frank Zappa, and was signed by him at the beginning of the 1970s, resulting in the material later released as The Early Yea... Read More

Bob Dylan, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Hoagy Carmichael and Louis Armstrong

Ed Harcourt, Eleni Mandell, PJ Harvey, Primus, The Walkmen, Mark Lanegan, Mark Sandman, Hayden, Mike Watt, David & David, Chris Cornell, Rickie Lee Jones and Nick Cave