The Toadies

Like so many postgrunge outfits in the mid-Nineties, the Toadies were plucked prematurely from the garage by opportunist label scouts. The Texas-bred alt-rockers were soon shown the stars above with their monster debut, Rubberneck, and then quickly thrown to hell below. Though the bandmates were primed and hyped to no end for a followup, Interscope flatly rejected the their efforts, leaving their return six years belated with 2001’s Hell Below/Stars Above. By that time, their bygone single “Possum Kingdom” still enjoyed scant radio play, but fans had long moved on. Now reformed after an abrupt breakup, and touring on the heels of their comeback album, No Deliverance, the Toadies are once again vying for the national spotlight. Now, however, in the modest hands of an indie label and bearing the battle scars of the industry, they might just stick around.