Charlie Chesterman

Boston served as the base for bandleader Charlie Chesterman, whose initial recognition came via the chaotic punk group Scruffy the Cat. That ensemble performed extensively in the local scene and achieved modest national traction before dissolving around 1990. Following that, Chesterman formed the Harmony Rockets for a lone EP release. His shift to solo work began in 1994 with the more country-inflected From the Book of Flames on Slow River. Studabakersfield emerged two years afterward, bearing comparable sonic qualities. Ryko put out the compilation Hit This & Kick That in 1997 as a Europe-exclusive album drawing from those prior solo efforts. Ham Radio came next in 2000 under his own imprint.