Stir

St. Louis outfit Stir formed around childhood friends Andy Schmidt, who handles lead vocals and guitar, and drummer Brad Booker before bassist Kevin Gagnepain joined the group during their enrollment at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The band steadily gained attention through constant touring and its sleek power-pop style. A showcase at the 1995 South By Southwest festival led to an initial contract with Aware Records and the release of a self-titled debut recorded on a modest budget that still managed modest radio play. The group later moved to Capitol Records, where it delivered the tighter, more commercial follow-up Holy Dogs in 2000.