The Universal Chrome

Formed in 1995, the quartet originally rooted in New Orleans featured Mike Perconti on guitars and vocals, Ben Curtis on guitars, Melissa G. on bass, and Keith Hajjar on percussion, performing under the name Universal Chrome. Their sound combined thick, abrasive guitars with melodic and gentle qualities, leading to shared bills with Swervedriver and Hum ahead of the 1999 move to New York City. Two years later, Universal Chrome independently issued their debut EP, titled 3.