Fly Ashtray

"Long running but not exactly prolific, New York's Fly Ashtray was a band of warped pop eccentrics working in territory most commonly referenced through Pavement and Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. Fractured pop songs that buried their hooks under heaps of lo-fi noise were FA's stock in trade, along with a goofy brand of psychedelia and a dry, absurdist sense of humor. Elements of British Invasion pop, new wave, jangly R.E.M./Television-style alt-rock, and avant-garde rock weirdos from the Red Krayola to the Residents were all audible in the group's eclectic sound as well. Fly Ashtray's lackadaisical attitude toward recording certainly contributed to their relative lack of exposure -- it often took them years to issue new material, and what they did release was often on small, poorly distributed labels. Yet that informal aesthetic also contributed to a loose -- if uneven -- charm cited by many of the critics who did hear their albums." - Allmusic.com