Soledad Brothers

Many garage-blues bands sprang up (or were given a new lease on life) after the success of the White Stripes, but few were as musically adventurous as Ohio's Soledad Brothers (who had some musical kinship ties with Jack and Meg White). The trio, led by guitarist Johnny Walker, explored pensive chamber-jazz, sloppy Brit-rock, and other related styles, following their muse rather than a formula. Along the way they released four solid albums (and some blistering live recordings) that garnered enthusiastic press if not instant fame. The band split in 2006, but Walker has gone on to play with the Cut In The Hill Gang.