Haywood

Haywood had an 8-year run, ending in 2000, that culminated with Men Called Him Mister and We Are Amateurs, You and I.  I'm mighty sorry they're gone, but if it had to end, "Amateurs" is a hell of a swansong.  I never knew them when, but they've been in heavy rotation ever since I first heard them--probably courtesy of Gimme Noise (horrid, absolutely horrid site--but the girl's got good musical taste.)  They're hard to pin down stylistically--plenty of emo-ish introspection, but they can kick out the jams, too.  One reason to love them--Ted Pauly, vocalist and guitar player, transparently pimps "Mister" on Amazon: " This record by this band is great! I love this record the most of any record I own, even though I am not in this band!"