I love the 80's New York band Big Black. They were a semi-industrial, semi-punk, completely original band which basically rejected all convention. They played with a drum machine, but it was somehow more raw than most bands with real drums. At live shows, they would throw lit fire-crackers into the audience, or shoot a water hose at them. They were little geeky-looking guys who looked like they had to get their asses kicked all the time for this behavior. I'm not from New York, so I can only assume some people loved them, and some people attacked them back. That's what would have happened in Los Angeles at any rate...
Their lyrics were sometimes outright dangerous ("the only good policeman is a dead one--the only good laws aren't enforced..." from Steelworker), but they were always brilliant. My favorite Big Black lyrics are in the song Rip:
That man's shirt is worth more than your life
And I'd rather kill him than insult you
He hasn't the sense to know we're fighting
He hasn't the fear to run
We have to rip this up
It doesn't look quite right
People like that, too dirty to save
Better watch out, friend
He's gonna get torn
When I poke my fingers in it
I tear him apart
Cover your ears
They make a lot of noise
We have to rip this up
It doesn't look quite right
