Fishbone

The flagship band of the West Coast Black Rock Coalition wing, beloved by artists from the late Miles Davis to OutKast, Fishbone has long persisted as vital pioneers of Stateside ska, striving tirelessly toward an equivalence of diverse styles and visions. Sadly, 'Bone's adherence to 2-Tone as well as P-Funk, Marley as well as metal, was not in step with the sort of crossover prized in the '80s beyond the country's then-hip underground.

And the band — despite an aesthetically fruitful run at Columbia back in the day — has mostly suffered for its liberation struggles. While its scene buddies in Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt have dominated the globe with the form it patented and perfected, veteran Angelo Moore and his partners continue to be sidelined by plantation radio syndrome (the odd surfacing in mainstream-aimed projects like Idlewild aside). But never count out this long-lived outfit's spirit of sonic possibility and the impact of its influence.