I saw Barkmarket open for the Pixies in the spring of 1992 at a gymnasium in Nashville, and, unfortunately, I couldn’t have been less interested. I was just waiting to see the Pixies, so barring Elvis or Jesus with all of his disciples in tow, I would have been annoyed by almost anyone who tried to open that show. About a year later as a DJ at WUSC, I discovered Gimmick, Barkmarket’s second proper LP, whereby “Whipping Boy” quickly became a playlist staple. Barkmarket is one of those bands that should have been bigger than it was, mixing cerebral heavy rock with punk’s afterbirth. Dave Sardy’s sardonic lyrics alone make this band worth knowing. His delivery was a breathless rant, and his idiosyncratic cadence only enhanced those cryptic one-liners. Since Barkmarket’s premature demise, Sardy has been a prolific producer for everyone from LCD Soundsystem to The Walkmen to Cold War Kids.