Barenaked Ladies

Quirky, humor-driven alt-rockers from the Great White North, the Barenaked Ladies splashed onto the Canadian scene with the first-ever indie release to reach platinum. Their success translated across the border, albeit slowly at first, but they built a base via constant touring and a demanding release schedule. Their fifth album, Stunt, went quadruple platinum on the coattails of their only #1 single, "One Week." Guilty pleasure: "Be My Yoko Ono," a good-natured dig at Mrs. Lennon.

Part of the band's appeal is that they are not unremittingly nutty, and the straight-ahead pop song "Jane," the first single from Maybe You Should Drive, began to establish their beachhead on alternative radio. Similarly, "What a Good Boy," from Gordon, manages to be heartfelt without slipping into sappiness. On the other side of the coin, "Shopping," their paean to consumerism, is full to capacity with BNL's trademark humor.

An exclusive iTunes Original Version of "For You" exposes the folkier side of the Ladies, as does their version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." "Roadrunner," from Play Everywhere for Everyone: Vancouver, B.C. 3-30-04, demonstrates why BNL's live shows are such unexpected fun: they're playing the theme to the Warner Bros. cartoon show. Imagine U2 breaking out in the Jetsons theme . . . not. And be sure not to miss BNL's incisive take on pop star idolatry, "Celebrity."

An unlikely name for an unlikely Canadian alt-rock powerhouse, the Barenaked Ladies first came to notice in 1991 with a self-titled tape that ultimately became the first-ever indie release to reach platinum status in Canada. Not quite as self-consciously smarty-pants as They Might Be Giants, the Ladies share a quirky, humorous take on pop music with their American cousins, although the Canadians have achieved a more sustained chart presence over the years. Maybe because they don't really look like rock stars or perhaps because they actually seem to be (and, by all accounts, are) having fun doing what they do, they've been warmly embraced by audiences in North America and Europe, and the party shows no signs of slowing down.