As weird as neighbors the Flaming Lips but possessing a more sharply developed pop sense, Norman, Oklahoma alt-rockers Chainsaw Kittens fused British Invasion, glam, punk, new wave, post-punk, Oscar Wilde, TV news, and down-home bible-belt angst into music both instantly recognizable and radically new. Always a band out of time, the Kittens formed in 1989, toured with Jane's Addiction and Iggy Pop, managed a certifiable masterpiece in 1994's POP HEIRESS, and signed with the Smashing Pumpkins Scratchie Records, but failed to find a substantial audience, unofficially closing up shop in 2000 despite a loyal cult following. Leadsinger Tyson Meade quietly embarked on a solo career shortly after.