Terribly funny and clever at the same time, at times foul in their lyrics and extremely gifted technically, Elio e le Storie Tese are not only a comedy act, but an extremely talented band, often compared to Frank Zappa for their irreverent blend of styles and sounds. Including classics of the band's repertoire such as "Cassonetto Differenziato per il Frutto del Peccato," "Cara Ti Amo," and "John Holmes (Una Vita per il Cinema)," the debut album Elio Samaga Hukapan Kariyana Turu, released in 1989, ended up selling more than 100,000 copies, but the real breakthrough arrived with 1992's Italyan, Rum Casusu Cikty. ~ Katherine Fulton