One of the most indescribable musical concoctions Texas has stewed up, the aptly named Brave Combo started out as roughly a new wave polka band, but over many decades of recording, the Grammy-winning band has introduced everything from zydeco to cumbia to acid rock into its delicate ecosystem. The seeds of Brave Combo were sewn in 1974 when Carl Finch began to delve more deeply into folk music and fell in love with polka records. By 1979, he had put a band together to revitalize the tradition and Brave Combo found a sympathetic audience at punk and new wave gigs. By the early-1980s, the band was picked up by the ever-adventurous Rounder Records and by the '90s were a cult institution.