Arab Strap

With its combination of frank, often spoken lyrics and guitar-driven sadcore music, Arab Strap was one of UK's more popular indie rock bands starting in the mid-1990s. The Scottish group consisted mostly of just two members, Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton, who had been friends since childhood. Inspired by the slow and fractured folk of artists like Bill Callahan and Will Oldham, the two eventually took to writing their own material, first appearing as Arab Strap with the release of The Week Never Starts Round Here in 1996. The intensely honest and personal lyrical nature the band became known for undoubtedly turned some members of the Scottish music scene off. Most, however, enjoyed the duo's unflinching approach and appreciated its knack for pulling occasional bits of humor out of its otherwise morose and self-serious take on indie rock. Moffat and Middleton decided to disband Arab Strap in 2006, but the group widely remains considered one of the more influential acts to come out of Scotland in recent memory.