Dada, 7 Horse, Jerad Finck

[’90S GUITAR POP] California trio Dada is America's local band. The group emerged in the early ’90s playing what could best be described as "aspirational bar rock," driven by crisp guitars, clean harmonies and big drums, professional enough for the arena but unpretentious enough for the downtown dive. Naturally, the band didn't much jibe with the era in which punk broke—although the single "Dizz Knee Land," from 1992 debut Puzzle, became a radio staple—which is probably why it often earned comparisons to the Police. If its sound was outdated then, imagine how it comes across now. Still, as nostalgia acts go, Dada is inoffensive and middlebrow enough to slide into just about any decade and find some kind of crowd.