7. Bluerunners: Several years before the Zydepunks came along, Lafayette's Bluerunners were mixing R.E.M.-ish rock with folk music (especially zydeco) and built a decent regjional following via Gulf Coast college radio and touring their asses off. Albums like 1994's The Chateau Chuck and '98's To the Country are hard to find but worth seeking out.
Still Active? Reunited last fall for a live broadcast on Lafayette's KRVS, but it looks like a one-shot deal.
6. The Fabulous Boogie Kings: A sentimental favorite. After Rocks Off discovered this swamp-pop big band that has had more members than Chicago since forming in Eunice around 1955, we happened to mention them to our dad, and he told us how he and his friends used to go see them at Sabine-side clubs like Lou Ann's and the Big Oaks back in the day. You can find current leader Ned Theall on Facebook here.
Still Active? Yep, with a few original members to boot (just don't ask us which ones). Played their induction into the Museum of the Gulf Coast's Music Hall of Fame last year.
5. Cowboy Mouth: Singing drummer Fred LeBlanc approaches Cowboy Mouth gigs more like a gospel revival than a rock show, which is one reason his quartet has been a dependable live draw around the Gulf Coast for 20 years now. They were doing "Jenny Says" live and loud years before it became their breakthough '90s alt-radio hit, but diehards know to listen for "Light It On Fire" as well as slam-bang covers of Hank WIlliams' "I Saw the Light" and (especially) Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home a-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)."
Still Active? We hope so, because they're supposed to play House of Blues tonight.
4. Hot Boyz: As the group that spawned both Juvenile and Lil Wayne (Weezy debuting when he was around 11), these Cash Money millionaires eventually left their main NOLA rap rivals, Master P's No Limit Soldiers, in the dust. Together with producer Mannie Fresh, bobbed and weaved on and off each other's solo albums and three LPs as a group until 2003's Let 'Em Burn, leaving behind Southern-rap scorchers like "The Block Is Hot," "Back That Azz Up" and "I Need a Hot Girl." To date, no member has appeared on Dancing With the Stars, either.
Still Active? Very much so individually, and perhaps soon collectively, if Rap-a-Lot's J. Prince has anything to say about it.
