Inspired by The Velvet Underground, singer/songwriter Jonathan Richman started The Modern Lovers in 1970. Over the next two years, the group, which featured future members of The Cars and Talking Heads, recorded demos with John Cale and Kim Fowley. Some of those tunes made it to their 1976 self-titled debut, just in time for the Sex Pistols to declare the band an influence, with their gritty rock 'n' roll and sardonic wordplay. Richman soon switched to a more folksy sound and went solo; after more than two dozen acclaimed albums, he continues to entertain.