Not sure how well known they are stateside, but for a brief exciting moment Stump were the best thing to come out of the indie scene in the UK.

Odd music, quirky lyrics, great frontman. What's not to like?

wikipedia wrote:they are best known for their influential, critically acclaimed, but poor selling 1988 album, A Fierce Pancake

The bolded bit encapsulates their career. I really liked them, and there are a few lyrics that are stuck in my head to this day (mostly triggered by fish and chip shops, or Charlton Heston). Also loved the first Kev Hopper solo stuff.

Stayed on the right side of the Beefheart / Zappa spectrum.

Interesting stuff. Les Claypool clearly had a copy, and owes his career to the bassist.