One of Australia's most celebrated alternative rock bands of the 1980s and '90s, Died Pretty were capable of sounding moody and exuberant at once. Their sound was informed by the darker end of American psychedelia and proto-punk, citing the Velvet Underground and the Doors as key reference points, and the impassioned vocal style of Ron Peno marked him as one of the great Australian frontmen of the era. Despite their sometimes-gloomy outlook, the band was also capable of writing exciting, melodic tunes, and they created a unique sound on their 1986 debut LP, Free Dirt. With time, they added polish and sophistication on 1991's Doughboy Hollow that didn't blunt their emotional impact, and on later works like 1998's Using My Gills as a Roadmap, they continued to experiment, adding electronics to their arsenal.