Singer/songwriter Todd Snider first garnered attention for his timely alt-rock satire Talkin Seattle Grunge Rock Blues, a folk-rock song that struck a chord with younger people fed up with angry alternative rock bands, and at the same time, appealed to aging rockers who grew up with the folk revival of the 1960s. Snider was born in Portland, OR, and grew up in Santa Rosa, Austin, Houston, and Atlanta. After moving to Memphis in the mid-80s and establishing residency at a local club named the Daily Planet, he was discovered by singer/songwriter Keith Sykes, a member of Jimmy Buffetts Coral Reefer Band. Sykes began to work with Snider to help advance his career, and after passing on demo tapes of Snider to Buffett, he was signed to the stars Margaritaville Records. Sniders debut album, Songs for the Daily Planet was released in the fall of 1994; Talkin Seattle Grunge Rock Blues was added to the album as an afterthought only after intense lobbying by a Canadian music critic, and ultimately became a minor hit. On his second effort, 1996s Step Right Up, Snider and his band, the Nervous Wrecks (comprised of lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Will Kimbrough, bassist Joe Mariencheck, drummer Joe McLeary, and keyboardist David Zollo), continued blending bluegrass, blues, folk-rock, and country-rock to forge their own distinctive sound. On his third album, 1998s Viva Satellite, Snider took a Tom Petty approach, replacing much of his acoustic setup with twang-drenched electric guitar. In 2000, he signed to John Prines Oh Boy label and returned to his singer/songwriter roots with Happy to Be Here. He recorded three more records for the label, 2002s New Connection, 2003s Near Truths and Hotel Rooms Live, and 2004s East Nashville Skyline. That Was Me: The Best of Todd Snider 1994-1998 was released on Hip-O in 2005, and the next year Sniders eighth album, Devil You Know, came out.