If you are old enough to remember the early 80's, then you might remember the days when REM was considered an "indie-rock" band, Mitch Easter was a hot producer, and the Paisley Underground scene of the Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, and Green On Red was a happening scene. Absolute Grey from Rochester, NY were part of the undercurrent of this sound and movement.

Absolute Grey released 5 LPs (two of them only overseas), recorded between 1984 and 1987 and shared the bill with the bands listed above. Often compared to bands such as REM and the Rain Parade, the band had some strong differences that set them apart. One was in the form of lead singer Beth Brown, a powerful voice that many compared to classic Fillmore West era Grace Slick.
The rest of the band: bassist Mitchell Rasor, guitarist Matt Kitchen, and drummer Pat Thomas provided a neo-psychedelic folk rock jangle musical backing, but drew on other influences besides just the 1960's vibe of the Airplane, the Byrds, and the Velvet Underground. There was also an strong Anglophile feel to the band as well, drawing on the English sound of both 1970's folkies Fairport Convention and the (then) contemporary 80's psychedelic guitar rock sounds of Echo & The Bunnymen.

Newsweek and New York Times writer Karen Schoemer in 1991 praised them in the Trouser Press Record Guide, and the 1998 Virgin New Wave Guide to Music also claimed Absolute Grey as worthy of inclusion.