One of the second-string bands to come out of the Halifax pop explosion in the mid-90s, Jale are often remembered—if they’re remembered at all—as a distant cousin of Sloan. “G Turns To D” was inspired by Jennifer Pierce, the J in Jale, or so the story goes. But it’s probably better to think of Jale as Canada’s answer to the Breeders: mix two parts female vocal harmonies with one part raw guitars, add a dash of pop sensibility, and voila—a great little indie band primed for college rock success. And while Jale’s trajectory didn’t take them quite as high as the Breeders, it also means we don’t have to worry about the unfortunate 10-year reunion album.

Jale was eventually picked up by Sub Pop in the mid-90s, and the result was So Wound, a much more polished record than the homespun grit of Dreamcake. It wasn’t just the additional production money, though, but also the fact that the surviving members of Jale (the A in Jale, Alyson MacLeod, eventually left) learned how to play their instruments properly.

Alas, as with most things that were popular in the mid-90s, Jale’s day in the sun had to end. Guitarist Eve Hartling left the band to raise a child, and the remaining members reformed as the Vees; after releasing a single three-track EP, the Vees also dissolved. In case you’re playing a round of “Where Are They Now?”, there are a couple of Jale refugees in Toronto band Chappaquiddick Skyline, a side project attached to the Pernice Brothers.