In the closing years of the 1980s, roots rock outfit the Badlees originated in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, after guitarists Bret Alexander and Jeff Feltenberger teamed with drummer Ron Simasek to launch Bad Lee White. The later arrival of frontman Pete Palladino and bassist Paul Smith prompted the group to adopt the nickname supplied by its swelling regional audience, leading the Badlees to release their opening EP It Ain't for You on the independent Rite-Off label in 1990. Following the full-length albums Diamonds in the Coal and The Unfortunate Result of Spare Time, the band performed a string of shows at the 1994 Qingdao Beer Festival in mainland China as the sole Western act invited to the event. The Badlees secured a contract with A&M around the 1995 album River Songs, though its successor Up There Down Here remained stalled in corporate limbo for over a year until surfacing in mid-1999 on the Ark 21 roster. Their concert set 50:45live appeared the year after that.
