I will also throw out there the European version of The Pretenders before they got popular in the USA.
At the very core I find that back then they were a punk bank that had a lead singer who could really sing and raise them out of the "bar band" ranks. They also were part of that punk vibe that went mainstream along with The Clash.
The Adulteress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i39-l_QT7YI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vUsQMgEveo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivDmthsthe0&feature=related
