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Singer/songwriter Lois Maffeo long reigned as one of the most respected voices in American indie pop -- a key proponent of the Pacific Northwest's love rock scene, her spare, lo-fi sound and steadfast adherence to an underground ethos blazed a trail for the countless female acts to emerge in her wake. A native of Phoenix, AZ, Maffeo began attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, in 1981, initially becoming a fixture of the city's thriving music scene as a result of her grrrl-centric radio show Your Dream Girl on local station KAOS. After picking up the guitar, in 1987 she formed the short-lived Cradle Robbers with future Spinane Rebecca Gates before joining drummer Pat Maley in the duo Courtney Love, issuing three acclaimed singles before disbanding. Maffeo then relocated to Washington, D.C., where she began playing simply as Lois or sometimes even "the Lois" -- in short, a band made up of herself and whatever backing musicians were available. One early collaborator was Bratmo...