by Erik Hage Rootsy enough to be called alt-country yet adventurous enough to defy the confines of that label, St. Louis group Nadine formed in 1996. Adam Reichmann (whose lonesome, quavering vocals have drawn consistent comparisons to Neil Young) and Todd Schnitzer met at St. Louis' Washington University in the late '80s and formed the core alliance that would eventually make up Nadine. The two started out in the country-flavored Sourpatch, who bore an unmistakable like-mindedness to fellow Midwesterners Uncle Tupelo and broke up in 1996. Shortly thereafter, Reichmann and Schnitzer hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Steve Rauner (formerly of Wagon) and, over the period of a week, home-recorded Nadine's debut album, Back to My Senses, on a budget of 1,000 dollars. Glitterhouse Records, a label out of Germany (where the group continues to enjoy great popularity), released the project, which found no U.S. distribution deal. Nadine spent a year preparing their sophomore effort, 1999's Downtown Saturday, recording it in a fourth-floor warehouse space that the group, along with a few local musicians, would eventually shape into the Undertow Collective, a 24-track studio, rehearsal space, and independent label. 2001's Lit Up From the Inside found the band adding experimental touches, such as drum loops and trippy ambience, and a new member, bass player Anne Tkach, who had previously toured Europe with Nadine.