Chaney described himself as "a very angry, scared young man in high school," which he said helped give him the drive to succeed as a musician.
"[5] He and Poling moved to California in 1974 to attend art school, where they both found inspiration in the Los Angeles punk scene.
"[4] Chaney described his guitar style in a 1983 interview with Cashbox magazine as "a lot of emotion just brought through strings and a couple of pickups and a piece of wood.
"[7] With a sound that crossed the sophisticated glam rock of Roxy Music and David Bowie with the rawer energy of punk-inflected groups like Talking Heads and Devo,[5] the band found great success in Minneapolis and the Midwest, and scored radio and dance-club hits with the songs "Music for Boys", "Waiting", and "Love Is the Law".
[6] Cyn Collins, author of Complicated Fun: The Birth of Minneapolis Punk and Indie Rock, 1974–1984, described Chaney as "a riveting front man, menacing and hilarious at the same time.
[8] As part of the Suburbs, Chaney was honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[9] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.
"[13] Billboard said that the song was "bolstered by a catchy, singalong chorus" and compared Chaney's "heavily stylized vocal" to Warren Zevon.
[14] Cashbox was less positive, saying that Chaney's vocals sounded "gimmicky and dated, almost more reminiscent of Bobby 'Boris' Pickett on 'The Monster Mash'".
[19][20] Musicians that recorded there during his ownership included Weezer, Metallica, Kings of Leon, and Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler.
[3] After his death, Suburbs bandmate Klaers told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Chaney's contributions to the band were "priceless.