The U-Men were a Seattle-based band in the early to late 80's. They began in 1981 and split in 1988. Their musically "dirty" and often frightening tunes combined swamp-punk with a bit of spy themes . Songs like "Dig It A Hole" are loud, raw outbursts of energy.

Fronted by John Bigley , The U-Men (John Bigley, Tom Price, Jim Tillman, Chas Ryan) had an intense presence. Although a respected band, a large number of their preformances occurred with only word of mouth publicity, or to invited crowds, at Seattle University District house parties. At one point in time, 13 consecutive public shows of theirs were cancelled by the police, because they attracted a troublesome crowd.

The sound of the U-Men has influenced several of the early grunge bands, such as Green River, Mudhoney, The Melvins and Soundgarden.