They were formed in 1980 by Curt Kirkwood ( vocals , guitars ) , his brother Cris ( bass ) and Derrick Bostrom ( drums ) . The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980 , in Phoenix , Arizona . The group 's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood ( guitar\/vocals ) , his brother Cris Kirkwood ( bass guitar ) , and Derrick Bostrom ( drums ) .