The Hip were from Kingston, Ontario, where the penitentiary in "38 Years Old" is located.
To Canadians they were kind of like our Bruce Springsteen or our U2: except to the factor of ten. As a cultural or national symbol, that is.
When Gord Downie (the lead singer) was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer the band embarked on a national farewell tour that was capped by a live global broadcast by the CBC that was attended by the Prime Minister and virtually every culturally significant Canadian. There were something like six encores, all of which pre-empted scheduled programming (even hockey games!). Absolutely amazing band to see live.
They are not for everyone - otherwise they'd have been commercially successful in the US - but it is pretty nice to see people on this forum appreciated them, thanks Special K.
Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Nautical Disaster
Little Bones