North Carolina's gift to 80s rock, the dB's were one of those smart, trendy, talented bands that critics love and the big record companies don't know how to sell. Part of their problem was the lack of a gimmick like the Go-Go's' Barbie-doll sex appeal, the B-52's ridiculous 50s kitsch references, or U2's strident, self-righteous politics. Instead, they offered solid songwriting, crafted…