The British indie rock band Razorlight formed in London in 2002 around vocalist/guitarist Johnny Borrell and guitarist/vocalist (and Swedish ex-pat) Björn Ågnen. Joined by bassist Carl Dalemo and drummer Christian Smith-Pancorvo, the combo recorded several demos at London's Toe Rag studios, and those songs led to radio exposure and the initial stirrings of hype. Mercury Records signed Razorlight in 2003, and the group began recording its debut album amidst a series of hectic (and increasingly buzzworthy) club gigs, working with no less an authority than Steve Lillywhite.

Lillywhite soon left the project, but Razorlight continued to write and record the album while still wowing audiences with a spate of live dates, including a strong showing at the 2004 South by Southwest industry fest.

At this point, drummer Smith-Pancorvo left the group and was soon replaced by Andy Burrows. Thus reconfigured, Razorlight made their official album debut in August 2004 with Up All Night. The release was hailed for its stylish, fizzy mix of Strokes-styled sensibilities and post-Brit-pop cool. Additional show dates opening for the likes of Queen (with vocalist Paul Rodgers) and Oasis gave Razorlight some of their biggest audiences in 2005, adding to the bandmates' growing popularity in their native U.K.

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The band's second offering, a self-titled effort produced by Chris Thomas, arrived in summer 2006 and yielded Razorlight's first chart-topping single, "America."

The album itself also topped the U.K. charts, going multi-platinum in the process, and Razorlight maintained their presence on British radio throughout 2007 before embracing a slick, mainstream pop/rock style on 2008's Slipway Fires. ~ All Music Guide

Albums: (all albums produced by Vertigo)
Up All Night, 2004.
Razorlight, 2006.
Slipway Fires, 2008.

Source: Johnny Loftus

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Equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like Buddy Holly and John Lennon as well as the attitude and angular riffs of fellow New Yorkers Television and the Velvet Underground, the Strokes were also equally blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype -- particularly from the U.K. music press, whose adulation for the group rivaled their fervor for Oasis in the early '90s. Barely in their twenties by the time their debut album, Is This It, arrived in 2001, singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti's success wasn't quite of the overnight variety, but it still arrived pretty swiftly.

Casablancas (the son of Elite Model Agency Group kingpin John Casablancas), Moretti (who began playing drums at age five), and Valensi started playing together in 1998 while they attended the Dwight School, a private prep school in Manhattan. Soon thereafter they met Fraiture, who attended the Upper East Side's Lycee Français, and added him to their ranks. Hammond (the son of singer/songwriter Albert Hammond, whose songs include "It Never Rains in Southern California," "When I Need You," and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before") came from Los Angeles to attend film school at NYU and was invited into the band by Casablancas; the two met at L'Institut le Rosey in Switzerland when they were kids.

Casablancas officially christened the quintet the Strokes in 1999, and the group spent most of that year writing and rehearsing material in New York City's Music Building. They made their live debut that fall at the Spiral, and word of mouth about the Strokes' incendiary live show propelled them to gigs at venues like Under the Acme, Lower East Side clubs such as Arlene Grocery, Baby Jupiter, and Luna. The Strokes' December 2000 dates at the Mercury Lounge and the Bowery Ballroom not only gained them a manager (Ryan Gentles, who booked them at those clubs), but also helped Strokes mania reach critical mass in New York. Rough Trade released the group's three-song demo as The Modern Age EP in January 2001, which sparked a bidding war from which RCA emerged as the victors.

Meanwhile, the Strokes' acclaim reached the U.K. and grew to massive proportions over the course of the year. NME quickly became their champions, profiling them several times that spring and summer as the Strokes' live act and singles like Hard to Explain (which debuted at number 16 in the U.K. charts) won them a rabid British following. That spring, the band also completed its first U.S. tour as the opening act for the Doves and proceeded to play dates with Guided by Voices and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead in the U.S. and the U.K. The group's popularity continued to snowball in the U.K., with a side-stage slot at the NME Carling Weekender changed to a main-stage performance for fear of people trampling each other to see the band.

In late summer of that year, Rough Trade released Is This It with an album cover featuring a sexy, Helmut Newton-esque photo of a woman's nude behind and hip with a leather-gloved hand resting on it; the U.K. chains Woolworth's and HMV objected to its controversial nature. The U.S. version of Is This It was released in October and featured a few changes from the U.K. edition. The Strokes opted for an abstract pattern on the cover and removed the song "New York City Cops," feeling the song was inappropriate in the wake of the terrorist attacks that struck New York prior to the album's release; the planned B-side, "When It Started," took its place. The group closed out the fall with an extended tour of the U.S., culminating with a Halloween gig at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.

The remainder of 2001 and 2002 saw the group's profile continue to rise. Is This It and the Strokes were lauded in many ways, ranging from This Isn't It, an EP of instrumental versions of some of the album's songs performed by a mystery band called the Diff'rent Strokes (Pulp's Jarvis Cocker was rumored to be a member) to 2001 NME Carling Awards for Best New Act, Band of the Year, and Album of the Year. The band toured extensively throughout 2002, including a series of dates that summer in New York and Detroit with the White Stripes, summer festivals at Reading and Leeds, and a string of gigs supporting Weezer, some of which were canceled due to a leg injury Casablancas suffered. During these shows, their fall tour, and their dates opening for the Rolling Stones, the Strokes debuted some new songs, including "Meet Me in the Bathroom," "You Talk Way Too Much," and "The Way It Is."

By March 2003, the band was ready to start recording its new album, but instead of working with Is This It producer Gordon Raphael as previously reported, the Strokes began recording with Nigel Godrich of Radiohead and Beck fame. That May, however, the Strokes' sessions with Godrich came to an end, and they returned to Raphael to finish the album, Room on Fire. The single 12:51 introduced the more meticulous, new wave-inspired sound of Room on Fire, which arrived in fall 2003. Just before the album's release, the Strokes hit the road once again, taking Kings of Leon with them. Early in 2006, they returned with the even poppier and more polished First Impressions of Earth. ~ All Music Guide

For the Record...
Members include Julian Casablancas, vocals; Nikolai Fraiture, bass; Albert Hammond, Jr., guitar; Fabrizio Moretti, drums; Nick Valensi, guitar; Group formed in New York City, 1998; released EP, The Modern Age on Beggars Banquet, 2001; signed to RCA Records, 2001; released full-length LP, Is This It, October 2001. Addresses: Record companyCA Records, 1540 Broadway, # 900, New York, NY 10036. Websitehe Strokes Official Website: http://www.thestrokes.com.

Albums:
Is This It, Rough Trade, RCA, 2001.
Room on Fire, Rough Trade, RCA, 2003.
First Impressions of Earth, Rough Trade, RCA, 2006.
Angles, Rough Trade, RCA, 2011.
 

Sources: Heather Phares; Carol Brennan

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By the time Conor Oberst was 22 years old, he had won critical praise as the boy genius behind Bright Eyes and had been dubbed the Bob Dylan of the Ritalin generation. Bright Eyes features a revolving lineup of musicians, ranging from two to 15 pieces, with Oberst at its artistic center. In just five years, the band released three full-length albums and several EPs on Saddle Creek, an independent label in Omaha, Nebraska. With the release of Lifted, or: The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground in 2002, however, the young singer-songwriter received critical attention from the mainstream press that lifted record sales. Oberst seemed nonplussed and continued to tour small venues. "As far as fame or something, I don't know," he told Richard Cromelin in the Los Angeles Times, "it's not something I would ever consider how to get more of."

Oberst was born in 1980 to Matthew, a Mutual of Omaha manager, and Nancy Oberst, an elementary school principal. He attended a Catholic preparatory school and spent his spare time making amateur movies and acting in a local theater. "He was always hamming it up and singing from the time he was two," his mother told Gavin Edwards in Rolling Stone. At ten, he started learning guitar, and as soon as he knew two chords, started writing songs. He listened to his father's record collection of classic rock acts that included Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell, then delved into his brother's collection of Sonic Youth, Replacements, and R.E.M. "It was always apparent," Robb Nensel, president of Saddle Creek, told Cromelin, "from the first time you saw him when he was 13 up there strumming and singing that there was something going on."

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Oberst recorded his first album at 13 on his father's four-track reel-to-reel recorder. At 14 he formed Commander Venus with several friends and they recorded two albums. He attended a local coffeehouse called Kilgore's with his friend Nensel, where they learned by watching other singer-songwriters. Oberst would later attend the University of Nebraska, although he dropped out after three semesters to tour. After Commander Venus broke up, Oberst and his friends formed Saddle Creek Records to release albums by Bright Eyes and other local groups. "The label splits the money 50-50 with the bands," Oberst told Pagan Kennedy in the New York Times Magazine. "There's no paperwork. It's trust."

In 1998 Bright Eyes released their first album, A Collection of Songs: Recorded 1995-1997. "Even at a young age," Nathan Bush wrote of A Collection of Songs in All Music Guide, "It's clear that Oberst is an extremely talented songwriter, seemingly incapable of penning a bad tune." That same year, Bright Eyes also issued Letting off the Happiness, his second full-length album. "This is a powerful record," wrote Peter J. D'Angelo in All Music Guide, "that has the ability to reach inside and identify with the listener." Yancey Strickler, of All Music Guide, called Bright Eyes' 1999 EP, Every Day and Every Night, "the best singer/songwriter record in ten years."

These early lo-fi recordings compared favorably to albums by Neutral Milk Hotel and Of Montreal, and critics applauded the maturity of Oberst's literate compositions. "I guess I write a lot about my life," he told Derek Simmonsen in the Washington Times. "The point isn't to confess anything to anybody. I have a basic truth to the song and hopefully it's pretty universal so that everyone can understand it." His emotional delivery and willingness to experiment in the studio also gave his recordings distinction.

With the release of Lifted, or: The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, approval of Bright Eyes' artistic vision reached critical mass. "It was orchestral pop with a rambling, shambling feel, blending dusty country waltzes," wrote Natalie Nichols in the Los Angeles Times, "'60s folkie idealism and post-punk eccentricity into a simple, elegant tapestry of emotional need and release." The album made many critics' top ten lists for 2002. "At 22, to release one of the most vital albums of the year would be remarkable enough," wrote David Peschek in the Guardian, "that the album … is the 10th release by Bright Eyes is extraordinary."

Oberst underwent a period of substance abuse, a time, he told Rolling Stone, when he didn't worry about consequences. He reached a turning point on December 17, 2000, however, after drinking a magnum of whiskey in Chicago. The following morning, suffering from withdrawal, he checked himself into a hospital and remained there for four days. Following this incident, he drank less and began to develop better strategies for dealing with his depression. "I saw people not make it through those times—when you see somebody either end their life intentionally or through drugs and alcohol, it kind of loses its attraction," he told Pescheck.

In 2001 Oberst and several friends formed Desaparecidos and released Read Music/Speak Spanish in 2002. Kennedy called it "an odd and amazing artifact, a rock album that examines the sociopolitics of urban sprawl." Oberst has also toured with different versions of Bright Eyes, including a six-girl backing band dressed in powder-blue suits, and a 15-piece band consisting of keyboards, cellos, and vibraphones.

For the Record …
Born Conor Oberst on February 15, 1980, in Omaha, NE. Education: Attended the University of Nebraska.

Recorded first album at age 13; formed group Commander Venus; group split, Oberst began releasing solo work, with various backing musicians, as Bright Eyes, 1995; released A Collection of Songs: Recorded 1995-1997 and Letting Off the Happiness, 1998; issued Fever and Mirrors and the EP Every Day and Every Night, 2000; released EP I Will Be Grateful for This Day, formed group Desaparecidos, 2001; as Bright Eyes, released EP There Is No Beginning to the Story and album Lifted, or: The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, with Desaparecidos, released Read Music/Speak Spanish, 2002.

Addresses:
Record company—Saddle Creek Records, P.O. Box 8554, Omaha, NE 68108-0554, website: http://www.saddle-creek.com/home.html. Booking—Ground Control Touring, 181 North 11th St., Ste. 405, Brooklyn, NY 11211, phone: (718) 290-9273, fax: (718) 290-9275, e-mail: eric@groundcontroltouring.com.

Albums:

A Collection of Songs: Recorded 1995-1997, Saddle Creek, 1998.

Letting off the Happiness, Saddle Creek, 1998.

Fevers and Mirrors, Saddle Creek, 2000.

Lifted, or: The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, Saddle Creek, 2002.

A Christmas Album, Saddle Creek, 2000.

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Saddle Creek, 2005.

Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, Saddle Creek, 2005.

Cassadaga, Saddle Creek, 2007.

Source: Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

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By distilling the sounds of Franz Ferdinand, the Clash, the Strokes, and the Libertines into a hybrid of swaggering indie rock and danceable neo-punk, the Arctic Monkeys became one of the U.K.'s biggest bands of the new millennium. Their meteoric rise began in 2005, when the teenaged bandmates fielded offers from major labels and drew a sold-out crowd to the London Astoria, using little more than a self-released EP as bait. Several months later, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became the fastest-selling debut album in British history, entrenching the Arctic Monkeys in the same circle as multi-platinum acts like Oasis and Blur.

Frontman Alex Turner and guitarist Jamie Cook began their music careers in 2001, when the friends both received guitars for Christmas. Two years later, they began performing shows around their native Sheffield with drummer Matt Helders and bassist Andy Nicholson, two fellow students at Stocksbridge High School. A series of demo recordings followed, and the Arctic Monkeys' audience swelled as fans circulated those recordings via the Internet. The musicians soon found themselves at the center of a growing media circus, with such outlets as BBC Radio examining the band's music and mounting hype.

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By distributing their homemade material on the Internet, the Arctic Monkeys were able to build a rabid fan base without the help of a record label, effectively circumventing the usual road to superstardom. They continued to buck tradition by signing with Domino Records in 2005, eschewing a major label's help for Domino's D.I.Y. mentality and hip roster (which also included Franz Ferdinand, a touchstone for the band's sound). The smart moves paid off as the Arctic Monkeys' first two singles -- "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down" -- both topped the U.K. charts. Critical reception was similarly favorable, but few could have predicted the whirlwind success of the band's debut album, which ousted Oasis' Definitely Maybe as the fastest-selling debut in British history (a record that was lost one year later to Leona Lewis' Spirit). Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not sold 363,735 copies during its first week alone, transforming the Arctic Monkeys from underground stars into mainstream figures.

The Arctic Monkeys' debut sold approximately 300,000 total copies in America -- enough to warrant more media coverage, but notably less than the album's British sales during its first week alone. Nevertheless, the band's success continued as they released a spring EP, Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys, and prepared for a stateside tour. Temporary bassist Nick O'Malley was brought aboard for the band's American shows, while a fatigued Nicholson stayed at home. Nicholson then announced his official departure when the band returned home in  June 2006, and O'Malley remained with the Arctic Monkeys as a permanent member. That fall, the musicians received the 2006 Mercury Prize and donated the accompanying money to an undisclosed charity. Additional accolades included Best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards and Best New Band at the NME Awards. NME also made a bold assertion by deeming the band's debut one of the Top Five British albums ever released.

Released in April 2007, Favourite Worst Nightmare updated the the Arctic Monkeys' sound with louder instruments and faster tempos. The bandmates had recorded the sophomore album quickly, wishing to return to the road as soon as possible, and the speedy turnaround between records only helped solidify the band's popularity at home. Favourite Worst Nightmare sold 85,000 copies during its first day of release, while all 12 tracks entered the Top 200 of the U.K. singles charts. As Alex Turner briefly turned his attention to a side project, the Last Shadow Puppets, the Arctic Monkeys received another Mercury Prize nomination and took home two titles at the 2008 Brit Awards.

Recording sessions for a third album commenced in early 2008 and lasted throughout the year. Meanwhile, the band released a concert album entitled Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo -- with accompanying video footage captured on 35mm film -- to maintain their prolific pace. ~ All Music Guide

Source: Andrew Leahey

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For many years, The Charlatans were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group that didn't capture the zeitgeist like the Stone Roses or the band that failed to match the mad genre-bending of Happy Mondays. Of course, they were more traditional than either of their peers. Working from a Stonesy foundation, The Charlatans added dance-oriented rhythms and layers of swirling organs straight out of '60s psychedelia. At first, The Charlatans had great promise, and their initial singles - including 'The Only One I Know' - were hits, but as Madchester and 'baggy' faded away, the group began to look like a relic. It was commonly assumed that their third album, 1994's 'Up to Our Hips', was the end of the line. However, The Charlatans made a remarkable comeback in 1995 with their eponymous fourth album, which found them embracing not only the flourishing Britpop movement, but also underground dance and techno, as well as their mainstay of classic rock. 'The Charlatans' debuted at number one, and the group was hailed as survivors. Unfortunately, few knew how literal that term was - as the band was recording its follow-up album in 1996, organist Rob Collins, who had defined the band's sound, died in a car crash. The Charlatans decided to continue as a quartet, and their subsequent album, 'Tellin' Stories', debuted at number one upon its 1997 release, suggesting that they had become one of the great British journeyman bands of the '90s.

At the time of their formation in 1989, it appeared that The Charlatans were all about transience. Inspired by the emergence of the Stone Roses, Rob Collins (keyboards), Jon Baker (guitar), Martin Blunt (bass), and Jon Brookes (drums) formed The Charlatans, rehearsing with a variety of vocalists before Tim Burgess joined as their singer. The group attempted to land a record contract with no success, so they formed Dead Dead Good Records and released their debut 12' single, 'Indian Rope' in January 1990. Collins' dynamic, sweeping Hammond organ distinguished the group from their Madchester peers, and the single became a number one hit on the indie charts. By the spring, they signed with Beggars Banquet, releasing 'The Only One I Know' a few months later. Borrowing heavily from the Stones, jangle pop, and funk, 'The Only One I Know' became a monster hit, climbing into the pop Top Ten and becoming the group's signature single. Following another hit single, 'Then' the band's debut album, 'Some Friendly', was released in the autumn, debuting at number one.

It was a remarkable beginning to their career, so perhaps it was inevitable that bad luck hit early in 1991. As they launched their first American tour, The Charlatans were forced to add 'U.K.' to their name since a San Franciscan garage rock band from the '60s already had claims on the name. The group returned to Britain, where they played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Following the gig, Baker announced he was leaving the group. He was replaced by Mark Collins (no relation), yet the group was sidetracked further by Blunt's bout with severe depression. By the time the group finally released their second album, 'Between 10th and 11th', Madchester had become passé, and the album was ignored by the public and earned mixed reviews.

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Despite their declining popularity, The Charlatans soldiered on, yet hit their biggest setback to date in late 1992, when Rob Collins was arrested as an accessory to armed robbery. The situation had been entirely accidental - Collins had been drinking with an old friend and wound up following him into a liquor store - but he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Before he went into jail, he laid down the tracks for the band's third album, which was released in early 1994, once he had left prison. 'Up to Our Hips' received stronger reviews than its predecessor, and its single, 'Can't Get Out of Bed' was a bigger hit than anything on 'Between 10th and 11th'. It was the beginning of a comeback that culminated the summer of 1995.

Prior to the release of the group's eponymous third album, Tim Burgess sang on The Chemical Brothers' 'Life Is Sweet' which re-established his hip indie credentials and gave him, and The Charlatans, credibility in electronica circles. Appropriately, The Charlatans demonstrated a deeper dance sensibility, as well as more concise tunes, and it unexpectedly entered the British charts at number one. Following the release of the album, The Charlatans re-entered the front rank of British rock bands and were at the peak of their popularity, as well as critical acclaim. The group was still unable to crack the American market - initially, they were barred from touring the country due to Collins' arrest - yet they remained popular throughout Europe and Asia.

As the group was recording its follow-up to 'The Charlatans', Collins was killed in a drunk driving accident as he headed to the studio. Although Collins was pivotal to the band's signature sound, they carried on without him, completing their fifth album, 'Tellin' Stories', with the assistance of Primal Scream's keyboardist, Martin Duffy. 'Tellin' Stories' was released in the U.K. in the spring of 1997 to generally strong reviews, and it entered the charts at number one. Two years later 'Us And Us Only' came out, followed in 2001 with the dance-inspired 'Wonderland'. The next year saw two releases, 'Live It Like You Love It', recorded live in the band's hometown in December 2001, and 'Songs from the Other Side', a collection of B-sides from 1990-1997. The Charlatans' eighth studio album, 'Up At The Lake', was issued in 2004, and two years later 'Simpatico' hit the shelves.

The Charlatans hit the headlines in 2008 when their tenth album, 'You Cross My Path' was released as a free download courtesy of Xfm.

Albums:

Some Friendly, Dead Dead Good Records, Situation Two, Beggars Banquet Records, 1990.

Between 10th and 11th, Situation Two, Beggars Banquet Records, 1992.

Up to Our Hips, Beggars Banquet Records, 1994.

The Charlatans, Beggars Banquet Records, 1995.

Tellin' Stories,Beggars Banquet Records, 1997.

Us and Us Only, Universal Records, 1999.

Wonderland, Universal Records, 2001.

Up at the Lake, Island, 2004.

Simpatico, Sanctuary Records, 2006.

You Cross My Path, Cooking Vinyl, 2008.

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Spanning nearly 20 years, the geek rock outfit Weezer formed in 1992 are well known for their wacky videos and their fun songs, however they initially got together to play songs from their favourite artists such as The Pixies, Nirvana and Cheap Trick. The band was formed by Rivers Cuomo (lead singer, guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Matt Sharpe (bass, backing vocals) and Jason Cropper (guitar, backing vocals).

The band initially played in bars and clubs across L.A. with covers of their favourite artists mixed in with some of their own music. Through these performances, Interscope signed the band in 1992 before releasing their first record in 1994. Before recording their first album, Jason Cropper left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Brian Bell.

Weezer’s self titled album, later to be called 'The Blue Album', included their first single ‘Undone- The Sweater Song’. The song was not due for release until clubs around California enjoyed the song immensely popularity of the band grew. Spike Jonze directed the video for Weezer’s first two singles. Where ‘Undone- The Sweater Song’ saw success, it was not as innovative as the second video for the second single ‘Buddy Holly’. The video featured Weezer playing a gig in the Happy Days café. The video saw Weezer win four MTV video awards including best break-through act, best video and two billboard music video awards. Other songs released from the three time platinum album include ‘Say It Ain’t So’ and ‘My Name Is Jonas’.

The second album entitled ‘Pinkerton’ was commercially a flop. Upon its release in 1996, their fans were expecting the same fun style of music as they got from 'The Blue Album', instead the album featured a darker feel. That year saw many regarding the album as the worst album of the year. Today however, many fans regard the record being Weezers best and Rolling Stone magazine have changed their initial one star rating to five stars which meant the album being placed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The band took a break after their tour in 1997 to pursue personal conquests. They all returned a year later to work on their new album apart from Matt Sharpe who was replaced by Mikey Walsh. Before the release of their next album, they toured across America which featured 14 new songs. These songs were not to be released to the disappointment to the fans. Weezer released the record ‘The Green Album’ in 2001 which attracted a new generation of fans with a mix of heavy, fun and soft rock sounds. Mikey Walsh was inducted to a psychiatric hospital and was replaced by Scott Shriner.

‘Maladroit’ was Weezers fifth album and featured a harder pop influence to its predecessors with a 80s guitar sound. The record included two singles ‘Dope Nose’ and ‘Keep Fishin’. The music video for ‘Keep Fishin’ featured the Muppets. ‘Maladroit’ remains the bands least successful album. In 2005, Weezer released their next album ‘Make Believe’ which featured the hit single ‘Beverly Hills’. The video for the song was filmed in the playboy mansion that helped the song secure the bands first US number one. The song was nominated for a grammy for best rock song and the video was nominated for best video at the MTV Video Music Awards. Their second US number one came from the single ‘Perfect Situation’. Weezer toured with Foo Fighters that year which was awarded Most Creative Tour Package at the Concert Industry Awards.

2008 saw Weezer release their sixth album in the shape of ‘The Red Album’. The debut single from the album, ‘Pork and Beans’ included the most popular downloaded stars from YouTube star in the video. The song reached number one the American rock chart and the band received a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. Other singles where ‘Troublemaker’ and ‘The Greatest Man That Ever Lived’.

The seventh album ‘Ratitude’ saw the likes of Lil’ Wayne collaborate with the band. With the help of Lil Wayne and the producer Jacknife Lee, ‘Ratitude’ had a more electro and hip hop sound with the remaining feel of a Weezer record. In December of 2009, Rivers Cuomo broke five ribbed while travelling to a gig in New York. This forced the band to move their tour for the beginning of 2010.

Weezer are still going strong with their cult following that crave new and exciting music which they seem to deliver each time.

Source: Dean Woodhouse

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If you asked the average person on the street, they could probably have their own favourite song from the Las Vegas band. Formed in 2002, Brandon Flowers (lead singer, piano), Dave Keuning (guitar, backing vocals), Mark Stoermer (bass, backing vocals), Ronnie Vannucci Jr (drums, percussion) are heavily influenced by 1980 iconic bands such as New Order, David Bowie and Joy Division among others. They have gone from strength to strength by selling out venues such as the legendary Royal Albert Hall and headlining festivals all over the world.

Their first album ‘Hot Fuzz’ was released in 2004 after The Killers agreed to sign for UK label Marrakesh records and US label Island records. The album included the singles ‘Mr Brightside’, ‘Smile Like You Mean It’, ‘Somebody Told Me’ and ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’. The album itself has been influenced by 80s rock and is regarded by many as one of the best records of the decade with songs released from ‘Hot Fuzz’ being placed respectfully in the top ten of the best songs of the decade. ‘Mr Brightside’ received the accolade for best song of the decade from Xfm. In 2009, young British artists were brought together to form Young Soul Rebels, covered the song ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ to raise money for the charity War Child Group.

Bouncing from the success from ‘Hot Fuzz’, The Killers released their second album ‘Sam’s Town’ in 2006. The album was not as successful as the first and received mixed reviews. However, ‘Sam’s Town’ includes the singles ‘When You Were Young’, ‘Read my Mind’, ‘Bones’ and ‘For Reasons Unknown’ which are hits in their own right. The self titled song on the record was not released as a single to the annoyance of their fans. By the end of the year, The Killers won Best International Group and Best International Album at the BRIT awards. They also headlined Glastonbury festival in 2007.

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A B-side collection of the band was released in 2007 named ‘Sawdust’. The album saw the release of the single ‘Tranquilize’ and saw the legendary Lou Reed collaborate to create the song. The Killers also cover the songs ‘Shadowplay’ (Joy Division), ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town’ (Kenny Rodgers and The First Edition) and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Dire Straits) as a mark of respect for the bands they admire.

2008 saw The Killers release their third album ‘Day & Age’, produced by Stuart Price, includes the singles ‘The World We Live In’, ‘Spaceman’, ‘A Dustland Fairytale’ and the number one classic ‘Human’.

The Killers are heavily linked to the charity group ‘Project Red’ as they have released a Christmas song every year since 2006 with all of the profits going to the charitable organization. The singles include ‘A Great Big Sled’, ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa’, ‘Joseph, Better You Than Me’ (collaborated with Elton John) and ‘Happy Birthday Guadalupe’.

The accolades keep coming for the American indie band with NME giving them Best International Band for the years 2005, 2008 and 2009 and they have received seven Grammy nominations.

Recently, the Daily Telegraph reported Brandon Flowers hopes The Killers will be bigger than U2 in the future. If they continue to create more number one albums, it looks like that could be the case. 

Albums:

Source: Dean Woodhouse

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The Housemartins were famous in the 1980's for their unconventional mixture of tuneful pop, Marxism and Christianity.

This English band were formed in 1983 and with a few line-up changes at the start of their career, settled with Paul Heaton (vocals), Stan Cullimore (guitar), Norman Cook (bass) and Hugh Whitaker (drums), later replaced with Dave Hemingway.

Heaton and Cullimore were originally buskers -  the band rose from obscurity thanks to the backing of record label Go! Discs. With tongue firmly in cheek, The Housemartins often described themselves as ''The 4th Best Band In Hull''.

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''Happy Hour'' was their breakthrough single, hitting the heights of No.3 in the U.K Singles Charts. The band did, however, go on to reach the No.1 spot with the acapella version of Isley Jasper Isley's ''Caravan Of Love''.

The Housemartins split in 1988, but remained friends. Heaton, Hemingway and band roadie Sean Welsh formed the highly successful The Beautiful South, while Cook mutated into dance superstar Fatboy Slim.

Albums:

London 0 Hull 4, Go! Discs, 1986.

Source: Wendy Gabriel

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The Libertines, a band with an indie/punk sound, formed in London in 1997, with Carl Barat on vocals and lead guitar and Pete Doherty on vocals and rhythm guitar.  Also featured were John Hassall (bass) and Gary Powell (drums). Barat and Doherty met at Brunel University in Uxbridge, they later hooked up with John Hassall and briefly, Razorlight frontman, Johnny Borrell.

Their best 8 tracks at the time, formed their first recording: ‘’Legs XI’’, later,  a popular bootleg. Gary Powell was later recruited and, in 2001, the band signed to Rough Trade records.

First single, ‘’What a Waster’’ / ‘’I Get Along’’ reached No.37 in June 2002, despite limited airplay due to the record’s colourful language. The band were featured on the front cover of NME, which signalled the notable love affair between the paper and The Libertines.

The debut album:‘’Up the Bracket’’was subsequently released, reaching No. 35, however during this recording and touring, Doherty’s drug use worsened, and the relationships within the band suffered.

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Doherty went on to play guerrilla gigs that Barat did not attend  - it culminated in Barat refusing to let Doherty into the band until he got his life in order.

While The Libertines toured in Japan, Doherty played with band, Babyshambles,  things spiralled out of control, with Doherty burgling Barat’s flat, getting arrested, and spending 6 months in prison.

However, the pair’s fractious relationship was restored, resulting in 3 sold out London Forum gigs in December 2003 and 3 sold out London Brixton Academy shows in March 2004.

With their trademark love/hate behaviour, Barat and Doherty’s friendship deteriorated badly during the recording of self-titled 2^nd album, with security guards employed to curb the pair’s in-studio fighting.

This was the beginning of the end of the band - Barat refused to allow Doherty to work with The Libertines until he had kicked his drug habit. Barat eventually broke the band up.

However, they were still successfully releasing material – ‘’Can’t Stand Me Now’’ hit No.2 and ‘’The Libertines’’ shot to the top  in the album charts.

Their final show was in Paris in December 2004 (without Doherty), but the band have reunited since several times, for one-off occasions.

Since then however, Carl and Pete have resoluved their differences and has seen them preparing for a farewell performance at the Reading and Leeds festivals in August 2010. 

Albums:

Wendy Gabriel 

HAVE A LOOK AT THIS GREAT THE LIBERTINES MERCHANDISE HERE

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