The Asian Dub Foundation is England's answer to America's Rage Against the Machine -- without all the hard-ass guitars and screechy posturing. They're a group of young, politically driven musicians of Asian descent out to change social and political agendas through music. Though Asian Dub Foundation

Agitated, In-your-face, Pioneering, Political, Punk, Rebel, Ska revival, Social revolution

Any band that brings together Jamaican ska and British punk and actually makes it fun should indeed be called the Specials. Their music was certainly an exciting mix. The ska movement was born in Jamaica and based on traditional reggae with subtle hints of R & B and jazz. The punk scene, on the other

Kinetic, Punk, Rebel, Ska revival, Smoky, Social revolution, Urban

A kind of charming darkness oozes between Morrissey and Johnny Marr of the Smiths. The combination of Morrissey's syrupy, melancholy voice and Marr's jangling, meticulously layered guitar breeds an infectious moodiness. Breaking away from the bawdy new-wave synth pop that characterized the early 1980

Brit-pop, Dark, Ethereal, Melancholy, Post-punk, Quirky, Sincere

Radiohead's musical gestures are grand, even spacious, but they are neither airy nor light. Indeed, the space of this music is dense. Beneath the stupendous angst of their songs Radiohead creates a minute, complex texture, a flexible network of distortions and modulations. The band's angst turns in o

Brit-pop, Epic, Grand, Lush, Melancholy, Moody, Pathos, Progressive rock, Smarty arty pop, Voluminous