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

The music scene during the 1970s was defined by flash, glam, and a whole slew of over-the-top eccentricities. In the midst of this glamorama emerged a band that would popularize art-rock and establish the mood of British experimentalism. Headed by Brian Ferry, Roxy Music played on the fusion of art a

Brit-pop, Charming, Glam rock, Glamour, Moody, Sexy, Sophisticated

Hailed as the second coming of the Beatles, Oasis crooned its way into the British pop music scene in 1994 with a sound and an image that finally did away with all that nostalgia for the melancholy Smiths. Yes, Oasis ushered in a new mood. Cocky and flamboyant, melodic and glam-inflected, they announ

Agitated, Bombast, Brit-pop, Citational, Gritty, In-your-face, Masculine

The Verve was a modern British pop band with a tinge of psychedelia and more than a bit of melancholy. They were, as their biggest commercial hit so aptly puts it, a "bittersweet symphony." Their music does emit a certain energetic quality supported by strong, echoing guitars. But it's wrapped in a r

Brit-pop, Depressive, Pathos, Pop, Tragic