Steve Earle, the renowned country music rebel, once said of his early mentor: "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole wide world, and "I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." A bold statement -- but in certain regards, Van Zandt's influence stretches as

Contemplative, Gritty, Rebel, Rough, Smoky

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

Stokley Carmichael once said, "Everything is political." Apparently, poet Linton Kwesi Johnson agrees. The sound of his voice stays low and docile, as the humming of dub beats in the background lends a trance-like mood. But his are not calm words. The wrath of a gentle tiger broils in his laments aga

Agitated, Angry, Gritty, In-your-face, Lyrical, Overflowing, Political, Reggae, Social revolution, Spiritual

Unlike most in the electronic music scene, Prodigy knows how to put on a show. Their sound is big and loud, but that's not the half of it. They also blast audiences with arena-sized performances, complete with strobe lights, the occasional pyrotechnic display, a professional dancer named Leeroy, and

Agitated, Dark, Excessive, Gritty, In-your-face, Techno/house/big beat, Violent