"God is a smoker of Havanas," Gainsbourg used to say, excusing himself for the deadly habit that turned his voice into a raspy growl. Serge Gainsbourg somehow made everything seem cool, even smoking. Gainsbourg, the child of Russian Jewish Émigrés, was celebrated and reviled as much for his r

Cool, Grotesque, In-your-face, Sexy, Smoky, Wise assy

Niggaz With Attitude. The name says everything. Shamelessly self-promoting and utterly megalomaniacal, N.W.A forged an image of ghetto life that would come to define the entire hip hop scene in LA. They exploited America's most deep-seated fears of (and fascination with) race and violence. They said

In-your-face, Profane, Rough, Slangy, Violent

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 Chemical Brothers' short story seems riddle with chance occurences. The chance that two guys who met in a college history class in the early 1990s would spawn the creation of the Dust Brothers (renamed the Chemical Brothers in 1995). The chance that a couple of geeks with a penchant for old guita

Collage, Euphoric, In-your-face, Rhythmic, Smart, Techno/house/big beat