A band that takes its name from a French children's television series about a boy and his dog would almost have to be precious, and to be certain, Belle & Sebastian are precious. But precious can be a damning word, and Belle & Sebastian don't have the negative qualities that the word connotes -- they are private but not insular, pretty... [+] Read More

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After spending several years as one half of the British indie pop duo Bulldozer Crash, Stephen Maughan went solo in 1997 under the moniker of Denver. By providing the instruments of guitar, drum, keyboards bass, and vocals, the results of an electro-pop innocents took shape as Maughan signed on to Spanish label Elefant Records. That same year,... [+] Read More

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Early proponents of what later became the 4AD sound, Dif Juz concentrated on just that, lacking a vocalist on all their recordings except for a guest spot or two by the Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser. Originally formed as the punk band London Pride by brothers Dave and Alan Curtis, the band included bassist Gary Bromley and drummer Richie Thomas by... [+] Read More

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Best known for his tenure fronting the Scottish pop revivalists Orange Juice as well as his international solo hit "A Girl Like You," singer Edwyn Collins was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1959. In 1976, he formed the Nu-Sonics, which resurfaced three years later as Orange Juice; the leading proponent of the Glasgow neo-pop scene, the band... [+] Read More

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Taking cues from Suede and Smiths, as well as the Byrds and the Lovin' Spoonful, Geneva carved out a distinctive, idiosyncratic niche in the post-Brit-pop territory of late '90s British indie-rock.

Geneva formed in 1992 in Aberdeen, Scotland when Andrew Montgomery (vocals) and Steven Dora (guitar) met and began writing songs... [+] Read More

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The leaders of the Scottish neo-pop uprising, Orange Juice formed in Glasgow in late 1976. Originally dubbed the Nu-Sonics, the group comprised vocalist/guitarist Edwyn Collins, guitarist James Kirk, bassist David McClymont and drummer Steven Daly; following the formation of the Postcard label by Collins protege Alan Horne, the quartet renamed... [+] Read More

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Like most bands formed by former music journalists, Saint Etienne were a highly conceptual group. The trio's concept was to fuse the British pop sounds of '60s London with the club/dance rhythms and productions that defined the post-acid house England of the early '90s. Led by songwriters Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, and fronted by vocalist Sarah... [+] Read More

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The Go-Betweens were perhaps the quintessential cult band of the '80s: they came from an exotic locale (Brisbane, Australia), moved to a major recording center (in their case, London) in a sustained bid to make a career out of music, released album after album of music seemingly tailor-made for the radio in spite of their having little use for... [+] Read More

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