Gossip on the indie scene of the 2000s cannot be overstated.
Their music hit with force, its combination of disco, punk rock, soul and pop making them one of the most versatile and exciting bands in the fledgling dance-rock scene of the time.
At the centre of it all was Beth Ditto, a frontwoman beyond compare. On stage and on record, her voice was as strong as any soul singer, as cutting as any punk, and pitch perfect in its execution of some of the brightest hooks of the era.
Ditto was a cultural force as well as a musical one, drawing light to issues around LGBT rights, feminism, and body image in mainstream media. She also broke ground in the fashion world with her own clothing and cosmetics lines.
When
Muse formed in the mid-90s, Britpop reigned supreme. But the trio from Devon had grander musical ambitions, and those objectives only became bolder as their career progressed.
The evolution of their sound across their first four albums saw them quickly morph from promising Radiohead acolytes to world dominating prog-rock behemoth. The music became grander and the fanbase became bigger and more passionate.
Those records only tell part of the story. The Muse live experience soon set the bar for what was possible when a rock band were willing to push their production to the limits.
Matt Bellamy s soaring hooks and searing guitars and the irrepressible rhythm section of Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme are a key part of the sound of modern rock.
When creating
Gorillaz in the late-90s, both artists were likely aware it could easily be dismissed as a gimmick. To transcend doubtful preconceptions, quality would be paramount.
Their debut album left no room for doubt: Albarn s effortless collage of dub, hip hop, psych and indie rock was seamless, and a couple of indie hits in Clint Eastwood and 19-2000 meant Gorillaz became stars before doubters had much chance to question the concept.
Two decades on from that debut album, we look at Gorillaz brilliant career and the many different musical moods they ve concocted over their seven albums so far.
He s released many records and been part of many massive collaborations.
He s had many business ventures, released many films, and taught the hip hop world that you can be many things.
Jay-Z s bow has many strings. But there is only one Jay-Z.
He is a singular storyteller, a leader in the musical, cultural and business sides of hip hop, an advocate for artists, and an all-round legitimate superstar.
Join Caz Tran for the Jay-Z J Files, Thursday 18 March from 7pm or listen online whenever you like.
The Triffids never enjoyed the same mainstream success as many of their peers, but there are few bands in this country who have been as acclaimed and influential.
Their evocative songs were driven by the perfect poetry of David McComb, who wrote about Australia with a kind of desolate beauty that has never truly been matched.
Behind him was a band whose music painted pictures almost as vivid as their frontman s words. The weeping steel guitars of Evil Graham Lee, the spacious textures added by Jill Birt and Robert McComb among the many ingredients that made this band so special.