After Dinner Speakers: Six by Seven, Michael Braithwaite, Ian St. John

This Nottingham, England-based band was formed in 1991 by Chris Olley (vocals/guitar), James Flower (saxophone/organ), Sam Hempton (guitar), Chris Davis (drums), Paul Douglas (bass). The quintet's glowering live presence attracted record company interest from the outset but they were still unsigned when they were invited to play the 1997 Phoenix Festival. The limited edition 12-inch "European Me", was released in September 1997 on the band's own MFS label. The single received ecstatic praise in the UK press and quickly sold out. The band subsequently signed a recording contract with Mantra Records, releasing "88-92-96' and May 1998"s The Things We Make. The album's blend of scratchy indie pop and epic chill-out music drew comparisons to both the angst rock of Radiohead and Joy Division and the US post rock scene. Although a purported US deal with Interscope fell through the band continued to build their reputation with a series of intense live shows that saw them being favourably compared to fellow noise rockers Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor!. Their second album was recorded with esteemed producer John Leckie whose influence was immediately apparent on a collection of songs which, unusually for such an expansive band, signed in at under eight minutes long. The righteous anger and desperation expressed in stand-out tracks "Eat Junk Become Junk", "My Life Is An Accident", and "Ten Places To Die" was complemented by music which skilfully blended slow-burning instrumental passages with frantic guitar workouts.