20 British Bands that Clevelanders Should Know About (If You Don't Already)

You know a band is English when it inserts a "u" into the word "colour." These power-poppers didn't last too long because the band members didn't really get along. Still, songs like "Sunny in England" are worth revisiting.

A Scottish alt-rock band formed in '95, Biffy really found it's feet by the time 2003's The Vertigo of Bliss came along. Still, the song "57" from the debut album remains the band's gem. It's on Youtube.

In the early '90s, English indie rock meant the Wonder Stuff, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Pop Will Eat Itself, and Carter. Check out "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" or "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere."

"You turn me on, you sexy thing," sings Groop Dogdrill on the song "Lovely Skin," which would be a classic if more people knew it. Rough, tough and dirty, Groop Dogdrill was dead before it had a chance to live.

How the hell Gun didn't have a string of top 10 hits on both sides of the Atlantic remains a mystery. These guys had a tight, edgy hard rock sound that pleased the casual radio rock fan and connoisseurs alike. Check out the frankly massive "Don't Say It's Over."

A real "blink and you miss 'em" band, this one. Novocaine was volatile and dangerous, but also capable of creating some beautiful, touching and desperate music. Listen to "Frustration No. 10" and you'll get it.

Katie Jane Garside and Crispin Gray had already had a mini hit with the band Daisy Chainsaw and the song "Love Your Money" when they put together Queen Adreena and ducked the spotlight as much as possible. A far deeper, authentic band, "Pretty Like Drugs" is one of their many gems.

Glammy, brash, colorful and sexy, Rachel Stamp were pulling in huge crowds at the beginning of the millennium, but they couldn't convert those numbers into record sales thanks, in part, to an apathetic UK press. Check out "My Sweet Rose."

Filthy hardcore-fueled metal from a band that could be found drunk and collapsed in UK pubs 7 nights a week during their heyday. "The Gush" is the song to look for, and also check out Viking Skull, a rock n roll band featuring most of the same people.

Stunning prog metal from a band known for rapid-fire vocals and faster riffs. Check out "Death of a Dead Day."

Kind of a British Weezer, Silver Sun had a couple of great albums, some big singles, and then they were gone. "I'll See You Around" will show you what a loss that is.