The Subways

Remember Godzilla? Not the original Japanese classic, but the hyper-publicized, disastrously overbudgeted 1998 American version? If so (and who could really shake the memory of that godawful Puff Daddy/ Jimmy Page collaboration that the film spawned), you understand the risks of a hype machine in overdrive. It's the same force that made Karen O ubiquitous and Ryan Adams irrelevant. Now, it's got the Subways clenched in its icy grasp.

From winning the 2004 Glastonbury Festival's Unsigned Performers Competition in the U.K. to being named one of Spin's "next big things" here in the States, this English trio is making waves on both sides of the pond. But is the chatter worth it? The jangly guitars and New York attitude on the trio's debut album, Young for Eternity, might make them appear to be just another Strokes knockoff. But buried somewhere beneath the layers of smarminess (most likely in bassist/vocalist/bombshell Charlotte Cooper's gorgeous vocals) is something original that's worth your attention.