Elbow

Injecting a wider range of emotions into their music than most of their guitar-based peers in England, Elbow referred to themselves as "prog without the solos" without winking. The members of the band -- vocalist Guy Garvey, drummer Richard Jupp, organist Craig Potter, guitarist Mark Potter, and bassist Pete Turner -- met in the early '90s at college in Bury. Moving a little south to Manchester proper, the band went through a couple of developmental stages before settling on its sound, playing gigs locally and attracting the interest of Island, which signed the band in 1998. Dropped within a year, Elbow then linked with EMI and were dumped by them in a couple months. However, Elbow landed on Manchester independent Uglyman, which released two of their EPs (Newborn and Any Day Now). The acclaimed EPs gained the band a contract with V2, which released 2001's equally tipped Asleep in the Back. The record was short-listed as a nominee for 2001's Mercury Prize and was issued in the States in early 2002. Cast of Thousands, which appeared in 2004, was a strong follow-up. Leaders of the Free World, inspired by political events and behavior in the media, was released in fall 2005. The Seldom Seen Kid followed in 2008.