Travis

Named for Harry Dean Stanton's catatonic character in the cult classic Paris, Texas, Travis came on to the British music scene like...well, like any other British band. Oversized quotes about Travis being the best band in the world read like pop culture deja vu in the British weeklies, but after Travis' 15 minutes were up, the band refused to go away. They strayed away from the Oasis/Slade sound and spent a while approximating Thom Yorke's crew before birthing their own infectious (and less heady) brand of guitar pop. The songs are well written and even crafty at times, but still sometimes reminiscent of Radiohead's former formula of catchy radio pop (don't think beyond The Bends).