The Auteurs

• Genre: Brit Pop/Brit Rock
• Hometown: London

About

Unfortunately, the Auteurs' frontman Luke Haines is better known in England as a band-slagger than as a musician, thanks to his willingness to go on record about groups he hates. His own band's music is a cross between glam revival and art-school musings -- songs often involve numerous film and literary references, chiming guitars that wail into blistering leads, and a moody rhythm section. The Auteurs were never part of England's revival of new wave or glam, although the British press took the liberty of pitching them in glittery light. Like Moose or even the Jennifers, the Auteurs are crafty post-modern pop visionaries that fall between the cracks.

- Eric Shea