Spiritualized
Spiritualized composer Jason Pierce has a lot in common with Ashcroft. Both used to go out with Spiritualized keyboardist Kate Radley until she plumped for the Verve star. From the ashes of their relationship, however, Pierce created the heart-shattering supernova of 1997's Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space.

Ian Brown
The former frontman with the Stone Roses has had one of the better post-Madchester solo careers. After Unfinished Monkey Business, he bounced back from a jail stint - for threatening an airline stewardess - with last year's excellent Golden Greats, proving he was still all strut and trousers and plenty funky, besides.

Mercury Rev
With 1998's Deserter's Songs, one of Buffalo's more obscure psychedelic bands suddenly became everybody's favorite cult concern. Maybe it's because they shrugged off some of the more academic pretensions - one of their mentors was avant-garde guy Tony Conrad - for a sort of grand American music inspired in equal parts by the Band and the Monkees.

The Flaming Lips
With 1999's The Soft Bulletin, one of Oklahoma's more obscure psychedelic bands suddenly became … well, you get the idea. Lead Lip Wayne Coyne kept it still and small in the center of a swirling rainbow of strange noises, jungle drums and Sirius effects. And there was still room for a remix by one of Puff Daddy's employees, too.