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England's "shoegazer" rock band the Stone Roses may be one of the most influential indie rock bands of all time. Along with their 90's update on 60's psychedelic rock-they crush jangly guitars into a dark, trancey drone-the band proved to the world that, in England at least, a leftfield indie rock band could be as famous as swaggering, mainstream success stories like The Rolling Stones. They formed in the dreary English city of Manchester in the late 80's and their original sound was influenced by classic English punks like the Sex Pistols and The Clash. The Stone Roses' earliest single "So Young" was an up-tempo angry burst of feedback and shouted vocals. It wasn't particularly remarkable and garnered little attention. In 1987 they came back with their second single, "Sally Cinnamon," that sounded much similar to what was to come-tuneful guitars, and Ian Brown toned down his voice, developing his signature cool, nearly spoken-word delivery. Perhaps influenced by Manchester's thriving rave culture, the Stone Roses also began incorporating deep, dance-rock grooves into the mix. They began wearing what would become trend-setting baggy jeans and sweaters, which gave rise to the scene's name "baggy culture." In 1989 they released their classic self-titled album Stone Roses, now considered a landmark piece of British rock. The dense sonic tapestry of fuzzed out guitars and bright melodies included the singles "She Bangs the Drums," "I Am the Resurrection" and their biggest mainstream hit "Fools Gold." The Stone Roses solidified their legend by playing a massive outdoor concert at Spike Island-it was attended by approximately 27,000 people and, although the sound was a mess at the time, the band struck a blow that helped popularize alternative rock.

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