W22-20s are an English blues rock band, formed in 2002 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The band originally disbanded in December 2005 before reforming in 2008 and releasing Shake/Shiver/Moan in 2010 and Got It If You Want It in 2012. They disbanded for a second time in early 2013, before reforming again in late 2019.
WThe Almost is an American band from Clearwater, Florida, best known for being fronted by Underoath drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie. Formed in 2005, the band's current lineup consists of Gillespie on vocals, rhythm guitarist Jay Vilardi, bassist Jon Thompson, and drummer Joe Musten. The band has released three albums and two EPs on Tooth & Nail Records, with 2009's Monster Monster peaking at No. 67 on the Billboard 200, 2013's Fear Inside Our Bones at No. 142 on the Billboard 200 and October 2019's Fear Caller through Fearless Records.
WAnberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002, disbanded in 2014, and reunited in 2018. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.
WAventura was an American bachata group that broke into the mainstream with their 2002 hit "Obsesión ". With a line-up comprising Romeo Santos, Lenny Santos, Henry Santos and Max Santos, they are regarded as one of the most influential Latin groups of all time. The group were integral to the evolution of bachata music and are the pioneers of the modern bachata sound. Aventura released five studio albums in a decade, spawning many top 10 hits like "Cuando Volverás", "Un Beso", "Mi Corazoncito", "Los Infieles", "El Perdedor", "Por Un Segundo", "Dile Al Amor", among others. They have sold out many arenas including the world famous Madison Square Garden. Aventura has been nominated for awards such as American Music Awards, the Latin Grammy Awards, Billboard Latin Music Awards, and Premio Lo Nuestro. Aventura is one of the most internationally recognized Latin groups of the last two decades and frequently refer to themselves as "K.O.B.", or "Kings of Bachata".
WBikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consists of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the riot grrrl movement, with radical feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music is characteristically abrasive and hardcore-influenced. After two full-length albums, several EPs and two compilations, they disbanded in 1997. The band reunited for tours in 2019 and 2020.
WThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the following year. Their follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, reached the top of the Billboard 200 in 1992. After a hiatus from 2002 to 2005, the band regrouped and toured for several years before releasing Warpaint in 2008, which reached number 5 on the Billboard chart.
WBlack Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013. The second reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in over two decades, What The... (2013). The band announced their third reunion in January 2019. Brandon Pertzborn was replaced by Isaias Gil on drums and Tyler Smith was replaced by Joseph Noval on bass.
WCharlie Brown Jr. was a two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Brazilian alternative rock band from Santos, São Paulo. Known for their lyrics laden with social criticism and skate punk/hip hop jargon appealing to marginalized youth, they were one of the most famous Brazilian acts of the late 1990s/early to mid-2000s; their success, though, was frequently overshadowed by controversies and clashes regarding vocalist Chorão and his bandmates, his feuds with other musicians, and his struggle with drug abuse. According to a survey made by streaming platform Deezer in 2015, Charlie Brown Jr. was the second most-listened Brazilian band outside Brazil, losing only to Sepultura; in another survey by Spotify, also from 2015, they were placed 31st out of 47 bands and artists.
WCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members included Neil Finn's brother, Tim Finn, and Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod. Neil Finn and Seymour have been the sole constant members of the group since its formation.
WDeadman is a Japanese rock band founded in Nagoya in 2000. The group gained notoriety for popularizing the nagoya kei subgenre of visual kei, which is a lot "darker" than most and focuses more on musical composition. Deadman also quickly became known for vocalist Mako's heavily melancholic lyrical themes, with the music itself touching on alternative rock in sound. The group disbanded in 2006 for unknown reasons. Mako and guitarist aie reunited as Deadman in 2019.
WDethklok is a fictional death metal band featured in the Adult Swim animated television series Metalocalypse.
WForever the Sickest Kids is an American pop punk band from Dallas, Texas. The band first signed with Universal Motown Records and released its debut album, Underdog Alma Mater, on April 29, 2008. The band's second album, Forever the Sickest Kids, was released on March 1, 2011. Universal Motown Records was later shut down in 2011 and the band was left unsigned for over a year until signing to Fearless Records in late 2012. The band released its third studio album, J.A.C.K., on June 25, 2013. In an Alternative Press article, the band was placed number one underground band of the "22 Best Underground Bands".
WThe Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland, formed in 2000. The band consists of Ross Millard, David "Jaff" Craig and brothers Barry Hyde and Dave Hyde (drums). Their name comes from the title of The Flaming Lips album Hit to Death in the Future Head. The band's influences include new wave and post-punk bands such as Gang of Four, Devo, XTC, Wire and Fugazi.
WGang Starr was an American hip hop group, consisting of DJ/producer DJ Premier and MC Guru, who died in 2010. Some of their top hits include "Mass Appeal", "Take It Personal", "Moment of Truth" and "Above The Clouds". Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2003, and are considered one of the best MC-and-producer duos in hip hop history. They are also recognized for being one of the pioneers of jazz rap.
WGo Radio is an American rock band from Tallahassee, Florida, formed by former Mayday Parade vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Jason Lancaster in April 2007.
WGoodbye Mr Mackenzie are a Scottish rock group formed in Bathgate, near Edinburgh, Scotland. At the band's commercial peak, the line-up consisted of Martin Metcalfe on vocals, John Duncan on guitar, Fin Wilson on bass guitar, Shirley Manson and Rona Scobie on keyboards and backing vocals, and Derek Kelly on drums.
WGossip is an American indie rock band that was originally active from 1999 until 2016, formed in Searcy, Arkansas. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hannah Blilie. After releasing several recordings, the band broke through with their 2006 studio album, Standing in the Way of Control. A follow-up, Music for Men, was released in 2009. The band play a mix of post-punk revival, indie rock, and dance-rock. Their last album, A Joyful Noise, was released in May 2012.
WIdiot Pilot is an alternative rock duo from Bellingham, Washington, United States consisting of Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson.
WJawbox is an American alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., United States. Its original members were J. Robbins, Kim Coletta and Adam Wade (drums). Bill Barbot later came on board and Zach Barocas (drums) joined the group replacing Wade.
WThe Jonas Brothers are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey, the Jonas Brothers moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, in 2005, where they wrote their first record that made its Hollywood Records release. In mid-2008, they starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock and its sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. They also starred as Kevin, Joe, and Nick Lucas from the band, JONAS, in their own Disney Channel series Jonas, which was rebranded as Jonas L.A. after the first season and cancelled after the second. The band have released five albums: It's About Time (2006), Jonas Brothers (2007), A Little Bit Longer (2008), Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009), and Happiness Begins (2019).
WKazaky is a Ukrainian synthpop dance boyband, made up of Kyryll Fedorenko, Artur Gaspar and Artemiy Lazarev. Assembled in Kyiv in 2010 by former original member Zhezhel, a skilled choreographer, the group has released two albums and several singles so far. In 2016 the group announced they were disbanding saying "It's time to create new interesting things" with the group members pursuing solo careers. In 2019, the group reformed with two new members Vlad Koval and Evgeny Goncharenko.
WLa Polla Records is a punk rock band from the Basque Country, formed in 1979 in Salvatierra/Agurain, a small town in Álava, Spain. Its founders were Evaristo Páramos|Evaristo on vocals, Maleguin on bass, Fernandito on drums and Txarly and Sumé on guitars. The name was somewhat controversial because in Spanish, "polla" is vulgarly slang for "cock, penis". The lyrics of the band harshly criticized fascism, militarism, capitalism, and catholicism. La Polla Records has been very influential in the Spanish-language punk scene.
WLange Frans & Baas B is a Dutch hip hop duo. Both Lange Frans and Baas B grew up in Diemen, North Holland.
WLunachicks are an American punk rock band from New York City, United States. The band formed in 1987 and had been on hiatus since 2000, with the band reuniting in 2019. The band cited influences including the Ramones, Kiss, and the MC5.
WMen at Work are an Australian rock band formed in 1979 and best known for hits such as "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under". Its founding member was Colin Hay on lead vocals and guitar. After playing as an acoustic duo with Ron Strykert during 1978–79, he formed the group with Strykert playing bass guitar, and Jerry Speiser on drums. They were soon joined by Greg Ham on flute, saxophone, and keyboards and John Rees on bass guitar, with Strykert then switching to lead guitar. The group was managed by Russell Depeller, a friend of Hay, whom he met at Latrobe University. This line-up achieved national and international success in the early 1980s. In January 1983, they were the first Australian artists to have a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 single in the United States Billboard charts: Business as Usual and "Down Under" (1981), respectively. With the same works, they achieved the distinction of a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 single on the Australian, New Zealand, and United Kingdom charts. Their second album Cargo was also No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 3 in the US, and No. 8 in the UK. Their third album Two Hearts reached the top 20 in Australia and top 50 in the US.
WMercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with Satan and the occult, Mercyful Fate were part of the first wave of black metal in the early to mid-1980s. Many of the bands from this movement went on to influence later black metal musicians in the 1990s, particularly in Norway. Since the band's inception in 1981, Mercyful Fate have released seven studio albums, two extended plays, and four compilations.
WMethods of Mayhem is an American rock band formed in 1999 by Tommy Lee, who had temporarily quit his position as Mötley Crüe's drummer.
WThe Microphones are an American rock band from Olympia, Washington. The project was founded in 1996 and ended in 2003, with a short reunion following in 2007 and revivals in 2019 and 2020. Across every iteration of The Microphones, it has been fronted by Phil Elverum. Elverum is the principal songwriter and producer behind the band's albums, but he has also collaborated with other local musicians on his other recordings and tours. Many of Elverum's recordings from the project's initial period were released by the label K Records.
WMotion City Soundtrack is an American rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew Taylor, and drummer Tony Thaxton. Over the course of their career, the group has toured heavily and released six studio albums, the majority on independent label Epitaph Records. The band's sound, at times described as pop punk or emo, makes notable use of the Moog synthesizer. Pierre mainly handles the band's lyrics, which often touch on themes of anxiety, alienation, and relationships.
WMy Chemical Romance is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. Founded by Gerard, Mikey, Toro, and Matt Pelissier, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, in 2002. They signed with Reprise Records the next year and released their major-label debut, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, in 2004. Shortly after the album's release, Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar. A commercial success, the album was awarded platinum status over a year later.
WPhantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald, Darren Robinson, Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the TV series The O.C.. The band featured actor Jason Schwartzman on drums until 2003 and continued to release well-received albums in his absence.
WPigface is an industrial rock supergroup formed in 1990 by Martin Atkins and William Rieflin.
WThe Pussycat Dolls are an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe mainstream as a pop group. Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003 turning the group into a music franchise comprising Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their debut single, "Sway", was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?
WRage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Their songs express revolutionary political views. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide. The band was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility in 2017 as well as in 2018, although both bids failed.
WRainbow is a South Korean girl group formed in 2009 by DSP Media. The group is composed of seven members: Woori, Seungah, Jaekyung, Noeul, Yoonhye, Jisook and Hyunyoung. They released their debut mini album Gossip Girl on November 12, 2009. On October 27, 2016, DSP Media announced that Rainbow would disband after seven years because their contracts expired. In November 2019, the group was re-formed for their tenth anniversary.
WThe Rapture is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Luke Jenner, Vito Roccoforte, and Gabriel Andruzzi. The classic lineup (1999-2009) added Mattie Safer playing bass and sharing lead vocal duties with Jenner. Safer and Jenner's harmonized choruses became part of the signature sound of the band, featuring on several of the band’s more well known songs.
WRoxy Music were an English rock band that was formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead singer and main songwriter—and bass guitarist Graham Simpson. Alongside Ferry, the other longtime members were Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay, and Paul Thompson. Other members included Brian Eno, Eddie Jobson, and John Gustafson (bass). Although the band took a break from group activities in 1976 and again in 1983, they reunited for a concert tour in 2001, and toured together intermittently over the next few years. Ferry frequently enlisted band members as session musicians for his solo releases.
WScary Kids Scaring Kids (abbreviated SKSK) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Gilbert, Arizona, United States, in 2002. The band's name was taken from the Cap'n Jazz song of the same name. The group disbanded following a farewell tour in 2010. In 2019 the group reunited for a 15-year anniversary reunion tour in January, 2020 and have teased future reunion plans.
WShadow Project was an Alternative rock/goth metal band formed in 1987 featuring former members of Los Angeles deathrock groups Christian Death and Super Heroines. After recording two LP records the group experienced a three-year hiatus, reconvening for a third and final album. Shadow Project definitively folded after vocalist Rozz Williams committed suicide on April 1, 1998. The band briefly returned in 2019 under the moniker "Shadow Project 1334" for 13 shows only, vowing to never perform again together after that.
WStaind is an American rock band formed in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki. The lineup has been stable outside of the 2011 departure of Wysocki, who was replaced by Sal Giancarelli. Staind has recorded seven studio albums: Tormented (1996), Dysfunction (1999), Break the Cycle (2001), 14 Shades of Grey (2003), Chapter V (2005), The Illusion of Progress (2008), and Staind (2011). The band's activity became more sporadic after their self-titled release, with Lewis pursuing a solo country music career and Mushok subsequently joining the band Saint Asonia, but they have continued to tour on and off in the following years. In 2016, Lewis reiterated that the band had not broken up, and would possibly create another album, but that his then-current focus was on his solo career. The band reunited more permanently in 2019 for several shows, continuing with live appearances in 2020. Many of their singles have reached high positions on US rock and all-format charts as well, including "It's Been Awhile", "Fade", "Price to Play", "So Far Away", and "Right Here".
WStereolab are an English-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repetitive motorik beat with heavy use of vintage electronic keyboards and female vocals sung in English and French. On stage, they play in a more feedback-driven and guitar-oriented style. The band also draw from funk, jazz and Brazilian music, and were one of the first artists to be dubbed "post-rock". They are regarded among the most innovative and influential groups of the 1990s.
WStrange Advance is a Canadian new wave band formed in 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia. They were nominated for a 1983 Juno Award as Most Promising Group of the Year and again in 1985 as Group of the Year. Their first two albums, 1982's Worlds Away and 1985's 2WO, were Canadian gold selling records.
WThe Sugababes are a British girl group, composed of founding members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena and Siobhán Donaghy. Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, they released their debut album One Touch through London Records in November 2000, which achieved moderate success and spawned the top ten single "Overload". In 2001, Donaghy departed the group and was replaced by Heidi Range. With Range's introduction, the group began to experience a higher level of commercial success, going on to release three multi-platinum selling albums: Angels with Dirty Faces (2002), Three (2003) and Taller in More Ways (2005). In 2005, Buena left the band and was replaced by Amelle Berrabah. Following the release of their first greatest hits album, the new line-up released two further studio albums: Change (2007) and Catfights and Spotlights (2008).
WSupergrass are an English rock band, formed in 1993 in Oxford. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Gaz Coombes, drummer Danny Goffey, bassist Mick Quinn and Rob Coombes on keyboards.
WSwans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.
WThere for Tomorrow is an American alternative rock band that was originally formed in Orlando, Florida in February 2003. The original group consisted of four members: Maika Maile, Chris Kamrada, James Flaherty, and Jay Enriquez. Christian Climer joined the band in 2006 when the band was looking for a new member after James left in 2005. The band were influenced by bands such as Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind, Blink-182, and The Hives.
WThin Lizzy are a hard rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist and lead vocalist Phil Lynott, met while still in school. Lynott led the group throughout their recording career of twelve studio albums, writing most of the material. The singles "Whiskey in the Jar", "The Boys Are Back in Town" and "Waiting for an Alibi" were international hits. After Lynott's death in 1986, various incarnations of the band emerged over the years based initially around guitarists Scott Gorham and John Sykes, though Sykes left the band in 2009. Gorham later continued with a new line-up including Downey.
WThe Whitest Boy Alive is a German-Norwegian musical group based in Berlin. It was originally active from 2003 to 2014; after a five-year hiatus, the group reformed in 2019. The band is composed of singer and guitarist Erlend Øye of Kings of Convenience, bassist Marcin Öz, drummer Sebastian Maschat, and Daniel Nentwig on Rhodes piano and Crumar.