Biography of Portishead

Led by keyboardist Geoff Barrow, the British group Portishead combined hip-hop rhythms and samples, jazzy melodic textures, and pop/rock instrumentation into a alluringly dark, atmospheric sound, distinguished by the seductive vocals of Beth Gibbons. The group's 1994 debut album, Dummy, earned glowing reviews, landing on many critics' year-end Top Ten lists. Dummy crossed over into the mainstream in both America in Britain in late 1994, thanks to the hit single "Sour Times." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Biography of Paul Weller

After disbanding the Style Council, former Jam leader Paul Weller went solo, making a series of soul-inspired pop/rock records. While his self-titled 1992 debut a return to form, it was the following year's Wild Wood (not released in the U.S. until 1994) that showed he was still a vital songwriter and artist. Like the rest of Weller's work, the album was a hit in nearly every country except the United States. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine