Critical acclaim can be a fickle creature, with up-and-coming bands often drowning in their own hype. Whether because of fate, arrogance or the nature of the music industry itself, countless artists have been swatted off their pedestals by the very same writers and fans that helped place them there.

Nowhere is this phenomenon more prevalent than in the U.K., but that doesn't seem to faze cocksure, psychedelic rockers The Music. In what seems like a matter of months, this foursome from Leeds went from teenage nobodies to the saviors of British rock. What's more remarkable is that it is their live performances -- rather than a flashy marketing campaign or glossy cover shots for The Face -- that has put them on the critics' and public's Top 10 lists. They presently have only a smattering of EPs, but they have already vowed "to change everything."

Although compared to Verve and Oasis (NME said The Music is the most exciting rock band since Noel and Liam's '94 debut), dig deep and you find the tweaked-blues patterns and dramatic buildup of Zeppelin.