This London quartet are fronted by the bespectacled James Broad, a man whose sometimes perverse lyrics are surrounded by sugar-coated melodies drenched in a heavy buzzsaw guitar attack and heavenly harmonies. Falling somewhere between the Buzzcocks and Cheap Trick, Silver Sun have gained a large pop fanbase (especially in Japan) and have even received coverage in Keraang! magazine, best known for their coverage of everything "heavy metal." Their first release (under the name Sun) was a four-track EP on Polydor in 1996. The EPs Last Day and Lava followed soon after. In Japan, all ten tracks from these EPs were compiled on one disc, entitled You Are Here. After one more EP, Golden Skin, their self-titled debut album was released in 1997. Packing a major wallop, this debut was one of the most exciting releases that year. Two more singles were lifted from their debut: "Julia" and a re-release of "Lava." At the end of 1997, Japan released yet another Silver Sun album (their third in that country) called B Is for Silver Sun, a compilation of 11 B-sides they'd released since You Are Here. In mid-1998, Silver Sun released Too Much Too Little Too Late, an EP of cover versions (including songs by Rush, My Bloody Valentine, the Muffs, and Deniece Williams!). Neo Wave, their second album, was released in October 1998. ~ Steve Schnee