The Ordinary Boys

Worthing, U.K., four-piece, the Ordinary Boys--named after a Morrissey track--emerged in the early 2000s as part of a wave of post-punk inspired British guitar bands, alongside the Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, and the Kaiser Chiefs. Their debut album, OVER THE COUNTERCULTURE, bore strong echoes of the Jam, the Smiths, and most notably the Specials--the album included a cover of the latter's early single "Little Bitch." The ska influence was more pronounced on the 2005 follow-up album, BRASSBOUND, but it struggled to make any impact on the U.K. charts until lead singer Preston appeared on the U.K. reality-TV show CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER.

• rock
• pop