PLACEBO Vinyl Records and CDs

These young men blend Brit Pop with sonic noise and hip-shaking Glam rock to create something all their own. Androgynous singer Brian Molko sounds a lot like Geddy Lee (he'll deny it, but listen for yourself). Placebo's songs are kinetic and wiry at times, but alternately gritty and rocking in a way last heard when Suede imitated Bowie. When the band uses retrospection as embellishment over their foundation, you hear the true Placebo -- not to say that their version of "20th Century Boy" doesn't rock as hard as Marc Bolan's.