The refrain to their most successful U.S. song ("Song 2") was unashamedly ripped off from Pavement. Their biggest U.K. hit to date ("Country House") was a cheap, tawdry example of mass exploitation--making the Backstreet Boys look like pop novices in comparison. Initially, their main inspiration was a godawful group of "quirky" English eccentrics called the Cardiacs, who make Barenaked Ladies sound palatable. They have, in the past, spouted stupidly crass xenophobic statements in interviews. They've changed musical styles more times than Trent Reznor has changed his underpants. Damon Albarn once dated Elastica's Justine Frischmann (don't get me started on her)! And yet, unaccountably, the hipsters still fall for them--fifth-rate Kinks pretenders not even worthy to button Ray Davies' Ben Sherman shirt. One word: Why?