A bright new noise in U.K. alternative rock in the '90s and into the new millennium, Stereophonics are comprised of vocalist/guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist Richard Jones, and drummer Stuart Cable (until the latter's replacement by Javier Weyler). They were formed in Cwmaman, South Wales, originally as the teenage cover band Tragic Love Company. Early reviews cited the Manic Street Preachers as their most obvious influence, and their initial batch of singles struggled to disabuse cynics of this notion.