Kasabian mixed traces of the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, and Primal Scream with DJ Shadow-influenced electronics to take the British press by storm in the early 2000s. Named after Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson's getaway driver turned state witness, Leicester's Kasabian stole a page from Sun Ra and the Band, as the bandmates moved into a remote farmhouse to brew their music. Communal life and a mutual affininity for Neu!, the Beatles, Primal Scream, and Blackalicious produced a rocking sound that wasn't afraid of electronics and harked back to days of baggy pants and druggy dancing. With his acerbic approach to interviews, swaggering lead singer Tom Meighan quickly became a darling of the press, and the band's revolutionary logos and sleeve art added to the excitement. Fold-out poster sleeves, 10" versions, and hand-stenciled covers accompanied 2004 singles like "Club Foot," "L.S.F," and "Processed Beats." It all added up to Kasabian's self-titled debut going Top Five on the U.K's album chart in October 2004.

Two years later, while readying the release of the band's second album, Empire, founding guitarist Chris Karloff quit Kasabian due to creative differences. (Jay Mehler would soon replace him during live performances; Mehler also became an official member in 2008.) Empire was released in August 2006 and topped the U.K. charts, although it failed to yield as many singles as its predecessor. The band took home its NME Award in 2007 and began work on another album later that same year. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide