Without You I'm Nothing

While Placebo's self-titled debut contained mostly elements of 90s alternative (Smashing Pumpkins, etc.), their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, is full of 70s glam rock and punk references. Placebo's rhythm section of Stefan Olsdal (bass) and Steve Hewitt (drums) is impressively tight, but the band's star attraction is undoubtedly androgynous singer/guitarist Brian Molko. The swirling anthemic album opener, 'Pure Morning,' is a self-proclaimed 'celebration of friendship with women,' and should be a guaranteed hit single, while the racing 'Brick Shithouse' merges 90s electro-rock with Sonic Youth punk guitars. 'You Don't Care About Us' shows that Molko can easily re-create J Mascis' late-80s guitar tones, and 'Scared of Girls' contains gender-bending vocals from Molko and a tribal-rock accompaniment.