Edinburgh's The Beta Band were almost wilful in their eclecticism, mashing minimalist electronics, acoustic folk, hip-hop, punky garage rock and experimental noise into a gleefully varied sound. If you didn't like a Beta Band song, just stick around for a couple minutes - it was almost sure to change. 1997's pastoral "Dry the Rain", from their early recordings compilation The Three EPs, quickly became an international cult favourite. The group released three proper albums - The Beta Band, Hot Shots II and Heroes To Zeroes - before splitting suddenly in the summer of 2004.