The Brand New Heavies
In the early 1990s, London-based The Brand New Heavies created a musical movement by bringing soul music back to live instrumentation and impassioned vocals. Sassy, soulful and emotive vocalist NDea Davenport, guitarist Simon Bartholomew, drummer/keyboardist Jan Kinkaid and bassist Andrew Love Levy built their sound around the music they loved: classic American funk and soul music. The bands infectious grooves and inspiring songs -- including Never Stop, Stay This Way and Dream On Dreamer -- set in motion a 1990s musical revolution that permeates throughout the neo soul sound of today.
http://www.myspace.com/thebrandnewheavies
Pure genius. I was fortunate enough to see them on the 97 or 98 Smokin' Grooves tour. N'dea wore these bright orange pants that were so tight I thought she was going to lose circulation and pass out. When they did "Sometimes" I was so ecstatic, and not just because I was surrounded by 1,000 people who were smoking weed.
Videos -
http://music.yahoo.com/ar-286183-videos--The-Brand-New-Heavies