Sneaker Pimps

Sneaker Pimps were a trip-hop/alternative band that originated in England in 1994, initially consisting of Chris Corner (guitars), Kelli Ali (vocals), Liam Howe (synth), David Westlake (drums) and Joe Wilson (bass). They released their first album, Becoming X, in 1996 to mass acclaim. After touring, they decided to change their style and did so, going from a trip-hop band to an alternative band. They released their second album, Splinter, in 1999, only to be met with a wave of They Changed It, Now It Sucks from people who liked their trip-hop style and preferred Kelli as the singer. Undaunted, they continued onward and released Bloodsport, their final album, in 2003. The band split up after their fourth album was rejected and the members moved on to different careers.

See also IAMX.

Members:
 * Kelli Ali (also known as Kelli Dayton), vocals until Splinter
 * Chris Corner (vocals, guitars)
 * Liam Howe (synthesizer)
 * Joe Wilson (bass)
 * David Westlake (drums)

Discography:
 * Becoming X (1996)
 * Becoming Remixed (1998, remix album of Becoming X)
 * Splinter (1999)
 * Bloodsport (2003)

Tropes applying to the Sneaker Pimps include:

 * A Good Name for a Rock Band: They named themselves after an article in the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal magazine about a man hired to track down classic sneakers.
 * All of the Other Reindeer: “Black Sheep”
 * Anti-Love Song: “Waterbaby”, “Destroying Angel”, “M’aidez”
 * A literal case with “Bloodsport”
 * Bilingual Bonus: ‘M’aidez’ is French for ‘Help me’.
 * Break Up Song: “Low Place Like Home”, “Half Life”, possibly “Grazes”
 * Cover Version: "How Do" from Becoming X is a cover of "Willow's Song" from The Wicker Man (the original).
 * Darker and Edgier: Splinter compared to Becoming X.
 * Double Entendre: ‘Give me low five/ ‘cause I can’t help myself’
 * Fan Nickname: "SP4" for the unnamed and unreleased fourth album.
 * Incredibly Lame Pun: 'I'm pretty raw with it/cute sushi lunches'. Oh, ha ha ha.
 * Intercourse with You: “Roll On”, “The Fuel”
 * Ode to Intoxication: “Wasted Early Sunday Morning”, possibly "Grazes”
 * New Sound Album: Splinter, then Bloodsport- Splinter had a lot of acoustic guitars and much darker songs, while Bloodsport was slightly more upbeat and more electronic.
 * Power Trio: The original trio of Chris, Liam and Kelli.
 * Precision F-Strike: ‘Was black, was bruised/fucked up, twenty-two’
 * Sampling: In a few songs.
 * Sanity Slippage Song: “Wife By Two Thousand”, possibly “Curl”
 * The Smart Guy: Chris was studying astrophysics before he formed the band. He's a self-taught musician, and a bloody genius at that.
 * Stranger in a Familiar Land: “Small Town Witch”
 * Take That: “Kiro TV”, “Spin Spin Sugar” and “Low Five” are this to consumerism.
 * "Walking Zero" and "Blue Movie" are this to religion.
 * Trope Maker/ Trope Codifier: Of trip-hop.
 * Two Guys and a Girl: Liam, Chris and Kelli.