CSI: Miami (The Soundtrack)

From trip-hop to Britpop, downbeat to Latin metal, "CSI: Miami The Soundtrack" is as edgy and evocative as the TV series from which it has been spawned. Not surprisingly then, the CBS show won the 2003 BMI TV Music Award.

Along with one immortal rock band, The Who--whose "Won't Get Fooled Again" is the series theme song opening each episode--the album's most familiar artists are Oasis and Massive Attack. Lamb, one of electronica's most innovative groups, is a downtempo vocals-oriented drum'n'bass duo from Manchester ("Gabriel" is a radio edit of the track on 2001's "What Sound"). Baxter, from Sweden, also combines pop song structures with drum'n'bass, as on "Gonna Make It There" from their 2002 "About This album." Again from Manchester is epic pop trio Doves, whose cheery 2002 album "Last Broadcast" featured "Satellites." Martina Topley Bird is the long-time Tricky diva who made her solo debut on 2003's chill-out "Quixotic," which included "Need One." FC Kahuna elevated the Big Beat in the London club scene and scored with 2002's "Machine Says Yes" and its chill-out hit "Hayling." Bent, much respected in England but unknown beyond dance circles elsewhere, traffics in mid-tempo beats and chilled atmospheres on their 2000 "Programmed To Love debut," which includes "Invisible Pedestrian." Lemon Jelly's downtempo for the new acid generation was heard on 2000's"LemonJelly.KY with "A Tune For Jack." Nitin Sawhney fuses electronica with Indian culture throughout his 2003 album Human, including "Say Hello."

In fact, there are only two American artists on CSI: Miami The Soundtrack: New Jersey-based Latin metal sextet Ill Ni±o, whose "I Am Loco" graced their 2001 debut "Revolution Revoluc­on," and Citizen Cope, whose hypnotic street music, exemplified by "Let The Drummer Kick It," defined its self-titled 2002 album. The "CSI: Miami" characters take pride in thinking outside the box. "CSI: Miami The Soundtrack" is music outside the box.