A Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986 consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion, soundscapes), plus Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics). Known as "the Manics", they form a key part of the 1990s Welsh Cool Cymru cultural movement. The band's early albums were in a punk vein, eventually broadening to a greater alternative rock sound, whilst retaining a leftist political outlook.