like a playlist, except forced and pretentious

Oasis - like modern rock, except they are an actual rock band in the classic sense, even if they aren't as good at it as they used to be.
Van Der Graff Generator - like David Bowie, except actually weird and exploratory rather than convincing you that they are.
Badly Drawn Boy - like solo John Lennon, except without bum tracks taking up half his records.