Idolator

Time for another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we raid our cassingle collection in search of a lost gem.

Artist: Miles
Album: Structure vs. Happiness, 2002
What happened: Hailing from Germany, this guitar-pop outfit finally got a shot at a U.S. audience with the release of Structure, which rounded up some of Miles' best import-only singles. But the group's Pixies-gone-pop sound couldn't find a following, and now—like so many other Coulda-Shouldas—you can get it for less than a Euro on Amazon.
Why it should have been a hit Tracks like "Pretty Day" and "We Need More Close-Ups" (below) may be straight-ahead power-chord paeans, but they have just enough oddball curves to keep things interesting. And the fact that lead singer Tobias Kuhn seems to be struggling with his English pronunciation at times just adds to the charm.

Miles - Pretty Day [MP3, link expired]
Miles - We Need More Close-Ups [MP3, link expired]
Miles - Sonic 3000 [MP3, link expired]