Boards
rip-off merchants that you liked prior to discovering their influences
I tried to get the thread title a bit more tenuous, but, well, this should do.
Anyway, for me:
The Libertines
Was absolutely obsessed with 'Up the bracket' when it first came out, and was never really interested when I read/heard that they had basically ripped off The Clash; in the nicest possible way [I suppose Mick Jones producing the debut was a bit of a pointer]. But then I bought Combat Rock and really started exploring the rest of their stuff and eventually heard Spanish Bombs. Spanish Bombs basically sounds like every single song on Up the Bracket.
80'S Matchbox B'line disaster v The Cramps. 80'MBBLD still win, but flipping heck, pretty breathtaking rip off.
BLOW ME