Dance act Dirty Vegas - a trio of relative British unknowns - have managed to crack the notoriously impregnable US album chart.

The group, with one minor hit in the UK singles chart called Days Go By, this week saw their self-titled album go to number seven in the US.

It follows the similar success of Days Go By in the US singles chart after the track was used in a Mitsubishi ad campaign.

Established British groups like Oasis have for years found the US album, and singles, market almost impossible to crack.

Oasis have not had the same luck in the US

A spokesman for Dirty Vegas said it was notable that the group had done so well in the US ahead of making it big in the UK.

"It's very unusual for a band to make it this way round but it's just the way it worked out," he said.

"The success of the advert was the springboard for the US success."

The single Days Go By made it to number 27 when released a year ago in the UK.

But its US success led to the Dirty Vegas album selling more than 60,000 copies in a week.

The single is also holding on at number 20.

Decline

Dirty Vegas are signed to Parlophone records, which has also seen high chart placings for its acts Kylie Minogue and Radiohead in recent months.

But this is unusual for British based acts. Australian-born Minogue's single Can't Get You Out Of My Head made it into the top 20 on release.

Before that she had only had one major hit in the US, back in 1989 with The Locomotion.

And in April this year, the situation for British music in the US seemed to be getting worse.

There was not one British name in the top 100 singles chart - the first time it had occurred for four decades.

Dirty Vegas are made up of Ben Harris, Steve Smith and Paul Harris.

They formed last year and release their debut album in the UK on 5 August.