British music

[autopilot]

Following on from a conversation in the pub last night, I was just wondering what people around the world thought of the British music scene and industry. What are people loving and hating right now?

We don't have the film industry like US has, but many people here still seem to perceive the UK as a music 'superpower'. Thoughts?

[peejay]

Depends

Following on from a conversation in the pub last night, I was just wondering what people around the world thought of the British music scene and industry. What are people loving and hating right now?

We don't have the film industry like US has, but many people here still seem to perceive the UK as a music 'superpower'. Thoughts?

It depends upon when you mean. Right now? Not sure. But having trumped it with the Beatles - don't like their music but can't ignore the phenomenon - and the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Yes, Led Zepplin, The Who, Queen, Genesis, The Cure, Oasis etc etc, not much can't be said for British music. It tends to be more sophisticated than some (ignoring Queen's later work here), and looking at the list of artists above, something of a who's who of Rock & Roll. So if you'd like a pat on the back for that lot, you've got it.

[autopilot]

Want i meant was, what do people think of the current state of play?

Personally i think most of the UK rock bands are a bit wet.

[peejay]

Ahh

Want i meant was, what do people think of the current state of play?

Yes, agree my list was a bit dated, and that may just be the point. Here's what Noel Gallagher thinks.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Noel-Gallagher-Slams-Current-British-Music-10321.shtml

Of course, that was 18 months ago. Things may have changed.

[autopilot]

Yeah, but Noel Gallagher is almost universally considered a complete tit in the UK these days (although not as bad as his brother). I think there is a bit of sour grapes going on too as not many people are buying there music these days. I'm not saying i agree or disagree with him, but don't take anything he says seriously. They tended to have vendettas with just about every band who sells more records than them. What he says in that thread is thinly veiled modesty, it's like yeah there is no one as good as us but hey ho. But he is kind of right in a lot of respects, im just not sure he completely believes his own words.

[amcluesent]

>Thoughts?<

Lily Allen is rubbish!

[Mark Lanctot]

We don't have the film industry like US has, but many people here still seem to perceive the UK as a music 'superpower'.

I would tend to agree, although the state of things at the moment is almost as dismal as the rest of the industry is. However there are a couple of fairly current UK artists I can think of right now who are very, very good IMHO: gorillaz and Groove Armada. I'm sure I'll think of others, but that's two artists more than current American artists I like at the moment. ;-)

[Siduhe]

Not everyone's cup of tea, but there is some amazing dubstep around right now (difficult to describe - kind of a drum 'n' bass / grime / breaks hybrid).

Check out Burial (no connection).

http://www.last.fm/music/Burial

[ModelCitizen]

Not everyone's cup of tea, but there is some amazing dubstep around right now (difficult to describe - kind of a drum 'n' bass / grime / breaks hybrid).
Check out Burial (no connection).
http://www.last.fm/music/Burial

Also try Boxcutter, album Oneiric.
Deep, dark, dirty and nasty.
MC

[adamslim]

Deep, dark, dirty and nasty.

Don't move into a sales career man...

[ModelCitizen]

Don't move into a sales career man...

Bit late for that.
MC

[peejay]

Agreed

I would tend to agree, although the state of things at the moment is almost as dismal as the rest of the industry is. However there are a couple of fairly current UK artists I can think of right now who are very, very good IMHO: gorillaz and Groove Armada. I'm sure I'll think of others, but that's two artists more than current American artists I like at the moment. ;-)

I certainly second the recommendation of Groove Armada.

I also second that Lily Allen is rubbish. :-)

[autopilot]

Of course, that was 18 months ago. Things may have changed.

Yeah, 18 months ago Coldplay were kings of the hill (Who the Oasis boys hate with a passion and publicly slagged off many times). I respect Coldplay and enjoy some of their stuff, but i would describe it as 'nice' at best (although they were brilliant live). Trouble was that loads of dreary groups tried to follow in their footsteps. There just was not of enough room for so many bands of that genre, and almost all of them were incredibly bland and boring with none of the musical skill of song writing talent that made Coldplay what they are.

Then the whole young male solo singer with a guitar singing love songs while sitting on a stool thing came along. For some strange reason James Blunt managed to crawl his way to the top. Bloody horrible and everytime i hear his horrible songs i want to pull my ears off. Yet somehow he managed to get to #1 is the US charts, whats that all about when so much other good stuff is coming out of the UK? I'm guess the US charts are also based on single sales, and most singles are bought by the young teens. Which is why the UK charts as no real parallel to what's actually happing musically in the UK. I guess it's the same everywhere?

Now it seems you can't go anywhere without hearing the current biggest UK band (biggest UK band in the UK anyway) - The Arctic Monkeys. I'm not a massive fan, but like some of their stuff and well respect them. How are they going down elsewhere? Personally i think they will be another victim of their own success here in the UK, people will get sick of hearing them and they will fade away like Coldplay seem to be at the moment.

As for Lilly Allen, totally agree. Amy Winehouse seeing to be the current top UK female singer right now, much better.

More of an electronica man myself though, thankfully we still produce the best electronica

[topa]

I think beyond Britpop there are many new impulses constantly coming from the UK. Not revolutionary, but nevertheless new. Gnarls Barkley (although not british) shot up the UK charts first for example. British EBTG and Tracey Thorn's new solo Album or MIKA also come from a different angle. (Both the latter tend towards an eighties revival by the way...uhoh!)

If it's in the charts in the UK, it'll pop up somewhere else within 6 months too.

[Mark Lanctot]

If it's in the charts in the UK, it'll pop up somewhere else within 6 months too.

This brings up another point - the UK seems to lead the way musically. They are quite cutting-edge and avant-garde.

I'm thinking of new musical concepts that have emerged from the UK over the years: metal (Black Sabbath), punk (Sex Pistols), "new wave" (Joy Division, New Order), and, of course, as autopilot mentions, techno (808 State, The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy).