British Music and American perspective.

davemono · Post by **davemono** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:53 am

On October 12th, 1492 Columbus Discovered America and later the Beatles rocked the Ed Sullivan show February 9 1964. Since then we have given you Zeppelin, Cream, Bowie and Hugh Grant (sorry..).

But recently.. Oasis, Arctic Monkeys , Kasabian.. dont' seem to be making any impact. Are any new british bands earning respect in the US now?

krylenko · Post by **krylenko** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:19 am

You realize the Beatles, Zeppelin, Bowie, and Cream were actually good, though, right?

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:51 am

[rant]Are any new American bands earning respect in the US? When was the last time bands doing anything worthy of respect got major-label promotion? I hear good stuff on college radio and occasionally something good on myspace, but there's no outlet for that kind of thing that gets it in front of the masses, and what does get in front of the masses is so boring and safe it's just pointless.[/rant]

capnreverb · Post by **capnreverb** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:06 am

I think the answer you are looking for would be...... er... Radiohead.

By the way, respect is a semantic pothole. You need to define what that means and by whom. Sales? Influence? Coldplay vrs. P J Harvery? Robert Wyatt vrs. Tom Waits? Branford Marselis vrs. Evan Parker? Eno Vrs Butch Vig? Flood vrs. Albini? Linton Kwesi Johson vrs. Puff Daddy?

davemono · Post by **davemono** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:13 am

what about The Prodigy? Franz Ferdinand?

davemono · Post by **davemono** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:15 am

respect as in good sales and capable musicians.

decocco · Post by **decocco** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:24 am

Yesterday I was thinking about how I like so many British rock bands. Led Zepellin, Cream, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, the Kinks, the Who... Too many to list! I really enjoy Radiohead. I guess they are probably the most "recent" British band I've really gotten into, but they've been around for a while!

In high school I was really into the Prodigy, Aphex Twin, Pulp, and Blur. I also got hooked on the Cure. I think Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party are good bands. I don't know too many people who are into that stuff other than myself, but I would say that all of these bands have had an influence on me.

I don't get the Artic Monkeys, there was huge hype around them for a bit. U2 are HUGE, but I don't get it. The only current British band I've heard that has made me say "WOW" has been Radiohead. Oh yeah, Imogen Heap is pretty good too!

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:22 am

again, Radiohead.

but most of the music i have isn't from American artists, mostly UK and NZ and Australia.

notable exceptions: Friends Of Dean Martinez, Suzanne Vega, Lisa Germano, Deerhoof and Pete Seeger.

even among unsigned or self-released, very little in the way of US artists i can get into and pretty well NOTHING in the majors.

i wish this would change.

Wilkesin · Post by **Wilkesin** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:36 am

I would say Oasis is pretty huge over here, and I think Elbow is respected (possibly because of the recent tape op article), but you can keep all your arctic/kasabian/kaiser/bloc party bands to yourself. Tell 'em you heard Pete Doherty was looking to party with 'em.

otto-bot · Post by **otto-bot** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:09 pm

davemono wrote:On October 12th, 1492 Columbus Discovered America and later the Beatles rocked the Ed Sullivan show February 9 1964. Since then we have given you Zeppelin, Cream, Bowie and Hugh Grant (sorry..).

But recently.. Oasis, Arctic Monkeys , Kasabian.. dont' seem to be making any impact. Are any new british bands earning respect in the US now?

What do the Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian have in common with the Beatles, Zep and Bowie? Oasis were big in the states the 90?s when they did matter. Bands like Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian aren?t the same caliber and don?t deserve to matter that much. They get attention in indie circles in a comparable relevance to similar American bands. I think you could loosely compare BRMC and Kasabian and they probably share a similar fan base in the states.

davemono · Post by **davemono** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:23 am

I'm think I can see some kind of blueprint to what the American music fan doesn't like :

British Indie Bands who talk about working class life, lager and "Britishness"
but why should you? You've heard it already and it bears no relation to your life and so there's nothing to indentify with!

The Beatles sang about love, girls, fun, had interesting new ideas.
Led Zepplin could sing have sang in Japanese and they still would have rocked it.
Cream were a Blues band, amazingingly talented and had a universal appeal.

Btw for a laugh you should check out The Enemy... if you dont like Kasabian you will hate these guys big time

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:32 am

I bet over 50% of Americans can't find the UK on a map.

I bet more could back in the 70's.

We've become myopic and retarded as a nation, on purpose.

davemono · Post by **davemono** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:33 am

anyone ive met from the States has been pretty clued up.

but I think Dubya has alot to answer for..

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:23 am

Brits are completely self absorbed and it comes through in their music, in a different way than American self absorption does the same thing differently.
Either way, self absorbed people's music is polarized.
W blew it.

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:23 am

Though I am not a fan of anything after "A Rush of Blood To the Head", and I'm definitely more a fan of the sound of the first two records than the songs, Coldplay are huge in America. Fucking Huge.

My friends and I are fans of Ed Harcourt, Field Music/School of Language/The Week That Was, as well as The New Mastersounds and the Bees (known as A Band of Bees in the US). Obviously not as huge as the Beatles or The Stones, but great bands/records.

I actually was able to catch The Bees in London at the Astoria (which is now gone!) two years ago. Totally great show, great band, cool smelly rawk venue. Like the Khyber in Philly but 200 times larger. Anyway, I really thought that the Bees put on a great live show.

Jeff

Message Board

British Music and American perspective.

British Music and American perspective.

Re: British Music and American perspective.

Who is online