Is all the best music American? (1 Viewer)

[snakybus]

Hag's Hammer of the Gods thread reminded me of something I've been thinking about for a while. I remember in the early nineties, a Greek guy said to me "what is it about Britain, that all the best music comes from there?" He was into a lot of indie and stuff and I guess that was the golden age of British indie and baggy and whatnot. Anyhow, it hadn't occurred to me at the time but I guess it was true, and not just then but also in the 60s and 70s. British music was great and all-powerful.

I said to the Greek guy: "Have you got any baklava? Extra syrup please!" And I moved on. I forgot about it.

Lately, however, in the wake of the awful NME awards (anyone see the preview shows? eugh) and Brit awards, I've been getting to thinking: all the music I like is from the USA. There are relatively few band or songwriters that I like from the UK (I know there are other countries besides these two, but this is for argument's sake, bear with me).

However, I don't listen to ALL music recorded and I may be completely off the mark. So, what do you think? Support your argument with evidence, please.

 

[avernus]

yeah - I dunno. theres a few bands from the UK that I like, but not many.
seems like the music follows the fashion, so once a band like the strokes arrives in the US - forty bands like them appear in the UK.

I dont like those bands.

 

[veryslowey]

everyone knows the best bnad comes from austrlai

 

[Dog Doo Bop]

UK: nick drake, pj harvey, radiohead, tindersticks (first album in particular), cocteau twins, aphex twin, fourtet, mogwai

 

[#10-7]

Nope.
at the moment i'm listening to a cd i made myself with american, irish, english and italian artists on it. and its soooo good.

i'd say 70% of the english speaking music around is american, so by the law of averages you probably like more american than irish or english.

you can't rule out anything from anywhere though. arguably most of the best prog rock, punk and guitar pop came from england, the best country rock, america (obviously), funk, etc came from england and every country in the world has released something into music....

 

[krystal]

ah yeah but you could say that it's clyclical and the current crop of north american bands like the rapture, hot hot heat, out hud and LCD soundsystem etc etc etc are extremely referential of UK music from the 80's and 90's.

But in anyways, I have always considered that I like American music way more than stuff from the UK (but I do like loads of British stuff, probably more so in the past than now) and I think that's quite common here, and may be to do with the fact we don't have a music press as such, or a big population, or the capabilities to have very coherent scenes (shoegazing, grebo, punk, britpop etc etc). All of which the UK (or more specifically, London) has.

 

[It Will Never Last]

Everything's cyclical though.

Bloc Party and the Kaiser Chiefs are gonna be huge this year.

 

[Wilbert]

I agree with Snaky!

Go on, the yanks!

They gave us Pavement, Talking Heads, Ben Folds (Five), Steely Dan, The Band, The Flaming Lips, Jim O'Rourke, Sparklehorse, Tom Waits, etc.

Please don't add to this list, as I have checked it, and it is complete!

 

[It Will Never Last]

They gave us Pavement, Talking Heads, Ben Folds (Five), Steely Dan, The Band, The Flaming Lips, Jim O'Rourke, Sparklehorse, Tom Waits, etc.

Please don't add to this list, as I have checked it, and it is complete!

Clever, the etc. covers everything.

 

[ITalkShite]

UK: nick drake, pj harvey, radiohead, tindersticks (first album in particular), cocteau twins, aphex twin, fourtet, mogwai

Well that just about covers all music out of the UK ever. Thanks, snow machine!

 

[Anthony]

or the capabilities to have very coherent scenes (shoegazing, grebo, punk, britpop etc etc). All of which the UK (or more specifically, London) has.

always thought that that was what was wrong with british music. oh and.. "grebo" what?

americans can get away with american accents.
you dont often see american bands with dreads or dogs.

her snakey, you should get Marbles. Best brit album in yonks

 

[Dog Doo Bop]

I agree with Snaky!

Go on, the yanks!

They gave us Pavement, Talking Heads, Ben Folds (Five), Steely Dan, The Band, The Flaming Lips, Jim O'Rourke, Sparklehorse, Tom Waits, etc.

Please don't add to this list, as I have checked it, and it is complete!

it's so tempting to add to this list (it's a great list though!!!)

Oh Canada has given us: leonard cohen, godspeed you black emporer, fly pan am, neil young, joni mitchell but best of all celine dion .|..|

I once put my music collection in terms of it's country of origin .. but this was a crap idea so I went for the colour of the album cover (actually no, but it's tempting) .... music has no borders, maaan !ninjaaaa

 

[Dog Doo Bop]

Well that just about covers all music out of the UK ever. Thanks, snow machine!

you're welcome ....
but it was just a few of me favourites

 

[krystal]

yeah, I'm not saying I think it's wrong or right, it's just an observation on my part because this has occurred to me before and tha, wha. The British music scene has always seemed to me to be a bit inward looking. I suppose that's something to do with the proliference of their music press and because we don't have that we tend to look elsewhere.

Grebo - mega city 4 and PWEI etc. Sort of crusty-lite.

always thought that that was what was wrong with british music. oh and.. "grebo" what?

 

[telford collier]

what have we offered?

U2?

 

[Anthony]

Oh Canada has given us:

The Pursuit Of Happiness
Vote NOW: http://www.cbc.ca/50tracks/vote/index.html

 

[Anthony]

Grebo - mega city 4 and PWEI etc. Sort of crusty-lite.

shite, in other words.

 

[krystal]

there is, and will remain a place in my heart for PWEI.

shite, in other words.

 

[snakybus]

hmm I'll check out the marbles aiight

bloc party? bloc the sewage system more like

it used to be that the US "followed" the UK

now it's the other way round - Ed Harcourt copies Rufus Wainwright/Jeff Buckley, Badly Drawn Boy copies Elliott Smith, Blur - late in the game - decide to copy Pavement

"scenes" like shoegazer, britpop etc, they're grand yes but there's been nothing significant since, has there?

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

well this is easily the stupidest thread i've ever read
i thought you were smart and shit, mike?

andrew