Request for info on "Current British Rock Bands"

[matriarch]

Perdy,

As promised, I forwarded your post, and Liar's response to the youngest sprog (yes, the one you saw ), and he responded as follows:

"The reply posted by the swedish guy was ok in a very general way, but doesn't get to the heart of great bands at the mo, just lists who's selling. So here we go:

The Libertines are fantastic. Part punk, part pop, part rock. They've just released their self titled second album. Tragically probably their last as they sacked the guitarist and co lead singer from the band for his various narcotic addictions and robbing other band members! Made during this turbulent time, consequently the album is autobiographical in the extreme.

Muse are hot property at the moment having just headlined Glastonbury festival in awesome fashion. They rock all the way with some experimental guitar thrown in and one of the best vocalists around with Matt Bellamy. They released their 3rd album this year and its another lesson in how to make epic rock songs.

Franz Ferdinand are the debut success story of the year. Catchy riffs, bizarre lyrics, a quirky indie outfit. Probably known already though as are touring the states at the moment to what we hear are excellent reviews.

Keane are another new act this year. Indie rock thats substituted piano in place of guitars. Its epic, melodic and beautiful.

Ash are from Northern Ireland, been around for donkey's years, started with some punk rock records, then mellowed out, and are back this year with more regular rock. Tim Wheeler recently received prestigious song writing award from the 'Kerrang!' awards so there are plenty of tunes to be found.

Coldplay are the darlings of the media at the moment with Chris Martin able to do no wrong. While I'm sure you are aware of their antics as they are big in the states too you'll be interested to know that he's got so many songs he's started handing them out to other bands! Which brings us neatly onto....

Embrace. Emerged from Manchester in the wake of the Indie explosion in the mid-nineties. Described at the time as a kind of watered down Oasis who produced a couple of anthems for the time but nothing special. They are this week making their comeback with a tune called 'Gravity' penned by none other than Chris Martin of Coldplay. Its a classic in the making so we can be sure to hear plenty of them over the next few months.

Razorlight are also worth mention. Very new band, sound a lot like the clash in places, a bit like the Jam too. Got some very catchy songs, well worth a listen.

Well I think that's enough to be going on with, although I would like to mention The Killers. Now I know they're from Las Vegas but their influences are the likes of Duran Duran, Erasure and all the rest of the British 80's synthesised clan. Consequently their music is very anglicised, and the singer even sings in a British accent (although at times this errs on being a bad Bowie impression).

Happy listening.

Matt
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Hope that helps.
And yes, that is not a typing error. My sprog is called.....'Matt'. How wierd is that

The older 'Mat'

 

[Guest]

Mat and Matt: wonderful response, just what I wanted. P.

 

[bridgeburner]

Recently aquired the new Franz Ferdinand and Snow Patrol releases and they're quite good, but I think they're already well on the way to mainstream exposure ----- FF is played on KROQ in Los Angeles daily. They've arrived.


I could be mistaken but I believe Zero 7 is a British outfit. Perhaps they fall under the "dance" or "soul" music label, but what I've heard of them is quite good. It's two guys who started out as teaboys or something I believe and now they produce under the name Zero 7 and have a real talent for finding these amazing vocalists for their albums. I keep waiting for Sophie Barker to have an album of her own but until then I listen to her sing Distractions off of Zero 7's Simple Things near-obsessively.

I was always disappointed that The Family Humphff never really made it internationally. Too folky and Scottish I suppose, but I loved them. And they were funny.


-B

 

[Guest]

I couldn't wait and sent my brother all posted above, but please post more, people. Here is his reply (Lili is my niece who turns 13 in mid-Sept.) - Perdita

"This is gonna be fun. Am lately onto The Libertines whose new record comes out today and who are coming to the Fillmore in a month. Lili and me each have several discs of the groups below [the list I sent]. UK music scene is interesting to follow, often ahead of our curve here, fast (things change there fast). Just real different, always interesting to see who and what from there 'makes it' here and who/what doesn't (usually cause they are 'too' English in music and lyrics) and vice versa.

Some of what me and Lili have: Libertines, Dizzee Rascal, Radiohead, Muse, Basement Jaxx, Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy, Travis, Coldplay.

Killers (don't have CD yet) are in town tonight I think, at Music Hall, sold out long ago. Some of these groups go back to the early/mid 90s (Prodigy, Travis, Radiohead), most are relatively new.

I took Lili and a friend to go see the Cure last Saturday at PacBell. Big show, end of the summer fun. She started 8th grade yesterday."

 

[Guest]

Bumping this cos The Earl's online and I expect good suggestions from him.

Pear

 

[TheEarl]

Just answered your request for info on my Clive Woodward thread. I've nothing new to add really - big fan of Franz Ferdinand and The Coral, but all the names I can come up with had been mentioned by the time I saw this thread. Sorry.

The Earl