Modern British Bands That (Still) Matter

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What are some bands still making music that are important? I'd say that Radiohead and The Streets (and I guess Basement Jaxx(?), even though that's not really my thing) are obvious choices. But what about Pulp, or Blur? Morrissey? I was hard-pressed to name more than a handful even after looking at my CDs. But there's got to be a lot of them, right?

Include Scotland, too. I love those guys.

(And to pre-empt someone saying, "what do you mean by 'important?'" think along the lines of: innovative, consistent, somewhat well-known, their every movement is made note of on ILM, controversial.)

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Mogwai
Primal Scream
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Franz Ferdinand
The Libertines

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

haha!

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i can't think of anyone other than The Fall but i would say that.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha, and throw in Wire?

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Include Scotland, too. I love those guys.

I recall someone making the very same error here not too long ago and I didn't get around to correcting it then, so for all those in ignorance, please allow me to set the record straight:

SCOTLAND IS A PART OF BRITAIN.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Radiohead.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Pulp are broken up now though, aren't they? And Blur seem pretty feeble now without Coxon...

― Telephonething, Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Pulp are broken up now though, aren't they?

WHAT!?!?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Super Furry Animals (Wales is Britain, right?)
Belle and Sebastian

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, Wales, too. Thanks.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:58 (twenty-one years ago)

THE FALL you motherfuckers, and fuck the haters, FRANZ FERDINAND.

The Bees
Doves
Ali Roberts
Futureheads
Richard Youngs
Robert Wyatt
Teenage Fanclub

There's more.

― slimey, Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Pulp aren't officially broken up, but they are officially on hiatus. There's been no indication of a return anytime soon, but Jarvis hasn't ruled it out. They're are still friends and stuff, they're just doing other things at the moment (like being married and raising a kid in France, in Jarvis's case) I'd actually expect a Jarvis solo album, maybe with Hawley, before a new Pulp record.

― D. Bachyrycz, Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:03 (twenty-one years ago)

fuck the haters, FRANZ FERDINAND

Duh.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:09 (twenty-one years ago)

There's already been a Jarvis solo album, if you count that Relaxed Muscle LP...bit of a novelty album, though still pretty enjoyable.

― Telephonething, Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

SAINT ETIENNE.

thank you.

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Answer me this, then: Why did the Bees put out a deliciously innovative first album, just a little bit more left field than Beta Band, and then for their second album they decided they wanted to be 60's era Kinks? (not that I'm trying to diss on Kinks, but please...it's been done before)

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:26 (twenty-one years ago)

The Indoor Kids

― Magic Frog, Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I recall someone making the very same error here not too long ago

What makes you think poortheatre was himself making this error? I think he just said "include Scotland" in case other people made the error?

Side not: I just realized that "poortheatre" is prob. a Jerzy Grotowski reference.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 13 February 2005 05:51 (twenty-one years ago)

What makes you think poortheatre was himself making this error? I think he just said "include Scotland" in case other people made the error?

I was well aware of this possibility. That's why I said "for all those in ignorance".

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 06:00 (twenty-one years ago)

New Order, Cocteau Twins.

― David A. (Davant), Sunday, 13 February 2005 06:02 (twenty-one years ago)

CREAM

― Cooper Ravencorp, Sunday, 13 February 2005 06:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Momus

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 13 February 2005 06:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Graham Coxon

― Roger the Master Broom Balancer, Sunday, 13 February 2005 07:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Ozric Tentacles

― Paul Allellogram, Sunday, 13 February 2005 07:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Robert Wyatt seconded. And I must reiterate Radiohead.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Sunday, 13 February 2005 07:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Side not: I just realized that "poortheatre" is prob. a Jerzy Grotowski reference.

Oh, I never made that connection either. Is it true? Grotowski, The Bees. I think it's time for a beehive.

Anyway, to answer the thread: Autechre.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 13 February 2005 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

That's right. Autechre.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Sunday, 13 February 2005 07:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Graham Coxon's "Freakin' Out" is really something.

Looking forward to hearing the new Momus.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Yay, I still matter twice! Oops, that probably makes me over-rated, better scram.

― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Alright, things aren't as great as they maybe used to be, but still.....

Bearsuit
The Go! Team
Hood
Mylo
Bloc Party (perhaps)

Scratch beneath the surface of the NME hyped bands and there is quality and originality there in abundance, you just need to delve deeper.

― chinviolet (chinviolet), Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:09 (twenty-one years ago)

ruff sqwad

― blunted nitely, Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I honestly wasn't sure about Scotland. I knew that it's considered part of "Great Britain," but I wasn't sure if that made it "British." It seemed like it would be ignorant/offensive to say of someone from Scotland, "This is my friend Wallace. He's British." I dunno.

I'm glad people mentioned Mogwai, Futureheads, B&S, and The Go! Team. How could I forget? And I'm glad that no one has mentioned Muse or Keane.

What about Boards of Canada? Dizzee Rascal?

Oh yea, and just in case Miccio doesn't read this post: Nellie McKay (haha)

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

just to clarify, the streets and dizzee arent bands.

― um, Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Side note: I just realized that "poortheatre" is prob. a Jerzy Grotowski reference.

Wow! I never thought anyone would pick up on it here. Nice one :) Grotowski's pretty obscure even in drama circles. I'm an experimental theatre major, so he's pretty much our patron saint. His seminal text or whatever is Towards a Poor Theatre, kind of a call for rejection of the opulence of the theatre of his era, BUT it works great for me because I'm impoverished haha. So...yea. Good looking out. How do you know him?

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:46 (twenty-one years ago)

The House Of Love still matter. Ian Brown sounds like he's bounced back as well.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 09:52 (twenty-one years ago)

just to clarify, the streets and dizzee arent bands.

yea, i guess i agree. a band is, by definition, more than one person. but it gets complicated when the one-man band performs under a different name (The Streets, Caribou, Neutral Milk Hotel). It feels weird saying, "Oh yea, The Mountain Goats. What's he up to these days?" But then you have people like Beck, who obviously collaborates a great deal with his musicians, but when a record is released, everyone says, "Wow, the new Tom Waits is AMAZING. He is such a genius." Hm. This should be its own thread... i don't know what i'm talking about. i'm tired. i temporarily lost my wallet and had to walk fifteen miles back to my apartment because i couldn't pay for a subway and all these fucking honest New Yorkers wouldn't let me go through the turnstile with them to get on the subway. ugh.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

most of the bands mentioned thus far are either utter suck, or have not been 'relevant' for years. The answer is GIRLS ALOUD by the way.

oddly I can think of very few British bands that I like, but millions of solo artists. MIA, PJ Harvey, Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Shystie, Lady Sovereign, Estelle, Roots Manuva, Carina Round, Mylo, Emma Bunton, Wiley, Amy Winehouse, Thea Gilmore.

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 13 February 2005 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

The Fall
Boards of Canada
Primal Scream

― Nic de Teardrop (Nicholas), Sunday, 13 February 2005 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

neutral milk hotel weren't a one man band!!!

― j blount (papa la bas), Sunday, 13 February 2005 10:54 (twenty-one years ago)

whatever your person opinion on their music, you'd be hard pressed to say that Radiohead didn't matter. otherwise, i'm struggling to think of any band which fits into all the criteria given. Mogwai maybe?

― fsharp, Sunday, 13 February 2005 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

More Scots- Delgados, Trash Can Sinatras.

― TayBridgeDisaster (TayBridgeDisaster), Sunday, 13 February 2005 11:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Oasis, obviously - based on sales and influence alone.

Jeez.

― C-Man (C-Man), Sunday, 13 February 2005 13:01 (twenty-one years ago)

C-Man... I REALLY want to agree, they're one of my 5 favorite bands. But that might not be 100%... we'll see though, after their next album.

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Sunday, 13 February 2005 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Super Furry Animals

― tod, Sunday, 13 February 2005 14:19 (twenty-one years ago)

if two of the criteria are innovation and consistency, how could Oasis possibly be a consideration? i get the feeling that if Oasis did finally release another decent album, no one would care anyway, except for the novelty value.

― fsharp, Sunday, 13 February 2005 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll second Hood

― buck van smack (Buck Van Smack), Sunday, 13 February 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't even like Oasis that much - some outstanding singles, a great B-sides album... the albums as a whole though? Never give them a whirl. But importance? Very high on the list.

― C-Man (C-Man), Sunday, 13 February 2005 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Oasis, obviously - based on sales and influence alone.

Calum the thread title specifies bands that still matter, i.e. certainly not Oasis.

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 13 February 2005 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean it is perfectly obvious that the answer is Girls Aloud, who fulfil all of the criteria!

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 13 February 2005 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Aren't innovation and consistency semi-incompatible? Isn't controversy boring and easy to manufacture?

Bands don't matter. Moments do.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 13 February 2005 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Idlewild. Straight up.

― Cameron (raygun), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:30 (twenty-one years ago)

And I've explained why Oasis do still matter. Can you tell me what your judging this on? Matters to vast amounts of people who pack football stadiums to watch X band or matters only to the regulars on ILX?

― C-Man (C-Man), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

In that case, The Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Hollies and anybody else selling out 50-odd chicken in a basket shows every year.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

they all matter!

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

They're all matter.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

55 posts and no mention of British Sea Power? C'mon, they even got British in their name!

― st. uber, Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

neutral milk hotel weren't a one man band!!!

well, not really. but isn't the whole thing just a jeff mangum vehicle? It should be Jeff Mangum and the Neutral Milk Hotels or something.

(British Sea Power does not matter..........i'm sorry.)

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Veritas.
The Quotas.
Affordable Housing Project.
Chas and Dave.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 13 February 2005 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe we're missing the point here. Maybe the most important and influential british thing in music was never a band, but a DJ.
RIP John Peel.

― chinviolet (chinviolet), Sunday, 13 February 2005 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

poortheatre, I know what you're saying. It's like someone upthread describes PJ Harvey as a solo artist, but I've always thought of PJ Harvey as the band, while Polly Harvey is the solo engine behind it all. But that's just the oddly quaint way I think, so who knows?

(Also, is Cat Power a band? Were they a band when Chan Marshall played with two-thirds of the Dirty Three on Moon Pix?)

― David A. (Davant), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Bark Psychosis
Movietone
Morrissey
The Coral
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci

― the symphony of ages, Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, is Cat Power a band?

Damn. I don't even know anymore.

Anyone?

(I mean, I know she performs and records with a band, but...)

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Cat Power is Chan Marshall's one woman band. Sometimes she uses a backing band when she plays large venues. And she's from Atlanta, Ga, so, not British.

― Cameron (raygun), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

yea yea, I know. BUT do you consider her a band or a solo artist? (When I saw her, she had Belle & Sebastian's violinist (Amy?)... or maybe vice-versa.)

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I second Saint Etienne. Well I don't know if they still (or ever) really "mattered", but I really like them. As for the Super Furry Animals, I've progressively been losing interest in them since Guerilla, or maybe Mwng. We'll see how the new album goes, but I'm sure it'll turn out like the last two: pleasant overall with a few highpoints, but nothing to really grab your interest for very long. The zany spark of your seems to be gone.

― D. Bachyrycz, Sunday, 13 February 2005 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

yore

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Monday, 14 February 2005 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, I know. Caught it right after, I clicked 'submit'. My apologies to all!

― D. Bachyrycz, Monday, 14 February 2005 01:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Muse, obviously.

Franz is just another fashion report cold plate.

― iang, Monday, 14 February 2005 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha, and throw in Wire?
-- Michael F Gill (rain19...), February 13th, 2005.

yer damn right!

― latebloomer: HE WHOM DUELS THE DRAFGON IN ENDLESS DANCE (latebloomer), Monday, 14 February 2005 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread is very depressing.

― lurkage, Monday, 14 February 2005 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry to be so predictable, but....

http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/mdbutt113-f2.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 February 2005 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

vibracathedral orchestra

― thisby holt, Monday, 14 February 2005 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

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