The reason why I bring up this is the current new wave of punk/new wave/postpunk, which is a rarity in that it seems to be equally active on both sides of the Atlantic. North America has provided Strokes, White Stripes, Interpol and Hot Hot Heat, while Britain has brought the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The Libertines and Maximo Park.
Thinking it over, this is a very rare case in music history, as usually musical trends have had a tendency to be either British/European or North American dominated.
There are exceptions such as psychedelia and punk, but even in those cases, the actual musical styles indentified with the genres/periods were very different. For instance, during the psychedelic era, UK psychedelia tended to be really twee pop songs with a lot of sitars, mellotrons and guitars and percussion recorded backwards, whereas the American kind of psychedelia was more about folk/blues based music, often with lengthy jazz influenced instrumental jams.
Also, during punk, US punk acts tended to be way more experimental and musically skilled than UK ones (Ramones are an obvious exception here though).
So then, have there been any scenes, other than the current punk/new wave/postpunk revival, that have really trancended the Atlantic with a rather similar number of important acts on each side of the Atlantic?
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 4 February 2006 02:38 (nineteen years ago)
US punk acts tended to be way more experimental and musically skilled than UK oneslike, ya know, the Germs!
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 4 February 2006 03:40 (nineteen years ago)
Err, I'm not sure your examples holds together for me- I don't hear much post-punkish about either the White Stripes or Libertines. They just sound like Rock and Roll bands to me. And the fasicnation with circa-1980 sounds has as much to do with the inevitable 20-year cycle of reassesing old beats. Thus in the late-80s you had bands like Green River and Loop on both sides of the Atlantic re-examining Stooges/MC5/"Inerstellar Overdrive" drone, which lead to Grunge and Shoegazing, etc.
BUT...it did occour to me that the whole shift out of post-punk to Goth/Death Rock happpened more or less simultaniously in London, New York and Los Angles. And folks like Lydia Lunch, Nick Cave and Kid Congo Powers all started collaborating pretty quickly.
― bendy (bendy), Saturday, 4 February 2006 04:25 (nineteen years ago)
Yeah goth/swamprock of the 80s was pretty active everywhere (lets not forget Aus has these scenes too!)
― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 4 February 2006 06:54 (nineteen years ago)
I object to the White Stripes being grouped with those, um, bands.
― Brian Jones (Brian Jones), Saturday, 4 February 2006 08:37 (nineteen years ago)
I don't hear much post-punkish about either the White Stripes or Libertines.White Stripes=punk
Libertines=new wave
Neither are post punk, but both are still part of the current new wave revival. It may be argued that White Stripes are more influenced by 60s garage rock than by 70s punk though.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 4 February 2006 15:03 (nineteen years ago)
I agree the "guitar bands" wave of the 80s could well be seen as a simultaneous wave though. There are huge musical differences between U2, R.E.M, The Smithereens, The Smiths, Green On Red, Rainmakers, Big Country and Waterboys, but they were still seem as part of the same "scene".
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 4 February 2006 15:07 (nineteen years ago)
I think "Hongro" should be a new term for people who don't know what they're talking about.
Examples:
"That guy was totally Hongro about the White Stripes being a punk band."
"He said The Smiths and Green On Red were part of the scene? What a Hongro."
― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Saturday, 4 February 2006 17:55 (nineteen years ago)
While it started in the US, the free jazz scene of the 60s and 70s was active and amazing in Europe, too. Brotzmann's a god.
― Thomas Rees (treesessplode), Saturday, 4 February 2006 19:48 (nineteen years ago)