Something said in the pub

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

by thenipper:

"I think Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse have killed Xenomania style pop, in the same way Britpop killed off Take That."

(I paraphrase)

Let's talk about....THE ZEITGEIST of BRITISH POP.

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

...ie I think Xenomania have actually subsumed themselves, not very successfully, into "Allen/Winehouse music" - their career arc shows a definite tightening in recent years, an increasing tendency to be conservative, to try and bandwagon on the current taste for catchy guitar music. To the detriment of all involved tbh.

Dunno if the Cheryl/Lily feud is really significant of anything - Allen's had a feud/rumoured feud with just about everyone and I can't see this sort of thing dividing fans of either group (or if it does it's in a Blur/Oasis way where they're still in under the same umbrella-ella-ella-ay-ay-ay) (and thank the lord Rihanna is not holding this particular one).

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

xeno's use of guitars isn't conservative though

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Maybe not in itself but since Chemistry every Xeno production I've heard has followed the exact same sonic template (electro-rock, electro-rock, electro-rock) - I personally find it moribund (though oddly not when Hilary Duff jumped on it for her latest) (which Xenomania had no hand in) but they used to zig-zag hither and thither for every new GA single - I think confining themselves to one template goes against all the instincts of early Xenomania, I would call that conservative.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

yes fair enough -- as admitted earlier i am busking off of v.thin info in this argt!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

No STAND YR GROUND - if the Lex is including Chemistry in this (i.e. equating the guitars on Love Machine with those on Biology) then he is being a deaf aid.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

no since Chemistry! There are a couple of dull moments on it but the guitars are largely put to very er zig-zaggy effect on it.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

how many variations/templates did Higgins really have tho? they've always been pretty guitary/electro-rock no?

[dickmalone.livejournal.com]

If there's anything that makes me want to go Simon Reynolds on you folks it's when you talk about guitars.