A simple question, a difficult answer...

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Your favourite British band making music today...who are they?

Let's not include bands who no longer function (sorry New Order lovers), solo artists, duos (but trios and above are OK) or boybands/girlbands who 'only' sing and dance. I'm being deliberately rockist in this respect as I'm curious as to how much people here go for the traditional band dynamic. I can think of only about 5 or 6 active acts from the UK I like and listen to and I'm not sure I really love any of them. I still think it matters!

My answer: Hot Chip. I don't think they're very good live (altho some do) but I like their ideas generally and I suppose I can relate to them as people pretty well which is often a plus for reasons that should be obvious ('that could be me without massive lifestyle change' etc.). Something is definitely missing from their 'sound' that would make it truly awesome but 'My Piano' is ace.

Comments

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

If Stereolab count as "British" then them, still.

I must say the question is pretty alien to me now, especially if we have to factor in how well they perform live. Who goes to 'gigs' by 'bands' anyway? ;)

My favourite new British band that released a record this year: Ghosts

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I thought Ghosts were Australian!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Not according to Wiki (Londoners via Surrey it sa)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

they sound a bit like Guillemots to me. i thought their first single was alright.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

even i hardly go to gigs anymore, and all the ones i do go to are for bands that first surfaced 15-20 years ago (and art brut). i may even have been to the theatre more times this year than gigs, eff me, that is "getting old" isn't it?

[sbp.livejournal.com]

I go to gigs by bands. Big ones this year include Aimee Mann, Prince, so not very British.

Small ones are more British, including the Evenings, Electric Assembly, Silver Springs, but those are more bands-of-friends. Also Jenny Owen Youngs, but she's an American singer-songwriter and isn't big enough to tour with a band yet, just acoustic geetar.

At Glasto I saw Bjork who had a ten piece female brass ensemble with her, Lily Allen who was excellent, Amy Winehouse, The Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse and a bit of Dirty Pretty Things. DPT songs all sounded the same. The others don't count as British bands.

At Wireless I saw the White Stripes, QOTSA, Satellite Party and a bunch of Nordic bands like The Sounds and the Kissaway Trail. The only UK band on the main stage was The Only Ones and they're ancient.

Having said that, at last year's Wireless I saw UK band The Mystery Jets, who were rubbish, and UK band Depeche Mode, who are still going. And G Frapp.