Interesting piece from The Observer's Ally Carnwath last week. In the article he states, as mentioned above, that the Americans are delivering more 'intellectual', or 'literary' bands than the British. I am in no place to argue here. With the exception, to my mind, of Bloc Party, Foals and old-timers like The Tindersticks and Radiohead, the UK is terribly void of bands who not only think about the content of their lyrics, but also, rock/indie bands who are prepared to experiment with new sounds and directions.
Quite annoyingly, the likes of Lily Allen and Kate Nash have been lauded for their kitchen sink Estuary lyrics, but anyone who has grown up in and around London couldn't have missed out on the shouting of cockney phrases in and around town. Deriving inspiration from so-called "working class speak" is hardly a genius move.
Anyhow, the problem with Carnwath's piece is that he has only recently noticed this fact and cites Vampire Weekend and Fleet Foxes as the new perpetrators of this 'movement', which is tragic.
It's probably been somewhere between 10 and 15 years since the Americans overtook the UK on this front. Back in the mid-90s, which neatly coincided with me starting a degree course in English Lit, the bands who shook my world at the time included Lambchop, Handsome Family, Red House Painters and Silver Jews. I couldn't bear the ubiquity of Definitely Maybe and the onslaught of z-rate Brit Pop bands (Shed Seven, Manson, Menswear). Blur at the time seemed hit-and-miss (still do, looking back), while Pulp were the only band who conveyed anything of relevance to me: I maintain to this day that while they were caught up in the Britpop marketing scam, they far transcended the 'cheeky chappy lads mag anthems' that were being pushed at us left, right and centre.
So, I looked to America and haven't looked back since. The list of bands is pretty phenomenal and each and every one laid the foundation for this new generation of US 'intellectual' acts that Carnwath praises. Among those I can't live without: The National, Wilco, Calexico, American Music Club, Clem Snide, Son Volt, Richmond Fontaine, Low, Smog, My Morning Jacket - the list goes on and on.
What's more, I find it incerdible that Bon Iver - the solo acoustic act - has received so much coverage in the mainstream press when so many before him were completely overlooked to begin with: Jim White, Bright Eyes, Mark Kozalek, M Ward, Josh Rouse and, again, so, so many more.
I've tried to get to the bottom of why this is the case. There are potentially many reasons. One person said to me once that because Americans have an intrinsic sense of 'discovery' - owing to the enormity of the country, even their songs are bound to me more pioneering. It's an interesting idea. I also maintain that we've had it pretty good in the UK, up until recently, and hence, there's little to protest about, or even, think about, whereas in the US they've been suffering under a universally-hated president. Maybe that gives them something to shout about. Who knows? Apathy runs wild in the UK and it does nothing for the "arts" in general.
Either way, the point is this: Ally Carnwath - you're late. Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend are nothing new. And what's worse: they're not even **that** good at it.
