Featured Song: Meantime - The Futureheads

They Sound Too British?

The Kooks - MTV Shows

In April, MTV News took an interesting look at the success of British music in America. As commonly assumed, British artists have a difficult time becoming widely successful in this country. MTV News correspondent, John Norris, spoke with several British artists to get their perspective on this issue.

I am personally frustrated by this situation. As an American consumer of British music, I have come to the realization that I will never hop in my car, turn on my radio, and spontaneously hear The Kooks, Feeder, or the Arctic Monkeys blasting from my stereo. When having conversations with friends or acquaintances, I highly doubt these people will know of the artists whose concert I went to see last week. I am sure that most indie music fans experience these situations, and maybe they don't care, but I think it lends to my overall frustration with mainstream American music. Most people are not given the chance to hear enough variety in the music heavily promoted by the industry. While I regularly bash MTV for a variety of reasons, I have to commend them for at least highlighting this issue.

On that note, here is one of my favorite songs by The Kooks, Ooh La:

Featured Song: Last Day of Magic - The Kills

This band is not exclusively British since Alison Mosshart is American. But who cares, this song is still awesome.

Hail to the Chiefs

I did not have the blog started when this was released, but I still think it's important to note that Kaiser Chiefs released their third studio album on October 20th (UK). Titled Off With Their Heads , the album features guest appearances by Lilly Allen, the New Young Pony Club, and the rapper Sway DaSafo. The first single, Never Miss a Beat, reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. See Never Miss a Beat below:

Featured Song: Teddy Picker - Arctic Monkeys

New Razorlight Album

Razorlight released its third studio album, Slipway Fires, on Novemeber 3rd (This was the UK release date. I am not sure when this will be released in the US). Wire to Wire, released September 26, 2008, peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.

I have an off and on relationship with Razorlight. I hear songs like Golden Touch, and I begin to like the band. Then I hear songs like Wire to Wire , and I get bored. If you are new to Razorlight I suggest listening to America or In the Morning to get a feel for the band. I might not be a fan of Razorlight, but I realize that everyone has diverse musical tastes, so you may end up liking Razorlight more than I do.

I am unable to embed Wire to Wire (Youtube disabled embedding). Click here to see it.

An Ode to the Old?

Yesterday, Travis released its 6th studio album, Ode to J. Smith. For those unfamiliar with the Scottish indie band, Travis is often credited with helping bands like Coldplay, Keane, and Snow Patrol gain widespread prominence. I personally LOVE this band, and I'm excited that they continue to make great music.

Ode to J. Smith is a return to the Travis of old. Those who enjoyed their first album, Good Feeling, will appreciate this sound. I am a fan of more melodic Travis works, which includes songs like Writing to Reach You, Re-Offender, and One Night. Take a look at Re-Offender, from the album Twelve Memories (2003), and Something Anything, from Ode. While different, both are still great. And yeah, the guys have gotten a little older too.