Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Greatness Across the Pond

I hope you all are enjoying your last 30+ hours of 2007. And a nice treat to snack on before the new year, here's my top 8 UK bands of the year. (You know how I love those UK musicians)


Oasis may not have dropped a new album or went on a world tour this year. But they were honored with a BRIT Award for their contributions to music and also released the band's first-ever digital-only release, Lord Don't Slow Me Down in '07—putting Oasis at number 8.


Electro-producers Simian Mobile Disco have made some noise in '07 not only in their UK home but also in Japan and the U.S. as well. With their hits It's the Beat and Hustler, Jas Shaw and James Ford have been profiled in BPM Magazine and The FADER. After seeing them tear it up at the 2007 CMJ Music Marathon, they just had to be 7th top UK group of '07.



Brighton's-breakout-band, The Kooks, and Mercury prize winners Klaxons tie at the 6 spot. Although they're still pretty new to the U.S., the Kooks have been profiled in Men's Vogue and have been highlighted on iTunes. The Klaxons' sound has been referred to as Nu Rave or art rock. They have already made an appearance on one of my top 8's with their cover of Blackstreet's No Diggity. You'll definitely be hearing more from these two bands in the new year.


Bloc Party enters the list at number 5. Since entering the music world in 2002, they came into '07 with their sophomore release, A Weekend in the City. They helped out NME's Love Music Hate Racism as well as dropped hit singles I Still Remember and Flux.


At the 4th position is the indie Sheffield indie band, the Arctic Monkeys. 2006's Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became an instant success not only in the UK but also in the States. The band even appeared on SNL to kick off their US tour last year. Now with Favourite Worst Nightmares, the Arctic Monkeys deliver another stellar set of tracks.


Rounding out number 3 is the McFly. These lads have been wooing crowds with their mix of old school sounds to tracks you can rock out to. They may be labeled under the pop genre, but that doesn't stop them from gaining an ever growing fan base. From their antics on and off the stage to their covers of great artists like Bruce Springsteen, these boys are just getting started—just wait and see.


Kelly Jones and his fellow Stereophonics take number 2. Their October release of Pull the Pin has hit the top spot, and their single, It Means Nothing, is partially a reaction to the London terrorist attacks. And according to the band's MySpace, “You take people for granted every day until something goes wrong. Funerals might be the only time you talk to your family all year. You give a shit about what trainers you wear to work, all the material shit, but you don’t really pay much attention to the person you love who walks out the door, and it means fuck all really without that one person.”


Is it surprising that Radiohead has taken number 1? They have become the top Billboard story of the year, heavily highlighted in SPIN and even offers to give a free online concert on New Year's Eve. Oh, and let's not forget the pay what you want album In Rainbows. It seems that giving the fans what they want really does work while still sticking it to the man. And in less that 48 hours, the official disc release of In Rainbows will drop—so watch out!

No comments: