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Radiohead are one of the best bands around, never mind being British.
The Super Furry Animals don't get nearly the credit they deserve for being great. They get excellent critical acclaim, but never seem to get any kind of awards, even the "cool" ones or get hyped by those shitty magazines like Q and NME. Their most recent album was probably my favourite from last year.
The Coral are great too, but maybe a bit of an acquired taste. They're younger than me but they've already got two albums and an EP out, with another album on the way later this year. Crazy bastards.
I like the Darkness, but they're beginning to annoy me, mainly because they feel they have earned the right to insult bands with proven staying power like Oasis and Radiohead. I wouldn't might seeing them fall flat on their faces with their next album, as much as I like the first.
The Libertines are a pretty good band that I haven't really got into yet. One of my chums plays their "Up the Bracket" album now and then, and its great. I've been meaning to get it myself. Plus, one of their singers is a piss-artist drug-fiend, which is always good. We need more of those.
Gomez have a new album coming out in the next few months, which will hopefully live up to their first couple of efforts. I like all their albums, myself, but for some reason their last one got a bit of a mixed reception, leaning towards the bad. It was a bit silly, but had some good catchy songs on it. Anyway, if they produce something as good as "Bring It On" we'll be talking album of the year.
The Cooper Temple Clause's album from 2002 is one of my favourites of all time and never really got the credit it deserved for being one of the most genuinely innovative and different debut albums from a major new British band in recent years. Pity their second effort, released last summer, was kind of dull except for one or two great songs. I don't know if they're working on another release, I'm worried that maybe their first album is as good as they are ever going to get.
Ash have an album out soon too. I'm not a huge fan of Ash, especially their last album with that bollocks song "Candy" on it, but at least they're a very young band with a bright future, as well as a substantial backl catalogue for a bunch in their early 20s.
Franz Ferdinand are getting hyped up alot as the big thing this year, and their debut album is pretty good. It's probably only a matter of time before "Take Me Out" gets extremely annoying, but it is a great single. The rest of the album is good too, crazy retro rock mixed with 80s disco bass lines and beats. Going to see them in a few weeks in Dublin.
Another band that are supposedly going to be big this year are Razorlight, chums of the Libertines. I've downloaded a few of their live songs, and they are very good. Catchy punk type stuff, looking forward to the album whenever the fuck it is coming out.
Ed Harcourt is a pretty good British solo artist, got a couple of really good albums, especially his second effort from last year.
There are bound to be loads more good bands, they just don't get the attention they deserve.
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