atlantamoi

America is in a drastic moral decline and it's evident from the amount of amazing music coming out of Scotland these days and in the past. How can we bring our collective souls out of the trash heap of predictable and unimportant U.S. rock and roll?

Go buy the latest Camera Obscura recording, that's how! And anything by these Scottish bands:

The Beta Band
Travis
The Delgados
Belle & Sebastian
Teenage Fanclub
Boards Of Canada
Idlewild
Trash Can Sinatras
Arab Strap
Mull Historical Society

And these older bands:

The Blue Nile
Altered Images
Aztec Camera
Del Amitri
Cocteau Twins
Jesus and Mary Chain
Simple Minds
Waterboys
Big Country
(and Midge Ure, Annie Lennox, Mark Knopfler)

Um, Bay City Rollers, but I'm not sure they should count!

Seriously, just like in New Zealand, it's pretty cool what's come out of that small country.

And if you enjoy Belle & Sebastian you really owe it to yourself to listen to the newest Camera Obscura disc. Yum!

fallfan

Some great bands there. I'd like to add Snow Patrol to that list. Yes, their last album was trying a bit too hard to be commercial but they still have lots of great songs. I'm a huge B&S fan so I'll have to check out that Camera Obscura cd.

maxfisher

I enjoy and own albums by The Beta Band, Travis, The Delgados, Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Trash Can Sinatras, Arab Strap, The Blue Nile, Del Amitri and Simple Minds. Also, you left out the Reindeer Section.

I don't really see how good music coming out of Scotland (or England or Canada or any other area of the world) is proof that American music sucks though. Looking over what I've bought this year, TV on the Radio, Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens, Josh Ritter, Bruce Springsteen, Mark Mallman, Guster, Now It's Overhead, Cursive, Danielson and The Raconteurs have all put out great albums. Last year we had great albums from My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, The National, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Eels, Why?, Andrew Bird, Low and I'm sure there're plenty I'm missing. Just because the stuff on American radio sucks doesn't mean that there's no good music coming out of our country.

The Bus

max: I think you'd have to agree that awesome rock artists per capita, the UK does pretty well for itself, for having 1/5th of the population we do.

Giles

my fave is 'The Delgados'

second fave: Mull Historical Society

the name has escaped me, but since the demise of Beta Band, there is a new offshoot band.

(how could you forget)
Mogwai
Franz Ferdinand

~
Primal Scream
Texas
Bis

cdollaz

I used to be a big Simple Minds fan, but they have been shit for years.

maxfisher

Definitely. Probably 50% - 60% of the music I buy these days is from UK or Canadian bands, so I'd agree they turn out a higher percentage of quality music for their size. I just don't think that means that there isn't some damn good music being made in the US as well.

wendersfan

If I could only listen to bands from Glasgow, Liverpool, and Manchester, that would largely be OK. It's incredible how much great music has come from those three towns.

I can't believe you forgot Franz Ferdinand.

DVD Josh

Please put Franz Ferdinand on that list immediately.

Giles

or even Wales for that matter

wendersfan

Wales - Stereophonics, Catatonia, and...

...I'm drawing a blank here.

Giles

Super Furry Animals ?!? ...

Giles

no wait... Tom Jones...??

Tracer Bullet

Camera Obscura

wendersfan

Yeah, that's it...

Actually, I like them too.

Giles

what is their latest album?

Achtung

I think Snow Patrol's members (or at least some of them) are actually from Northern Ireland, but they met in Scotland... or something like that.

I've been a big fan of both Travis and Idlewild for a while now, as they manage to stay just under the radar here in the US.

Giles

it's too bad about the latest Idlewild album not getting a US release, since I consider it their strongest release and doesn't sound anything like their first album.

when's the latest album from Travis coming out? Is there one slated?

wendersfan

I saw them a few years ago when they toured with Oasis. They were supporting The Man Who, Oasis were in their career nadir, so Travis blew the Gallagher brothers off the stage.

Achtung

Didn't Warnings/Promises come out in the US, albeit a couple of months after the UK release? I bought mine imported from Amazon.co.uk, but I thought it did come out here as well. I love their last three albums especially.



I haven't heard anything since that compilation they put out. 12 Memories was pretty good though... better than The Invisible Band, not quite as good as The Man Who. But I don't know about new material from them.

nodeerforamonth

What does America's "drastic moral decline" have to do with music coming out of Scotland? I don't understand the connection.

If you think US rock and roll is "predictable" and "unimportant", then you aren't looking hard enough. Check out the Bronx and the Supersuckers for starters.

To add to your list (they're Canadian, but wear their scottish roots proudly), check out the Real McKenzies.

Giles

you're right, it did get domestically released. Too bad they didn't aggresively tour the US for that release.

atlantamoi

Okay, anyone thinking I was serious about American music sucking and due to a moral decline probably should have seen me laughing while I typed it. Sorry if I wasn't silly enough (need to add a , yeah?). I was kidding. I could sit here and within five minutes come up with a bigger and more important list of American rock bands that blow Scotland out of the water. Just wanted to highlight Camera Obscura mainly and turn it towards other bands as well.

The latest Camera Obscura album is titled "Let's Get Out Of This Country". It sounds to me like a cross between the Concretes and B&S. The first song is a gorgeous tune called "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" in response to Lloyd Cole's "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?". Wonderful song.

BTW, I didn't list Franz because they are the root cause of the moral decline of the UK.

saoirse

Silly "America Decline" crap, but otherwise interesting post.

I would second Mogwai, and big props to Aeroegramme.
Also for Irish/Scottish rebel/provo music check out
Charlie and the Bhoys
Eire Og
Shebeen

wendersfan

You're confusing Franz Ferdinand with The Libertines and The Arctic Monkeys.