How do we loathe thee? Let us count the ways! Not only did you bring heroin back in style (1) and cost us a few of our German friends who followed you into Crackville, U.K. like rodents to a collapsing pied piper; but you singlehandedly ushered in the fedora, the most obnoxious fashion trend (2) since Ashton Kutcher tossed us the trucker hat.
To top things off, your musical style--which we must admit once
thrilled us to no end--has spawned a veritable sea of imitators (3)
which is so vast that we can scarcely manage to listen to a cute,
nasally, Cockney vocalist without wanting to shoot ourselves in the
heads. In what may have been a calculated attempt at revenge, you've
managed to make Britain the most irritating and redundant "hotbed" for
emerging talent since Sweden shoved The Vines down our throats until we
choked on our own vomit. For that, we congratulate you! [End rant.]
However, before we all give up on United Tragic Kingdom altogether, let's turn a forgiving ear to Sheffield's Alex Turner (The Arctic Monkeys) and Liverpool's Miles Kane (The Rascals), who make up The Last Shadow Puppets. With symphonic drama, thanks to the accompaniment of adorable fag-at-large Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy),
the Puppets combine the attitude of Scott Walker, the harmonies of The
Kinks, and the referential sonic brilliance of bands like Oasis and The
Stone Roses. Consider these tracks an argument for the integrity of
British rock. If Mister Doherty had never made it out of bed, we're
certain Miles and Alex would still have come around to us. So here: two tracks
and a video.
Comments