Sunday, July 08, 2007

Who is Lily Allen?

A rhetorical question, really, because I can put my fingers together and Google as well as anyone else, natch. I just hadn't heard of her till recently stumbling on these on Youtube, and, well: kind of intrigued.










Is it just aging get-those-kids-off-my-lawn me, or is this currently not au courant in U.S. pop? And more to the point: are we kind of verging off on different tracks, lately, us and the U.K.? Or is it an indie thing? But I mean: how long was it till I'd even -heard- of the Scissor Sisters? And they were apparently, like, filling stadiums Over There.



11 comments:

queen emily said...

Lily Allen and her mockney accent has been massive in the UK and has broken here too. I like pop, so I likes her innit. There's a bit of a sea-change in UK music I think, a shift towards storytelling about regular shit like working dodgy jobs and getting pissed at the local(see also, Lady Sovereign, the Streets, indie band Arctic Monkeys etc). Which is interesting I think compared to the boringness of most current American music. My apologies to your country and its rubbish music ;)

verte said...

Lily Allen rocks! I have little fantasies about her v. Amy Winehouse wrestling matches (they have quite a rivalry)... I'm still not sure who'd win.

What's big in the US music wise at the mo? I guess 'alt' pop is quite de rigeur in the UK. Myspace has been instrumental in making the Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen. But yeah, off-the-cuff stories about post-modern angst are quite a trend.

Music for the belledame, because I have been absent for a while:

Kate Nash (who's a bit of a Lilypseud, but I like this song):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U1XMA4nEHA&mode=related&search=

Arctic Monkeys (I get why they're good, but it's not my thing):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohLd4C-Bh0Y

Ditto Franz Ferdinand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_9GR9kdZ3o

and The Editors (I think they want to be Interpol but, no. Though I still love this song):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xRVm-JX5Rk

Do you know The Decemberists (they're American)? If you can find a decent version of The Mariner's Revenge, you're in for a treat..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7fzUGR8ZH4

The Tiger Lillies (who I'm slightly obsessed with):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhrGspR0yQo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhrGspR0yQo

CSS (who I'm also a bit in love with):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7agPOt1XZz8

The Hidden Cameras (I couldn't find a better video, but I'm one of those freaks who finds rats cute, and the lyrics to this are amazing):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dn0Ux3lePE

And are the Arcade Fire big where you are?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNfWC4Sgkcs

That'll do!

Anonymous said...

What's really interesting to me is that I'm an "indie" listener someone who goes to concerts held in tiny venues and is always on the lookout for obscure but good new music, hidden gems. Among my fellow indie kids, the bands that verte lists are considered very popular, and obviously not well-known in the US, for the most part. However, they are smash hits in Europe. Example: Interpol.

Lisa said...

Fountains of Wayne (American band)has been writing and performing tight, clever pop songs about "regular shit" like dead-end jobs, delinquent waitresses, copy machines, and used cars for over a decade.

Veronica said...

I think I mix Lily Allen up with the girl that's missing a tooth.

belledame222 said...

(who?)

and, woo! thanks verte!

That Queer Chick said...

veronica: I think I mix Lily Allen up with the girl that's missing a tooth.

belledame222: (who?)

I'm guessing Veronica means Amy Winehouse. Am I right? Do I win a prize?

My first reaction to the title of the post, Belle, was "She's the one who's mentioned in every article I read about Amy Winehouse."

belledame222 said...

o yeah, i guess i didn't know she was missing a tooth. I'm not sure how i feel about Winehouse tbh. I'm beginning to think she's one of those people I feel like i'm -supposed- to like, in theory i -should- like, but...not feelin' it. Ani diFranco's another one. damned if i can remember how a single one of her songs go.

Veronica said...

YES! Amy Winehouse. And, I find them both sort of irritating. Like, I understand that Allen did it all on her own, and she's like a fetus, or something, but it doesn't change the fact that her tracks have the shelf life of cereal in milk.

verte said...

Veronica: Actually, Lily Allen's dad is a reasonably famous Brit actor called Keith Allen. If you've seen any of Danny Boyle's early films (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting), he's in 'em all. And her mum's an Oscar nominated film producer, so, yeah, well-connected, even if her fame did come through DIY origins. I really like her attitude to fame, and she's a smart cookie.

And BD: Yeah, I find Amy Winehouse a bit annoying, but I do love her voice. If you can find a download for 'Me and Mr Jones', check it out! And you're welcome. I hope there's something in there you don't already know.

Daisy Deadhead said...

Do people in New York ever listen to stuff like the Drive-By Truckers?

Didn't think so, but thought I'd ask.