h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dip below the surface and the UK music scene is thriving... except for death metal which has gone out of fashion recently.

....sorry, is not Placaebo American, lead singer was interviewed on TV and he sounded it..could be wrong though?

.....us talking about music is healthy and a sign that it is alive, which is good...although not a fan of what I call the British sound at present....I agree with 2 bands just mentioned Magic Numbers and Muse (might not be British though). I can't explain easily what I mean by the British sound...they have similar vocals, all gutar bands, but without distinctive lead guitar playing...what I call the Glastonbury sound..it doesnt make them band bands, just bands that don't grab you by the neck.

...may I point out it is sad that we don't have what used to be called the guitar heroes anymore...not that I would call them that...but people like Hendrix. Carloss Santana, Clapton, etc, people with distintive, quality guitar playing that makes the hairs on your neck stand up!

I think Brian Molko is Murrican but Placebo in general are British, as are Muse (who suck by the way )

Perhaps music isn't dying, so much as changing? I'm sure people thought the birth of rock was the death of music.

Me, I'd rather listen to someone playing the guitar with passion and soul rather than technical skill. It's the old Talent vs Ability question...

That said, John Squire's a bit special, isn't he?

The birth of any new genre is regarded by the mainstream as the death of music... often as not the new genre in question will become the mainstream a couple of years down the line.

John Squire certainly 'was'. What's he doing now?

In the words of Paul Daniels, Not A Lot...

....may I just mention someone who has been around for years, 30 or so, and actually gets better and better with his ascerbic, observent lyrics, and is certainly no good looking star....that is Loudon Wainright the 3rd, the father of Rufus Wainright.

....he shows what a simple man and acoustic guitar can do, with words like ''took a shot of cocaine, openned up my head and put electrodes in my brain''.

This cry goes up about once every two years.

Music isn't dying, slowly or otherwise - but your interest in it is. There comes a point in nearly every music fans life when they have to accept they they simply don't listen to new music any more.

When was the last time you listened to an 'independant' radio station? Bought a music magazine? watched anything other than 'mainstream' (which covers ToTP, Glastonbury and Jools Holland) music coverage? Talked to anyone who wasn't of your generation or already shared your musical tastes? Where you (the lord protect us) excited by the line up at Live8?

All of those are pretty sure signs that you simply aren't listening to new music anymore.

Quite.

I have had this conversation so many times over the years that I can't really understand why people still have it. If you're going to start a debate with the words 'todays music is know where near as good as it was in the 60s 70s in fact since the mid 80s there has been a decline' then I'm afraid you've trumped your own argument before you've even started. The passion and joy involved in the music haven't changed, and neither has the hypocrisy and commercialism, both have which have been there since young artists were being ripped off and Colonel Parker was handling Elvis back in the day. What has changed is your (and my) taste and perception of it. The tunes that you grow up with will always affect you more than those you hear when you're older simply because they provoke more memories and atmosphere. Best years of your life and all that. Youngsters today will associate those feelings with the likes of Razorlight, Coldplay or whoever, rather than The Smiths, The Clash, The Beatles or whatever because it's their music, being made for them. If you don't get it, then that's because it's not meant for you.

Equally, 'underground' music is still vibrant and innovative, as has been pointed out already, and that's a far better barometer of how the national music scene is doing than what's in the charts, because it's not targeted, marketed or compromised in any way. Sometimes these acts break through and become the next big thing but usually they don't. Mostly those involved don't care, 'cos they just do it 'cos they love it.

Guitar heroes:

Johnny Greenwood
Bernard Butler
James Dean Bradfield
Kevin Shields

Placebo are from all over the place. Brian Molko is American, but was educated and spent most of his early life in Luxembourg and other parts of Europe. Of the other two members, one is Swedish and I believe the other is Belgian or Dutch or something.

Making music has become a lot cheaper over the last few years, and there are lots of people making music without record companies. If you care to look, there are thriving underground scenes in every part of the country.

Not so keen on most of the bands mentioned, but saw Arcade Fire on Jools Holland a few weeks ago and was very impressed. Reminded me of early Velvet Underground, but I'd just got back from the pub and my memory is a bit hazy, so maybe they sounded nothing like that!

*Sticks head over parapet*

Music isn't dying it's listener base is just shifting.

What is the biggest independent radio station in the UK with 6m listeners...

Yep, Classic fm....



*Ducks back below parapet*

Music isn't dying, slowly or otherwise - but your interest in it is. There comes a point in nearly every music fans life when they have to accept they they simply don't listen to new music any more.>>>>

new music thats because its a load of rubbish , i mind when the top 40 on a sunday afternoon there was at least 20 - 25 great songs in there ,nowadays your lucky if there are 5 ,and some are the songs that where out years ago brought back and wasted in todays tech ,.

Yeah bring back Brotherhood of Man, Barry Manilow and Des O'Conner.

bubba-fretts, you are a very sick individual.

Chas 'n Dave are the masters.

Ahh, the good old days when music was music! When the music buying public chose Joe Dolce instead of Ultravox.

That's a part of British history that I choose to forget.

I thought Brian Molko was Canadian? Although I do know he was born in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee

Music styles and tastes do vary, but I also think there are some cracking new bands coming through. I think that people in general are beoming more eclectic in their musical tastes (I cite my bubblegum trash pop loving sister as one example), probably because of the vast amount of music channels we now have to flick through more than anything else. Radio plays a key factor too, I think. 6Music is an absolute godsend in my opinion