Next big things from across the pond?
By IAN SANDS | June 14, 2006
Little Man Tate |
Who will the British gush machine fawn over next? Any one of these groups across the sea may be the next big fling.“Sexy In Latin,” Little Man Tate (mp3)
The most obvious successors to the Arctic throne, Little Man Tate are four Sheffield lads mixing catchy pop punk with sly, observational lyrics (sound familiar?). The obvious similarities between the two bands have given rise to an unfortunate, but not altogether surprising group of Whatever People Say purists crying foul, because, you know, the Monkeys sound like nothing they’ve ever heard before.
“Bang Bang You’re Dead,” Dirty Pretty Things (mp3)
It’s about time rock music got itself a decent feud. Frontman Carl Barat’s swipe at former pal/bandmate Pete Doherty (“Well I gave you the Midas touch/Oh you turned round and scratched out my heart”) is the stuff from which legendary beefs are made. Still, you have to wonder whether Doherty, the rock star-turned-tabloid superstar, cares at all what his old friend has to say anymore. The rivalry is a bit like Tufts’ “rivalry” with Harvard — it only goes in one direction, Carl.
“Breathe,” The Cinematics (mp3)
The always readable, never imprecise Brit music mag NME had this to say about the Glasgow foursome: “The Cinematics make music as beautiful as any Scottish picture postcard...the sound of rainbows bursting through the tarmac of the big city.” I’m not sure which track they’re referring to there, but it certainly isn’t “Breath,” which has a number of ominous touches, like this headscratcher of a first verse, “The first duty of man is to collect as many things as he can/Nothing should stand in his way...Time wasting is a crime and history is just a noise/For God is falling.” Hmm, suddenly Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not doesn’t seem quite so profound.
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, Harvard University, Tufts University, Pete Doherty, More 
, Harvard University, Tufts University, Pete Doherty, Carl Barat, Less 
