Breaking New Grounds: Life After Coldplay

After several successful years of native British bands like Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand dominating the charts and raking in awards, the United Kingdom continues to storm the world by ushering in a new wave of mthe hottest rock acts.

Recent research only confirms the success of the homegrown British rockers. Figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) show that these bands (like Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay and The Killers) have the best-selling albums in Albion territory. Guitar-based music has a 36% share of UK album sales, while pop has just a quarter.

This special edition of Breaking New Grounds is intended to introduce you to three rising British groups (however, the chances are low that the names below are new for you). Here they are, the proud and hopeful of the modern United Kingdom's rock scene: The Arctic Monkeys, already popular all around the world; the highly talented indie act Editors; and Dirty Pretty Things, the recent project by Carl Barat, a former member of scandalous band The Libertines.Arctic Monkeys

This band appeared from nowhere, even faster than Coldplay could only dream of, to become the fastest-selling debut band in UK history and immediately earning thousands of fans. But that band has its share of haters who refuse to accept that a young bad deserves success at such a lightening speed. But, really, who the fuck are Arctic Monkeys?

Alex Turner (vocals/guitar) and Jamie Cook (guitar) teamed up with bassist Andy Nicholson and drummer Matt Helders to form this band in Sheffield, England, in 2003. Generally influenced by the likes of The Jam, The Clash, and The Smiths, the guys took all the necessary steps to gain notoriety in a rapid fashion. They rehearsed and played hard, soon afterward landed their first gig, started to share their music on the internet and eventually attracted the attention of press and record companies. Despite opportunities to have much more profitable deals, the band signed to Domino last summer. Their two singles "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" and "When The Sun Goes Down" quickly soared to the top position of the UK singles chart. The Arctic Monkeys’ debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not sold 118,501 copies in the U.K. within a day of its release, setting a record for selling more CDs than the rest of the Top 20 album chart combined. Their latest release was Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys, an EP with four previously unreleased songs. The band is also reportedly on its way to recording its second full-length CD.

But why are these rockers gaining popularity so forcefully these days – especially in the US? Maybe the reason lies in their vibrant, punk-inspired sound, which is well suited for Britpop and alternative rock fans alike. The guys make catchy tunes without seeming like they are trying too hard, and they are crowd-pleasers despite themselves. Well, love 'em or hate 'em -- Arctic Monkeys is a talented musicial act truly worth of a huge respect.

The Editors

As four members of Editors are not from the rock center of the UK, they have decided to consider themselves as a "non-rock n' roll" band. The truth behind this statement can be confirmed only after listening to them for yourself -- here we will only give you an introduction to this relatively young Brit act.

Originally called (The) Pride, the group updated its line-up and changed the name to Snowfield in 2003. The band is comprised of singer/guitarist Tom Smith, lead guitarist Chris Urbanowicz, bassist Russell Leetch, and drummer Ed Lay. Like the Arctic Monkeys, after series of a well-received club dates and a single demo tape, the group -- already dubbing itself Editors -- turned down major British labels' interest and instead signed with independent Kitchenware in late 2004. Having confidently declared a unique sound with a debut single "Bullets", Editors have been quickly gaining popularity with each new single. Their debut album The Back Room was released July 25, 2005, in the UK and March 21, 2006, in the US.

The band’s invasion of the States is impending, but the foundation has already been laid (with standout performances at American festivals and TV shows). Even if Editors' guys don't like the term "rock n' roll", their sound is frequently compared to the sound of bands such as Joy Division, The Smiths, Kitchens of Distinction, The Chameleons, and Interpol. But you’d better let others mull over if the group is neo-post-punk, indie rock or whatever they want -- check the band out for yourself!

Dirty Pretty Things

If you visited any of the UK music news sites even once this year, you surely read at least one headline narrating a new chapter in the saga of ex-Libertine Pete Doherty. Usually these chapters are very similar and reveal that the infamous star is either arrested for drugs or is released from jail. In fact, Pete's obsession with drugs forced him to part ways with Libertines' bandmate Carl Barat and the rest of the group in 2004. As a result, Doherty formed Babyshambles, while Barat went his own way with Dirty Pretty Things.

You might have heard that the band is relatively new, but its members are actually not newcomers to the scene. Dirty Pretty Things, which first appeared in September 2005, and already had several conflicts with bands having the same name, can in itself be considered as something fresh. Signed to Vertigo Records, the group made "You Fucking Love It" their first official single. The debut album, entitled Waterloo To Anywhere, hit stores May 8 -- and the first single from it already had spent several weeks at the top of UK charts. The band has also toured extensively in Britain during the first half of 2006. Their set list is comprised primarily of songs off the album, but also includes a few Libertines-era songs.

Dirty Pretty Things have repeatedly performed in the US, though a huge American invasion by this band seems more questionable than for our two previously reviewed ones. However, time will show DPT's abilities and if their new music is catchy enough for the fastidious American audience.

Source: ultimate-guitar.com