Well done. You've just summed up ALL BRITISH MUSIC. Your varied choice of bands to use as examples makes me realise how QUALIFIED you are to make such sweeping statements. Do yourself a favour; go and buy a Redsnapper album.

Who gives a shit what's at the top?

You could say uk bands like busted, mcfly, girls aloud, and all that manufactured melarky are absolute pap, in fact i'd more than agree with you there. The popular "rock" bands at the moment though, like the libs, razorlight, and kasabian however can actually perform live...therefore showing they do actually have a talent. Not shit.
Fair enough the razorlight and kasabian albums were both a disappointment but i doubt you can say you havnt been caught tapping your foot to their songs when they come on on the radio. There are about 5 good tracks on each album, the others arent anything that catches me...but both bands are incredibly good live...and as for the libertines....catchy as hell, and listen to those lyrics!!! pete doherty is one talented bloke!
Other good british bands, the cribs, the others, and alot of UK undergroud bands....its looking for the good stuff and not expecting pop music like "keane", "the darkness" and "coldplay" to grab you. I dont even think theyre brilliant but i respect coldplay for the talent, and i thought the darkness had balls for taking the piss out of queen and led zep......or rather not in justin hawkins case.
Either way you cant say the scene is shit until youve heard all the bands out there, which im sure you havnt....your probably just a preppy lil 13 year old into crap like marylin manson, sum 41, dashboard confessional and other greebo/emo bands like that......stop shopping in claires accessories for pink bracelets and maybe focus on actually listening to music and respect peoples talent before you say theyre "shit".

uRRR....maybe.

It's possible to completely ignore the bands that are getting mainstream recognition and conclude that UK music is in as good a state as anywhere else I reckon. Do we really need to have the 'breaking through' carrot dangling in front of artists that can exist well enough without it?

Having said that it'd be nice to earn a few bob 'ere and there wouldn't it?;~)

[quote]
Why can't anyone just admit that they've sucked since OKC?[/quote]
I can and do. I don't like more than a few songs after OKC though I haven't heard the latest offering.

I'll say it too.

MUSE ARE SHIT!

And don't knock the Albanian music scene, have you heard some of the crazy shit they listen to out there? Light years ahead of most bands over here!

"Definitely not mate.

The Rakes, Bloc Party, Amusement Parks On Fire, Punish The Atom, The Morenas, Fell City Girl, The Departure, The Operation, doublejohngrey, The Others, The Subways, Ikara Colt, Muse, Lyca Sleep, The Kaiser Chiefs, 65 days of static, Razorlight, Tricky Nixon, Nikoli, Neil's Children, Vib Gyor, The Telescopes, Hope Of The States, Love Ends Disaster, The International Karate Plus, Morrissey, British Sea Power, The Wonder Stuff, Lynskey, Computerman, Franz Ferdinand, Neon Set, Ian Brown, The Cure, The Magnificents, Mohair, Agent Blue, Komakino, Seachange, Johnny Boy, Mclusky, The Dead 60s, Six By Seven, King Bathmat, The Boxer Rebellion, My Awesome Compilation, Husky, Sennen, The Kull, and Nine Black Alps are just 50 reasons why music in the UK at this moment in time is far from being shit at the moment."

Sorry for taking this massive quote from Dom G, but this list just shows what great bands, new and old there are in Britain today. The fact is every 5 years or so the balance of power seems to shift between Britain & America.

In the mid 80's America, then late 80's Britain, early 90's America, mid 90's Britain, late 90's America, till about 2002/2003. Now it's our turn to rise up with some quality bands. Also at the grass roots, I'm 16 and loads of my friends in college seem to be collectively getting up off of their arses and forming bands, writing songs, playing gigs and that, which can only be a good thing.

British music even at the highest echelons of commercialism ( Razorlight, Keane, you know the rest) seems to be better than what they're putting out at the equivalent level on the other side of the Atlantic.

P.S. Dom Gourlay forgot to mention Dogs Die In Hot Cars and the wonderfully weird SURREY! band Do Me Bad Things.

OceanRain, an Ash record will make your life better...I'm 70% sure of this(not sure of your musical taste). Begin with 1977 which was their first proper album and is still considered their best by most people who like them. It's a teenager-in-summertime sort of sound I think, you know...long days, falling intensely in love/lust with someone who doesn't notice, being happy and in emotional agony...erm, I'm going too far here, Ash are good. Yes. Or I like them anyway :-)

I agree with that wholeheartedly. Well done sir!