NPR: Nominees, Please: British Bands That Sound British

Nominees, Please: British Bands That Sound British

Yesterday I asked singer-songwriter Kate Nash a really brilliant question, which went something like: Uhhh, you're English . . . and you sound it, what's up with that?

Because isn't it the case that a lot of Brit bands, when they sing, sound American? The reverse is a rarity, American singers who sound British, Billy Joe of Green Day being the most prominent example. Musical genius Jacob Ganz and I began brainstorming the category of Acts that Sound the Most British. After the jump our top nominees, and a request for yours:

Acts That Sound the Most British:

Mike Skinner of the Streets, but rapping ain't singing
Squeeze, but only on particular songs like "Up the Junction"
Damon Albarn from Blur
Jarvis Cocker from Pulp
The Clash, more Mick Jones than Joe Strummer

So we ask -- your nominees for the most English-sounding English bands, and, also, theories explaining why so many Brit bands don't sound it.

Mike Pesca

7:55 AM ET | 04-24-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

You've made a fatal assumption BPP. You assume that the way americans sound while singing is an american accent. It isn't.

Singing (well) doesn't have an accent. The british don't sound american. Americans don't sound british. They all sound like they are singing.

You might as well ask why French Horns don't sound French. It's silly. The human voice (while singing) is an instrument just like any other. That's why its rare to hear accents in music. You have to really try hard to sing with an accent.

Sent by Nathan in Holland | 8:29 AM ET | 04-24-2008

Arctic Monkeys sound very northern English. The Smiths, the Housemartins, Jamie T., Robyn Hitchcock. When they are singing intelligible lyrics, the Cocteau Twins are obviously Scottish, as are Idlewild and the Proclaimers.

Sent by Maura | 9:52 AM ET | 04-24-2008

Or let's talk about people who sing with a country accent and don't talk with one - Shania Twain, for ex. I have to admit that bothers me. . . maybe because I'm from Texas where people don't have to fake their accents.

As for the original topic, I'd nominate Kele Okereke from Bloc Party. His Brit accent is pretty evident in certain songs. Um, and the Corrs' Irish flavor really shows in their songs (yes, I listen to the Corrs).

Sent by eliz.s. (@elizs) | 9:59 AM ET | 04-24-2008

Of course singing can have an accent. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to listen to the Clash and say within a fews seconds, "those chaps are British." Country music is a great example - lots of singers go out of their way to amplify their southern or western roots when they sing.

Others:

Pete Townshend, Roger Daltry and Peter Gabriel: Generally they don't have an obvious accent, but some songs they definitely play it up. One could make the argument for some Beatles songs, too.

All those Manchester bands of the 1990s. Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, for example. You weren't cool if you didn't have that accent.

The Proclaimers. Scottish accents that could cut through glass faster than a knife cuts through steaming haggis.

Lightspeed Champion. Even though Dev Hynes lives in the US now, his accent betrays his London roots in many of his songs.

Green Day. Okay, they're American, but they like to fool people into thinking they're British, particularly on that debut album.

Midnight Oil. Okay, they're Australian. But most Americans wouldn't know the difference between an Aussie accent and a British one, so you might as well add them to the list.

The Sex Pistols. 'Nuff said.

Sent by andy carvin, npr | 10:15 AM ET | 04-24-2008

A few come to mind:

Billy Bragg
Morrissey
Paul Weller (when he was with The Jam)
Gang of Four

I'll stop now.

Sent by Dan in RI | 10:23 AM ET | 04-24-2008

Babyshambles, led by the naughty boy Pete Doherty. Lilly Allen definitely has an accent.

Sent by Kate | 10:46 AM ET | 04-24-2008

Paul Kelly sounds like the Aussie he is when he sings. Most Irish/Scottish folk musicians let their accent come through as a point of pride. Olivier Giraud of 8 1/2 Souvenirs (and later Paris 49)definitely sounds French even when he is singing English.

Sent by Dave Wiley | 11:17 AM ET | 04-24-2008

No one has mentioned Glasgow's Sons and Daughters yet... they are and sound unmistakably Scottish (Glaswegian, that is!)

Sent by Rachel | 12:03 PM ET | 04-24-2008

The guy from the Scottish band Half Cousin, who are from the Orkney Islands, has such a thick rural-Scots accent that my wife once thought he was singing in Portuguese!

Dan Treacy of the Television Personalities has a strong south London accent. Nigel Blackwell of my favorite band in the whole entire world Half Man Half Biscuit has a very strong Liverpool accent.

Sent by Stewart | 3:05 PM ET | 04-24-2008

I'd say Robert Smith of The Cure sings British. He's not British, but Collin Hay (solo and of Men at Work) sings with an accent. Madonna is American but talks with a British accent. Does that count?

How about Falco? "Rock Me Amadeus" now there's an accent!

Sent by Scott Coats | 3:06 PM ET | 04-24-2008

I'd say the lead singer of Foals sounds English.

Sent by Lindsey | 9:41 PM ET | 04-24-2008

Tubthumpers

Sent by Marc Naimark | 12:19 PM ET | 04-25-2008

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