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March 20, 2007

New York Vs. London

The new issue of New York compares the cultural capitals on a series of fun fronts including food, sex, and terrorism, but of interest to you will be the Who Rocks Harder? section (okay maybe Where's The Sex Better? too, but what you do on your own time is between you and your libido). There's little said about the state of the homegrown NYC scene; they're approaching it from a Londoner's angle, quoting a Q editor who says "Ever since the emergence of the Ramones, the impact of New York music has been keenly felt in London," before New Yorkers' curiosity about "the latest London sensation" -- and noting our crowds' disinterested demeanor.

They just can’t be counted on to get too pumped up about it—when Klaxons came to New York, they were shocked by the crowd’s impassivity. “People stood there, arms folded, like they wanted to be impressed,” says Klaxons’ Jamie Reynolds. “I thought New York is one of those places where people let go.”
Check Craigslist, Jamie. NYers let go of plenty to get that hot ticket. Their behavior when they get to the gig, though, you may have a point. Why do you think that is? Too tired from work? Too cool for enthusiasm? In any event, to round out the piece, New York has listed "The U.K. Acts That Should Be On Your iPod." We've put 'em after the jump, but ... huh? Are London and the U.K. synonymous now?

Klaxons
Patrick Wolf
Wiley
Amy Winehouse
Mika
Field Music
Larrikin Love
Air Traffic
Kid Harpoon
Add 'em if you got 'em.

Posted at 6:15 PM




22 Comments

Well, if we're covering the whole of the U.K. might I suggest Scotland's Idlewild?

Someone give them the respect they deserve. Sheesh....

Posted by: gary at 03/20/07 6:37 PM | Reply
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new york kills london. half of the terrible music coming out today is coming out of the uk. that list of london artists that should be on your ipod are all artists banned from my ipod.

Posted by: annie onymous at 03/20/07 7:25 PM | Reply
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surely you don´t mean Field music annie? Great album, one of the best of this or any year.

Posted by: Evan at 03/20/07 7:59 PM | Reply
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as a new yorker displaced in london, i can tell you your chances of wandering into a club and finding a good band are much higher in new york. there is so much shit here. and mika? come on.

Posted by: adrienne at 03/20/07 8:03 PM | Reply
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New York crowds are fairly poor. Sometimes it's like their in competition with the act to see who's cooler! However, lairy football thugs aren't an enticing prospect either.

As for music though how I miss London! There are some great NY bands but London has JAMIE T!

Posted by: marwood at 03/20/07 8:03 PM | Reply
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field music = blah.

Posted by: annie onymous at 03/20/07 8:18 PM | Reply
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New York & London, who rocks harder?

The clear answer is neither. They're both full of poncey areseholes too busy trying to look cool.

Give me a Glaswegian crowd anyday, or indeed any Celtic crowd for for that matter!

Posted by: Andy at 03/20/07 9:20 PM | Reply
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LondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondonLondon

Posted by: Katina at 03/20/07 10:08 PM | Reply
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i will not eat british ham, i will not eat it...

is there even a scene in nyc anymore? okay, turn of millennium had strokes, interpol, yyys ... what qualifies now? clap and the national was promising for a second, but now it just seems like a scattered mess of brooklyn bands with no sense of community. or maybe that's just how it seems from the view in whoville.

Posted by: dr. seuss at 03/20/07 10:08 PM | Reply
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Oh come on! Whine about London all you want, but they're a far happier bunch. A lot of New Yorkers are incredibly hard-to-please for no reason at all.

Mika might be a passing fancy but nearly everyone else on that list is deserving.

Posted by: sean at 03/20/07 10:37 PM | Reply
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Jesus christ. London is just a urine-stained shit hole. No fucking contest. That place is my armpit.

Posted by: The Playlist at 03/20/07 10:50 PM | Reply
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No Lily Allen on that list? Interesting.

Posted by: Finchmeister at 03/20/07 11:41 PM | Reply
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we all know chicago is the crossroads of rock.

Posted by: dannygutters at 03/21/07 12:39 PM | Reply
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Toronto>London+New York put together. Seriously, the air isn't as polluted, and the music scene is much more of a community of artists helping each others, which doesn't seem to exist as much in New York and London.

Posted by: Amy at 03/21/07 12:42 PM | Reply
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Is it worth mentioning that Field Music are from Sunderland, which is 270 miles from central London?

Posted by: Simon at 03/21/07 12:50 PM | Reply
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Random city in Sweden >>>>> (NY + LON + TOR + CHI)

Posted by: Bender Bending Rodriguez at 03/21/07 1:18 PM | Reply
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"Jesus christ. London is just a urine-stained shit hole. No fucking contest. That place is my armpit."

Uhh, and NYC isn't? Music aside, last time I was in London it was a hell of a lot cleaner and I felt a whole lot safer than in New York.

Posted by: sean at 03/21/07 3:11 PM | Reply
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They seem to conflate Leeds with London too. Kaiser Chiefs? Bit of a stretch, there.

Posted by: Joe at 03/22/07 1:33 PM | Reply
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glasgow > london

i go to ny frequently for day trips but eh, i can't comment on this one.

Posted by: Crystal at 03/22/07 8:36 PM | Reply
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Since one of my favorite bands right now - The Retrosexuals - are from Glasgow, I'd have to side with you there Crystal.

Posted by: sean at 03/22/07 9:39 PM | Reply
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The deluded idiotd that are New Yorkers couldn't identify good music if it was playing right in front of them. They have too much shit in their brians.

Even LA kills NYC in terms of music.

Posted by: dude at 09/18/07 8:24 AM | Reply
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Your city's a sucker, my city's a creep.

Posted by: mrs at 09/18/07 10:45 AM | Reply
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