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British Beats

By rlubitz

British kids are proud of their music and they should be. Their music revolutions turn into our music revolutions from pop to goth to punk and a little bit of soul. Then of course there are The Beatles, four boys who made this country and are always hanging around London in advertisement and art.

Before I came to London I was terribly concerned with being cool. I’m giving up now and embracing my full on lameness. There is just no competing. The kids here play David Bowie at parties and Radiohead when they get home. In America we play vain songs from vainer artists. Walk through my freshman dorm and you can hear The Libertines, Florence and the Machine and Mumford & Sons who are every British kid’s patron saints since the release of their newest album.

I can’t pick a song that I love here because there are just too many. So here are a few of my favorites old and new.

Ellie Goulding

Anything Could Happen

Her album dropped just a few weeks ago and London’s current princess of pop is being played everywhere in this city. She’s so different than our American pop, something that is obsessed with pouty lovelorn girls, because Ellie is a powerhouse. She produces anthems, something London in particular is fond of. For example, there is a shrine to Freddie Mercury just steps from my dorm and there are others around town too. This song in particular is enchantingly addicting and emotional along with the entirety of the album. The fact that Will and Kate had her perform during their wedding reception is one of the best things ever and speaks to the enormous coolness of what will be the future of British Royalty.

Adele

Skyfall

Within literal minutes of this song being released, it was everywhere. Coffee shops, clothing shops, street vendors and everywhere that played popular radio had this song blasting from its speakers. There is no escaping it. With the alleged birth of her child, people know Adele won’t be making a lot of music in the next few years so they’re excited to get their last taste. The song is great and the British are oh so excited about Bond. He’s advertised with everything from phones to cars to dresses at Harrods. Because the British are not afraid of being super nerdy when it comes to literature and music, it’ll be fun to see this city get its sexy back.

Florence and the Machine

Spectrum (Say My Name) Calvin Harris remix

In popular London clubs this cut is everywhere. In DC, this would be nowhere but blasting out of your too-cool-for-school neighbor who you’re begging to befriend. It’s a remix of Florence’s song “Spectrum” an almost religious experience in pop. You are meant to worship her and the kids here do. I wanted to see her perform live in London but of course her shows have been sold out since forever.

The Darkness

I Believe In A Thing Called Love

I was sitting in my usual coffee shop, a nondescript Starbucks that I shamefully inhabit most Sundays, and this song came on. Everyone sort of looked up for a second and smiled. This song is really, really great. The music video, which I was obsessed with in the seventh grade, made me realize how weird I was because none of my friends loved this song and video as much as I did. I mean he was naked in a spaceship…how could you resist it? The Darkness is one of Britain’s best one-hit wonders and they should be really, really proud of that.

I went to Cardiff, Wales this weekend and it was interesting but it wasn’t cool. I missed it and boy will I miss it when I go back to the US.