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So, ripping off black American music is a prerequisite for good British pop music? Is it still legit if they're ripping off indigenous, British black people, or does it have to be Americans ('The World's Only Legitimate, Soulful Musicians and the earnest British Americanophiles who love them')?
The Jesus and Mary Chain, a band you cited as one of the primary early defining bands of this genre had an obvious and self-referenced Bo Diddley (who last I checked was black and American, not to mention awesome) influence; but why let facts get in the way of a good, convoluted thesis.
Not to mention that I don't hear much reflection of contemporary black music in Hüsker Dü, Big Black, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Butthole Surfers or the Pixies (interesting as I made find those bands myself, they're all white as white can be; Big Black's cover of "The Big Payback" notwithstanding.) Or are American themselves exempt from this requirement?
It's okay if you haven't been digging British pop music lately, but please come up with a less absurd justification, or better yet just save it.
