british bands sounding american when they sing, american bands sounding british

[PG29 red0 Jr]

Ramones? Stooges? New York Dolls? The term punk originated in the US as well, and CBGBs played a huge part. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that punk is a "British genre". That's insane.

It's just my opinion, you don't have to agree with it.

 

[Mr. Shickadance]

The most famous punk bands are from UK.

Not really true but that doesn't make it British

 

[moreorless87]

Yeah that's always been my view, a lot of what gets called an "American accent" with singing to me just sounds fairly neutral, certainly doesn't sound like most strong American accents I'v heard.

 

[The_Renaissance]

Its pretty simple, when you're finding your feet as a singer in a band and you have a clear idea what the band is gonna sound like, you mimick your influences. If those influences have a different accent, you often end up finding yourself mimicking the accent as well coz its your point of reference for what that style of music sounds like.

 

[chrisdiaz]

Ramones? Stooges? New York Dolls? The term punk originated in the US as well, and CBGBs played a huge part. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that punk is a "British genre". That's insane.

You could argue the 70's skinhead ska/punk movement had a big infulence on american bands like tsol and bad religion but I wouldnt say punk is from a british origin. If anything they probably influenced each other. Plus american punk is better

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

It's partly to do with the culture of the music, pop comes from blues, an American invention.

Party that when we sing we sound more neutral, it just happens middle American is more neutral.

The rancid singer was probably just sounding punk, a British invention.

I think the blues influence in most pop music is over blown. There is as much or more jazz and classical influence aswell.

Why do you think the british invented punk? If you want to go really far back you could say link wrays "rumble" invented punk. If not then it goes to the stooges or the new york bands.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

Johnny Rotten sounded English when he was singing

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

I think the blues influence in most pop music is over blown. There is as much or more jazz and classical influence aswell.

Why do you think the british invented punk? If you want to go really far back you could say link wrays "rumble" invented punk. If not then it goes to the stooges or the new york bands.

The Ramones came out before the Sex Pistols that's all I know about Punk

 

[JonesBones]

I've seen stuff on this before. It is natural to sing with an American accent:

Mick Jagger, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Ed Sheeran, Phil Collins and George Michael all grew up in or near London and have very recognizably British accents. Once on stage, they sing like someone who grew up in New England rather than old

Even American singers, if they have, for instance, a strong “New Yorker” or perhaps a “Hillbilly” accent, will also tend to lose their specific accent, gravitating more towards neutral English, unless they are actively trying not to, as many Country singers might.

For the specific details, we’ll turn to linguist and author, David Crystal, from Northern Ireland. According to Crystal, a song’s melody cancels out the intonations of speech, followed by the beat of the music cancelling out the rhythm of speech. Once this takes place, singers are forced to stress syllables as they are accented in the music, which forces singers to elongate their vowels. Singers who speak with an accent, but sing it without, aren’t trying to throw their voice to be deceptive or to appeal to a different market; they are simply singing in a way that naturally comes easiest, which happens to be a more neutral way of speaking, which also just so happens to be the core of what many people consider an “American” accent.

To put it in another way, it’s the pace of the music that affects the pace of the singer’s delivery. A person’s accent is easily detectable when they are speaking at normal speed. When singing, the pace is often slower. Words are drawn out and more powerfully pronounced and the accent becomes more neutral.


Another factor is that the air pressure we use to make sounds is much greater when we sing. Those who sing have to learn to breathe correctly to sustain notes for the right amount of time, and singing requires the air passages to expand and become larger. This changes the quality of the sound. As a result, regional accents can disappear because syllables are stretched out and stresses fall differently than in normal speech. So, once again, this all adds up to singing accents becoming more neutral.


http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/08/why-british-singers-lose-their-accent-when-singing/

They gave Kate Nash as an example of one keeping their British accent. You can hear the brit in her voice.



And the Ramones don't sound British at all. lol. wtf

 

[M3t4tr0n]

Greenday started as a punk band, punk is a british music genre.

I thought the Ramones invented punk?

 

[Philo-Publius]

led zeppelin, floyd, acdc (yeah australia I know) sound american

then you have the killers, the ramones, the cars, etc sound british.

whats the deal

Your examples weren't great, but I know what you mean.



Green Day = posers

 

[Philo-Publius]

I thought the Ramones invented punk?

That is debatable. The Clash and The Sex Pistols have been given credit too.

 

[revoltub]

That is debatable. The Clash and The Sex Pistols have been given credit too.

ive heard arguments for the beatles as well, or any other band from that era. 'punk' rock may just mean non-manufactured rock. the beatles were regular working class kids from liverpool. punks

 

[Philo-Publius]

ive heard arguments for the beatles as well, or any other band from that era. 'punk' rock may just mean non-manufactured rock. the beatles were regular working class kids from liverpool. punks

Naah. The Beatles don't embody "punk."

 

[Oblivian]

That is debatable. The Clash and The Sex Pistols have been given credit too.

It's really not that debatable. The term punk was invented by Legs McNeil from a magazine they made. New York Dolls, Television, Dictators, Patti Smith, Stooges, Ramones, etc. were all there before The Clash and before the Sex Pistols.