*Yawn*- Age Old Debate Rears It's Head- Again.

The Guardian today decided to take another look at the class divide in the current indie music scene, roughly 10 months after their sister paper The Observer did so. Link

Under the tagline "Who will be the future of British indie - posh toffs, or laddish oiks?" Matt Bolton dissects the current and ongoing disparity between working and middle class bands. The discussion is ultimately moot because it doesn't matter what sort of school a band went to or how many bedrooms their house has. Music is not divided by class it's divided by quality and creativity. Some of the greatest popular music this country has created has come from the lower echelons of the social scale. From The Beatles harmonies and innovation via Joy Divisions heart on sleeve honesty to Pulp's combination of the mind and groin the history of British music is rooted in its working class 'oik' roots.

However running parallel to these bands were middle class 'toffs'. The Rolling Stones decadent London glamour, The Clash's intellectual rallying and Blurs art school pop brilliance all came from more 'privileged' backgrounds. If there is a gap or separation in 2008 between the classes it's that the working class bands are simply not stepping up the plate or creating anything interesting. The Enemy and The Courteeners are not poor in my opinion because they went to a state school it's because they lack originality, creativity and intelligence. It can be done as Elbow and Dizzee Rascal show by continuing to innovate and create whilst never singing about lager or ripping off Paul Weller.

At the moment 'British Indie' (Whatever that is) should worry less about starting rival school fights and focus more on the meaningless pop acts infiltrating and diluting a rich tapestry of culture built up over 5 decades. Who cares where a band came from? It's where they are going that matters and what they will deliver on the way there.

*Yawn*- Age Old Debate Rears It's Head- Again.