The beautiful shores of our country are being taken by the storm of British music. We are currently under siege by some of the most influential contemporary bands. Bands such as Radiohead, Muse, Coldplay, and The Artic Monkeys; not to mention solo artists like Amy Winehouse, James Blunt, and Natasha Bedingfield have made their British presence known in the US in the past three years. These artists have had success in the states in recent years by headlining major music festivals. Radiohead headlined at Lollapalooza this past summer, and Bedingfield and Winehouse have had success by being featured on VH1. We are amidst a revolution, and here is some info on some of these bands/artists.: Muse Muse hails from Teignmouth, England, which is a port city next to the English Channel. It is there where Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolenstrome, and Dominic Howard started a band in 1994. They were then called Rocket Baby Dolls, but Muse was found to be a better name so they changed it when they made it big. The group became famous because of their amazing, high-energy performances and a mixing of many popular genres of music. Lead singer Matthew Bellamy uses a unique vocal style with vibrato and falsetto to make the sound that Muse has become known for. Muse’s popularity has been on the rise in the US since their first album Showbiz, and their latest album Black Holes and Revelations has reached double platinum in its home country. The Arctic Monkeys The Arctic Monkeys formed in 2002 in Sheffield England. It took them until 2006 to make their first album after releasing many singles. The band’s fame grew only after their music was introduced into different online data sharing websites. Spurred by the popularity gained from the internet, The Arctic Monkeys latest album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, is critically acclaimed and has been a huge success stateside. Members of the Arctic Monkeys are opening a pub on the outskirts of their hometown of Sheffield that will serve as a getaway from downtown Sheffield, as well as a venue for local acts. This award winning band is working on another album at the time of publication and it should be a continuation of the bands past works. Kate Nash Kate Nash is twenty-one and a rising star in the UK music industry. She has been compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse and Natasha Bedingfield, but she brings something completely different to the table. She doesn’t have the problems of Winehouse and has no pocketful of sunshine as Bedingfield does. Kate Nash is a mistreated, redheaded, British girl who speaks her mind through her songs and uses her cockney accent to make her music stand out. Her songs range from playful and fun to exactly what young women are thinking, but usually afraid to say. Her album Made of Bricks reached number one in the UK but Nash has yet to completely infiltrate the US. With her popularity growing it is only a matter of time until Nash’s music strikes a chord with American listeners. Many British bands have made the jump across the pond, and some reach amazing new heights by reaching out to the US audiences. This invasion may not be a prominent as the one lead by the Beatles or by General Robert Ross, but contemporary British bands will have continued success in the US and be talked about for years to come.