I'd real rather listen to the real thing - be it hard-core hip-hop, field-recorded folk, or whatever

Here, I think, we approach the crux of the biscuit.

Take my friend who writes and sings in the style of Hank Williams, complete with fake American accent. Done badly or lazily, as it often is, that kind of thing annoys me intensely. Done well and with passion, as he does (I wouldn't be mentioning him otherwise!) it's brilliant.

Traditional English music is very rarely done badly or lazily - it's rare enough to hear it done at all. But that doesn't mean it's all good, let alone that everything else should be cast out. The passion is the thing - it's what draws us here, but it can be found elsewhere too.