a friend played me a song from Beck. It was about how he and some friends spent a day in Southern Cal. It was in the balladic folk tradition and so achingly funny I couldn't believe it. A brilliant, yet completely obscure song. I've a son and 2 nephews that are musicians of varying degrees, but rooted solidly in the basics. The nephs play in a punk band ala Lagwagon, Staind, Pennywise, NoFX, Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees and yet can play any one of a half-dozen styles w/me. The music they play, though loud, rude and amplified will become as traditional to their generation as the blues tradition is to ours. Bluegrass went through a similar upheaval 30 years ago when bands like The Newgrass Revival started playing Beatles songs w/bluegrass instruments. Took Bill Monroe 20 years before he'd even admit those guys existed. Now, they are the old guard. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band did the 'Will the Circle be Unbroken' album and it sold so many copies the traditionalists had to sit up and take notice. That's the type of thing that needs to take place in the UK for there to be new life based on respect for tradition breathed into the music. There's alot of good, solid, innovative traditional music coming over to this side o the pond...Wild Welsh Women, The Young Dubliners, etc. Do young folk musicians need new ideas? Constantly!