I don't think so. Although the NME is casting doom and gloom all around like some latter day Nostradamus, UK music is in much the same state as it has always been. Sure, single sales are down and there is no movement to speak of at the moment, but to proclaim the beast dead is a gross exaggeration. More likely, UK music has a slight dose of the cold.

For every symptom of illness (workmanlike groups coat-tailing on the success of Britpop, poor sales, post-movement depression) there is at least one corresponding reason to be cheerful (passionate articulate groups ploughing original furrows, "alternative" music being accepted by the mainstream, diversity like never before).

So, to that end, here's a table of Bad UK vs Good UK. See for yourself who wins:

Bad UK	Good UK	Result
The four plumbers gurning away like a group of chimpanzees unholy cacophony that is Shed Seven. They are here to take your minds.	The angleic maelstrom of magnificence that Tiny and his cohorts conjure up in Ultrasound. Give your minds to them.	Tiny sits on Rick Witter. 1-0 for the forces of good
The untimely demise of the ITV Chart Show. Despite Ant & Dec's assurance that their new show will feature an hour of music to compensate, it looks likely that Saturday mornings will no longer be the place to catch that latest exclusive video, or laugh at some old fart in the Video Vault.	There is no denying that TOTP is better than it used to be. With cooler presenters (Zoe Ballocks notwithstanding) and more time given to breaking bands and alternative music, TOTP remains the best music prog on the telly. Plus now we have The Pepsi Chart Show, Jo Whiley, Jools Holland and more. Music on the tv's looking good.	The Chart Show: we'll miss you. TOTP, Jo Whiley, The Pepsi Chart: we salute you. 2-0!
The singles market is one of the most unsteady in the business. One minute more singles are being bought than ever before, the next you can scarcely give them away free. Undeniably, at the moment we are in the midst of one of those recessions where it only takes your family, a couple of friends and a bloke down the pub to buy your single to ensure it gets in the Top 40, then plummets out again before you can say "highest new entry".	The fact that it only takes a few thousand sales to get into the charts means for an exciting, varied and volatile top 40 every week. Bands that could never have hoped for a sniff of chart success before now come crashing in with a bullet, and more often than not, your favourite "indie" band will probably have had a string of top 20 singles. Anything that can see the Manics get to number one has to be good.	More of our music on radio and tv. It's a hat-trick for the powers of light: 3-0!
Looking to the past as inspiration is fine, but casting your glance backwards to the likes os Oasis is not. Embrace represent the cynical sound of a band cashing in on the success of others. First they were the Bootleg Gallagher Brothers, now it seems they have seen the success of The Verve and Radiohead and absorbed that into their masterplan. I don't trust 'em...	Idlewild on the other hand have much better reference points. Sure, punk's been done to death a million times before, but the band's energy and enthusiasm burns through any accusations of unoriginality, turning them into something quite unique.	Punk kills pomp. It's looking like a foregone conclusion: 4-0
The recent chart embargo on singles with more than 3 tracks is a downright evil ting, worthy of Darth Vader at his most dastardly. EPs have effectively been killed with one fell swoop, making the average single less good value than before.	Hard to think of a rebut to this one. Perhaps now we will see less indulgent remixes stuck onto b-sides as filler material, and at least singles are still cheap.	Good drops its defences to let Bad claw one back. 4-1
Poor ticket sales that have seen cancelled gigs and festivals are a real blow against live music. Bands that were booked to play such events are now thinking "why bother"?	Again, this one is hard to defend against. At least now there's less chance of getting muddy...	Things are turning around. Get out there and see a live gig. 4-2
One of the main criticisms against music - UK and worldwide - is that there is no movement to speak of; a distinct lack of identity pervades the musical world and the lack of a grunge/punk/rap/dance genre behind which the kids can congreate is a bleak indication of the state of the industry.	Pah. The lack of a genre is a great thing - look at what happened with Britpop, for gawd's sake (or have you forgotten about Sleeper??). The diversity of indie music now is fab: now you can like Stereophonics, ADF, Radiohead, Daft Punk, Portishead and thousands of other bands that don't really fit into any distinct pigeonhole, and still not have to conform to the vagaries of any one "movement".	Diversity is all. Good strikes back. 5-2
Insipid band after insipid band trots out into the charts, on the back of hype instead of talent. More bland boy bands and dull disco cover versions clog up the airwaves than ever before.	So what? Just dig out your Robbie Williams records and get down, thankful for the fact that now pop can be alternative too. Let him entertain you.	A crossover from nowhere seals it. 6-2!

And there we have it. Sure, the state of UK music may not be perfect, but it's hardly dead now is it? Take a look at the records you've bought/listened to recently and you will probably find a wider range of music than you've ever been into before. The late nineties is one of the most excitingly diverse periods of UK music that I can think of and you are able to hear it on the radio and see it on the tv with less effort than you would have needed 4 or 5 years ago.