The 'Bands I don't Get' thread (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Twig]

I'm going to guess you mean The Stranglers as any band called The Strangers seem to be Beatles/Shadows wannabes. I can't stand The Stranglers, that's the kind of punk/dad rock that gets cited as being a classic when it just sounds shit.

Yes indeed the Stranglers. You see, some of use can appreciate that just cos something's old doesn't mean its 'dadrock', whereas a lot of your 'music' - someone looping the sound of a dripping radiator for an hour - is just the emperor's new clothes for suckers dumb enough to buy it. You couldn't actually tell who the 'artist' is, let alone the composition, for most of it.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Yes indeed the Stranglers. You see, some of use can appreciate that just cos something's old doesn't mean its 'dadrock', whereas a lot of your 'music' - someone looping the sound of a dripping radiator for an hour - is just the emperor's new clothes for suckers dumb enough to buy it. You couldn't actually tell who the 'artist' is, let alone the composition, for most of it.

Evidently I touched a nerve. Dad rock for me doesn't mean old (the 70s hardly cut it as old, most of the stuff you're dismissing as emperor's new clothes is from the 60s, say nothing of the full history of recorded music which I also listen to) but boring, middle of the road stuff that people of a certain age listened to in their teens and still think it's cutting edge. The Stranglers have never sounded anything other than bland and dated to me; I don't get why they would be lumped in with The Sex Pistols or The Ramones (neither being bands I particularly like but understand their appeal), even The Stranglers' early material sounds safe in comparison to those two. Then compare them to a band like Wire who's first three albums are still white hot, even now.

Also, I find it ironic (and moronic) that you can say how homogenous modern composition when defending punk. It's like saying Picasso and Dali paint in the same way but a Dulux colour card contains the full range of artistic expression.

 

[Nate Champion]

I think they're the best band of the last decade, takes all sorts.

Yeah I thought they were tremendous live the 3 or 4 times I've seen them, particularly the first time in Whelans when they were touring Cryptograms.

Don't get me wrong. I think they've got some great stuff. I still listen to about a half or a third of Cryptograms. The last three songs are blindingly good. Thought what I heard off Monomania was blinding - even considered buying the LP.

Don't know that time in Whelans. Just way preferred Health's deal live.

As you say, each to their own.

Never saw Deerhunter live but they're underwhelming on record. I have seen SOTL twice, once in Whelans and it was really good but not as good as the albums. However, I saw them again the following year in Boston at a Kranky birthday event and they were unbelievable. It made the albums sound utterly two-dimensional and it was a long time before I could enjoy the albums again.

Windy (of Windy & Carl) played with a different chap and it was good but not in the same league. Lichens did a solo set based entirely around his voice that might still be the most impressive performance I've ever seen.

Best Kranky person I've met - Carl from Windy & Carl. Had a beautiful moment with this man (at Holocene, in Portland, O - hipster stripes, ahoy) when Laserbeam by Low came on the monitor and we both spontaneously started singing along. Didn't even know he was in the band at that point! Just a normal bloke who happens to look like the creep who played the killer in Zodiac.

Mind you, there were some really arsey locals at that gig which leads me to the...

Worst Kranky Records person I've met - White Rainbow aka Adam Forkner. Words cannot do justice to how much of a douche cunt this guy is. He was the hot thing in Portland that Summer but his music is pretty forgettable. Fairly basic one-man loop drivel.

 

[Nate Champion]

I have, it's shite. I just don't get that kinda music. I went to see Godspeed twice and listened to several of their albums back in the day and I never got it. I did really like Do Make Say Think one time when I saw them in Whelans, although the sense of energy, fun and excitement that they had live didn't really come across on the album they were touring at the time which I picked up on the night. I still fondly recall one of the band coming up to me and telling me (without any kind of prompting from me) that I had the best beard in whelans that night. Not every hipster in dublin has that badge. Or maybe they all do, I dunno.

Hang on a minute, I thought you were the boy on here who was big into Charalambides a while back? [you're entitled to go off them of course - such is life].

My mates were at that gig. Apparently lovely people. They do sound good live based on youtube footage.

Kinda band - it's good that they're still going but long past their best stuff. Long past. Wouldn't be a super fan by any means. Winter Hymn is probably the highpoint.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Hang on a minute, I thought you were the boy on here who was big into Charalambides a while back? [you're entitled to go off them of course - such is life].

My mates were at that gig. Apparently lovely people. They do sound good live based on youtube footage.

Kinda band - it's good that they're still going but long past their best stuff. Long past. Wouldn't be a super fan by any means. Winter Hymn is probably the highpoint.

I still love charalambides but they have a lot of stuff that I don't like. They're nothing like stars of the lid or godspeed.

 

[Nate Champion]

I still love charalambides but they have a lot of stuff that I don't like. They're nothing like stars of the lid or godspeed.

Grand. I was pretty bored any time I listened to them. They were always cropping up in Wire magazine reviews a few years back.

I hope the man is alright. I believe he was/is quite sick.

Give me a recommendation for Charalambides there and I'll give it a dart.

Sure SOTL are hardly like Godspeed!

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

They're both shite.

Charalambides - I find it hard to recommend an album. Glowing Raw, Three Lane Blacktop. A Vintage Burden, Exile. They're all somewhat patchy but hit the heights too.

I'm more interested in Christina Carter's solo work these days - Living Contact or Lace Heart would be my recommendations there.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I've got a couple of Charalambides albums and I think one Christina Carter solo album, I can't remember what they're like beyond repetitive electric guitar. They didn't do a whole lot for me.

 

[Unknown Convict]

They [SOTL) were dull live - pointless experience really when its head music

went to london years ago (02?) to see SOTL but they had adaptor issues so just played two untreated electric guitars for about 15 minutes until one of them got electrocuted. kinda the ambient drone equivalent of this:

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luke savisky's visuals were the highlight of the gig.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Also, I find it ironic (and moronic) that you can say how homogenous modern composition when defending punk. It's like saying Picasso and Dali paint in the same way but a Dulux colour card contains the full range of artistic expression.

What are talking about you knob-end? I didn't say modern composition is homogenous (you've no idea what I listen to), I said the stuff you listen to is bland, going on what you list here. I pulled the Stranglers out as a joke, and they're way before my time - but they're still more adventurous than most of the stuff you seem to think is interesting. You don't seem to know their stuff but you've already written them off, so toddle on there...

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

What are talking about you knob-end? I didn't say modern composition is homogenous (you've no idea what I listen to), I said the stuff you listen to is bland, going on what you list here. I pulled the Stranglers out as a joke, and they're way before my time - but they're still more adventurous than most of the stuff you seem to think is interesting. You don't seem to know their stuff but you've already written them off, so toddle on there...

You're right, I've never heard any of their music before. I've managed to avoid one of the best selling punk bands but still decided to form an opinion on them in order to annoy you. I actually bought a few of their albums, played them when I was out of the house and then sold them because I was so dedicated to not letting myself actually form a personal opinion on them.

Then, to top it all off, I pretend to like music you don't because the simpler explanation that I get something different from music than you do is too wild to entertain. Maybe you can call me a spa now to go with knob head?

 

[Lili Marlene]

Lads seriously though, all post-rock is shite. Without exception. Fucking embarrassing music composed entirely of crescendo's.

 

[pete]

take it to the musical differences thunderdome thread

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Lads seriously though, all post-rock is shite. Without exception. Fucking embarrassing music composed entirely of crescendo's.

That's certainly true of Explosions in the Sky. Their gig in Tripod was like one big endless crescendo, an empty abyss of false emotion.

 

[therealjohnny]

#confessionsthread

I don't know what "post-rock" is

 

[Jerry Twig]

Then, to top it all off, I pretend to like music you don't because the simpler explanation that I get something different from music than you do is too wild to entertain. Maybe you can call me a spa now to go with knob head?

Spa

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Can we not insult each other's taste in music without taking offence?

 

[pete]

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[Cornu Ammonis]

#confessionsthread

I don't know what "post-rock" is

It was a term put out in the 90s to describe bands who were vaguely rock but incorporated all sorts of different influences into the mix such as electronic/ambient, krautrock, jazz, modern composition, etc. Now it just means instrumental bands who play repetitive music that goes quiet loud quiet loud quiet over 20 minutes.

 

[Kermit McDermott]

#confessionsthread

I don't know what "post-rock" is

You could label yourself "pre rock"