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[Uber Ritter]

The Thread wherein we clueless masses ask for the musical cognoscendi to explain what makes a famous/legendary* band that we haven't gotten into so amazing.

Maybe someone has already done this, but I feel like it would be hard to search for.

I'll start.  What's the deal with Pavement?  I listened to Terror Twilight and liked it, but it didn't seem, I dunno, amazing to me, and I don't remember being partiularly impressed by Slanted and Enchanted or their other stuff.


*groundbreaking/noteworthy/epochal/whatever...any band that people shit themselves over, basically

[De_El]

What's the deal with the Beatles?

[Nodaisho]

De_El, that is a very easy to answer one. Their music is very cheerful, with exceptions, of course, but even their song about a murderer is cheerful, and the cheerful sound transfers senseless happiness to the listener.

[Johnny C]

So this is a band to try and help people "get it"?

Hrm, I dunno how well this will work.

Pavement's deal were that they played catchy pop songs with a lo-fi "slacker" aesthetic that said, "We don't care about the music industry." Coupled with genuine instrumental talent, you essentially had a band writing good songs and albums with little or no regard for mainstream success in a time when alternative music was becoming big on MTV. Pavement stood out as the antithesis of that, along with bands like Guided By Voices. If you listen to the mix there's generally a lot going on behind it but it's buried within squalls of feedback.

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is actually probably my favourite Pavement album, partially because they got a drummer who could keep decent time.

[KvP]

So what's the deal with Slint?

[Johnny C]

Hitler pushes a button and their name appears. I don't see what's so tough about that one.

[Jackie Blue]

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is actually probably my favourite Pavement album, partially because they got a drummer who could keep decent time.

You do know that Malkmus actually played most of the drums on that album, right?

[dalconnsuch]

The Thread wherein we clueless masses ask for the musical cognoscendi to explain what makes a famous/legendary* band that we haven't gotten into so amazing.

Maybe someone has already done this, but I feel like it would be hard to search for.

I'll start.  What's the deal with Pavement?  I listened to Terror Twilight and liked it, but it didn't seem, I dunno, amazing to me, and I don't remember being partiularly impressed by Slanted and Enchanted or their other stuff.


*groundbreaking/noteworthy/epochal/whatever...any band that people shit themselves over, basically

pavement was one of the big leading "pied pipers" of indie music, similar to what the beatles were for the sixties, at the time pavement was goin around doin their thing there wasn't alot of "indie" out there, but now that kind of scene is everywhere and pavement was one of the reasons

[Johnny C]

You do know that Malkmus actually played most of the drums on that album, right?

I just spent fifteen minutes on Google and another five scouring the liner notes for the deluxe reissue and I can't find evidence of this anywhere. As far as I can tell it's Steve West, with the exception of Kannenberg on "Fillmore Jive," and that's according to Malkmus himself.

[valley_parade]

What's the deal with Deerhoof?

[öde]

They're your friends!

[valley_parade]

My friends have a vocalist with really annoying voice, then.

[*Sights*]

Your friends are awesome.

IMHO, the "deal" with your friends is basically that they are one of the few bands right now that like blurring the lines between avant-garde and catchy pop music and actually end up with an enjoyable result.

They also seem to have an amazingly good drummer.

[michaelicious]

My friends have a vocalist with really annoying voice, then.

Man that's just racist.

[valley_parade]

My friends have a vocalist with really annoying voice, then.

Man that's just racist.

....?!

[Spinless]

What's the deal with -Band X-? I figure they were in the right place at the right time to achieve the degree of success that they did!
The Beatles got popular because everybody wanted to nail them.
Pavement got popular because everybody wanted to nail Stephen Malkmus.
Deerhoof are kinda popular because lots of western males really want to nail...

Musical merit does not factor into this in the slightest. The only way a band can achieve success is if people want to sleep with them.
So, the more popular the band, the more people want to sleep with them!

[Liz]

So does that work in the reverse as well? Say there is someone that is totally hot and everyone wants to get in their pants, would any band they start immediately become successful? If so I know a few people that should start a band and let me join it.

[bbqrocks]

There really is no argument against that.

[IronOxide]

William Shatner made some coin as a recording artist.

Case and point.

[Nodaisho]

What's the deal with -Band X-? I figure they were in the right place at the right time to achieve the degree of success that they did!
The Beatles got popular because everybody wanted to nail them.
Pavement got popular because everybody wanted to nail Stephen Malkmus.
Deerhoof are kinda popular because lots of western males really want to nail...

Musical merit does not factor into this in the slightest. The only way a band can achieve success is if people want to sleep with them.
So, the more popular the band, the more people want to sleep with them!

Motorhead.

What is the deal with Slayer? I know they aren't the same kind of music as Pavement or Deerhoof, but there has to be enough people here that have at least heard them to tell me this. I haven't heard anything from them that is anything more than mediocre, aside from the track Raining blood.

[Spinless]

Guys, just because YOU wouldn't sleep with the Shatner or Lemmy does NOT mean that nobody thinks about it day and night. Jeeze. my logic is FLAWLESS.

[Nodaisho]

Guys, just because YOU wouldn't sleep with the Shatner or Lemmy does NOT mean that nobody thinks about it day and night. Jeeze. my logic is FLAWLESS.

So the fact that someone somewhere is attracted to someone in a band means that they are successful? Now... lets see, I believe according to the internet fetish whatchamacallit, that means that there is someone that finds any given person attractive, so all musucians would become amazingly successful.

Your logic could account for one or two fans (depending on if having a guitar still does the whole magic makeover thing, I don't watch myself in a mirror while I play), but not the amount that popular bands have.

[bbqrocks]

Many people regard Slayer's first three albums (Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, and Reign in Blood) as classics amongst their genre. Also, Slayer did influence and help to create thrash metal, death metal and black metal, and they pretty much helped invent and popularize the extreme metal riffing style. Of course, everything since South of Heaven has been mediocre.

[KvP]

So what is the deal with Kylie Minogue?

[amok]

What is the deal with Slayer? I know they aren't the same kind of music as Pavement or Deerhoof, but there has to be enough people here that have at least heard them to tell me this. I haven't heard anything from them that is anything more than mediocre, aside from the track Raining blood.

That basically is the deal with Slayer. Apart from Raining Blood and Angel Of Death, their entire career is basically just a bunch of interchangeable and essentially identical tracks to get drunk and bang your head to. Except Mandatory Suicide, which you can dance the Macarena to.

[bbqrocks]

So what is the deal with Kylie Minogue?

Put her videos on mute. Now you know why.

[jeph]

So what is the deal with Kylie Minogue?

She's pretty hot for someone as old as my mom.

[KvP]

I must admit, that is an amazing ass.

[Jackie Blue]

I just spent fifteen minutes on Google and another five scouring the liner notes for the deluxe reissue and I can't find evidence of this anywhere. As far as I can tell it's Steve West, with the exception of Kannenberg on "Fillmore Jive," and that's according to Malkmus himself.

Hmm.  I'm nearly positive that 12 or so years ago I read a bio of the band which talked about how West was so new at the time of recording CRCR that Malkmus often got frustrated with his inability to do what he wanted him to, and so Malkmus would just record the drum track himself.  Hence the song "Westy Can't Drum".

I also take exception to your prior implication that Gary Young was not a good drummer.  Shenanigans aside, he actually was technically really talented.

[Nodaisho]

Many people regard Slayer's first three albums (Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, and Reign in Blood) as classics amongst their genre. Also, Slayer did influence and help to create thrash metal, death metal and black metal, and they pretty much helped invent and popularize the extreme metal riffing style. Of course, everything since South of Heaven has been mediocre.

Ah, I see. I don't listen to death metal or black metal (with the exception of Holy Blood), and thrash-wise, they didn't do anything noteworthy, Exodus is better. Of course, I have not heard much from them, so I could just be missing out.

[bbqrocks]

I agree with you there...I would take Kreator, Destruction or Exodus over Slayer any day. But thats pretty much the opinions of thier fans.

[Nodaisho]

Never listened to Kreator or Destruction, aside from... I think "Love us or hate us", something like that, because I heard that the opening riff was uncannily similar to the opening riff on Overkill's Elimination. I couldn't get past the vocals, I feel bad about that, it isn't their fault they are German.

[bbqrocks]

Well, I don't really listen to that much thrash. 

Can anyone tell me what the big deal is with Yngwie Malmsteen?

[KvP]

He slays dragons.

I was looking for a link to that Onion article "Yngwie Malmsteen officially changes middle name to "Fucking"" but it's not out there

[Johnny C]

I also take exception to your prior implication that Gary Young was not a good drummer.  Shenanigans aside, he actually was technically really talented.

Yeah, it's true.

Do you have any of the reissues? They're all pretty great, partially just because of how incredibly comprehensive they are, but Crooked Rain is especially worth it just because the second disc starts with early demos of eight of the album's tracks that feature Young on drums.

[bbqrocks]

He slays dragons? I think some fey power metal bands will have few issues about that...

Whats the deal with fey power metal bands?

[Jackie Blue]

Yes, I do kind of wish Young had been able to stick around for Crooked Rain, as I think the drumming on that album is a little "same-y" for me.  It sounds like someone who has been playing drums for about a month and can play in time but has no concept of flow or looseness.

Still my favorite Pavement album and one of my top 10 of the 90s, mind you.

[amok]

Can anyone tell me what the big deal is with Yngwie Malmsteen?

He can play really fast. I guess.

As an aside, Kreator is awesome live.

[bbqrocks]

Is that the only good thing? He can play really fast?

Honestly, if you took that away his music would be incredibly boring.

[valley_parade]

And what is the deal with airline food?

[amok]

^

Honestly, if you took that away his music would be incredibly boring.

are you suggesting that it isn't if you don't take it away because honestly I'm not seeing it

[bbqrocks]

And what is the deal with airline food?

I do not understand why people don't like airline food.

@Amok: Good point. Maybe I meant, even more incredibly boring.

[Liz]

So I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but...



Radiohead.

[a pack of wolves]

Radiohead got famous for writing downbeat but very catchy rock songs. They then went on to make sure that every album was different enough from their last that they would be seen to be progressing but also similar enough in its approach that their fans would not be disappointed by something totally unfamiliar. They are a massive stadium rock band who have a critical reputation good enough to mean nobody would feel embarrassed about liking something with such mass appeal, as is sometimes the case for some individuals. They appear not to be dicks in interviews which also helps, one of them even volunteers for the Samaritans (I have no idea why I know) which makes him sound like a pretty nice guy. Their liberal politics appear well-meaning and genuine but also not very radical so are unlikely to upset many people.

I think that's the thing with Radiohead, there's nothing there to put people off and they write songs with a mass appeal, often very anthemic. Even people like me who don't really care for their music usually don't dislike them as such. My mum had Amnesiac and when she stuck it on it would just fade into the background, inoffensively.

[IronOxide]

You see, I think the thing about Radiohead is that you have to get into them at a certain age. There is a critical period for Radiohead like there is for language and the like. If you miss you're time, the odds are against you.

[Calaveth]

I'll bite. What's the deal with of Montreal? I've tried listening to them, I really have, but there must be something I just don't get.

[Jackie Blue]

Plenty of people, including myself, don't like Of Montreal.  I'd hardly say they're a sacred enough cow for this thread.

[sean]

Okay lemme give this thread a try.

Guys whats the deal with the indie rock? I mean, since this is a forum of a webcomic that used to have indie rock references I'm just gonna assume that all of you listen to indie rock. That's an intelligent assumption, right?



Did I do it right?

[Inlander]

What's the deal with Spoon? I've given them a go and I found them really dull, and then I gave them another go because I thought I must be missing something, and I still found them really dull. Why do people like them so much?



Notwithstanding the gimmicky but de rigeur Seinfeld picture, this is a serious question. I am genuinely mystified.

[Jackie Blue]

Seriously, Vampire Weekend.

What the fuck, man.  Vampire Weekend.

Pitchfork gave the album an 8.8 today.

Jesus Christ, people.