Comments on: What Bands Are Less Annoying When You Don’t Have To Look At Them?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:47:28 +0000

@MayhemintheHood: Speaking of that MGMT video. When did that fad for glittery boy-men looking wistfully into the galaxy start? MGMT, The Klaxons, Late of the Pier. I blame Germaine Greer (not for this specifically...I just tend to blame her in general).

And Hammond. This is why musicians should never smile. Look at metal bands. Let Slayer guide the way.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:25:21 +0000

I’m not really one to care for a band’s “image”. I feel that, when a band has to work so hard to look a certain way, their music is left wanting. However, an excellent exception would be Mr. Bungle, who had to tone down their stage act because it interfered with their music. (sweat in eyes, etc). If a band has to follow an image, that just strikes me as odd and maybe a little ingenuous. I don’t care how a band looks, if you get bored listening to their music, how can they be all that good?

By: ObtuseIntolerant

ObtuseIntolerant — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:36:56 +0000

I honestly can't think of an example because I honestly can't get really really into music by bands I can't stand to watch...

I need the total package. I am not out to get bored. Peeps better bring it this weekend at the Virgin Mobile thingy.

By: revmatty

revmatty — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:15:29 +0000

@DaeSu: Short list: Most of them.

By: Ned Raggett

Ned Raggett — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:12:20 +0000

@DaeSu: We actually have an excellent role model to follow (scroll ahead to 3:52):

By: Ned Raggett

Ned Raggett — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:09:11 +0000

@The Illiterate: Something about all that long wavy hair irritated the hell out of me (no offense, Ned)

Hahah, no worries.

By: Maura Johnston

Maura Johnston — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:02:07 +0000

@DaeSu: Don't give me any ideas! (Or do, actually.)

By: DaeSu

DaeSu — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:49:37 +0000

@Frankie2: Why don't we just switch the question to bands we want to punch in the face?

By: Frankie2

Frankie2 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:42:54 +0000

I have to say The Ponys. I like their music enough to catch them when they tour, but i've seen them twice now and I still can't figure out what it is that makes me what to curl up and nap on the dance floor, but that's exactly what it's like.

Also, death cab. not that i really listen to them, but every time i see ben or that duche with the fucking curls at his temples... i just want to punch those guys in the face.

By: slowlybutsurly

slowlybutsurly — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:41:11 +0000

AFI was the first band that came to mind. With a lot of the others- don’t want to see OR hear them.

By: Bob Loblaw

Bob Loblaw — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:40:19 +0000

Albert Hammond and his entitled smirk.

By: The Illiterate

The Illiterate — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:45:12 +0000

Years ago, before I'd ever heard of Funkadelic, I came across a copy of America Eats Its Young in a cut-out bin. This was when I was just out of high school and was buying almost every interesting looking record I came across. But that album cover scared me to death and stupidly (not stoopidly) put me off the band for years.

Just about every 70s southern rock band I can think of. Something about all that long wavy hair irritated the hell out of me (no offense, Ned), even when the music was good.

Another corollary to this is bands that you write off because you can't stand their fans. I made that mistake with Led Zeppelin when I was in high school.

By: MayhemintheHood

MayhemintheHood — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:33:53 +0000

I thought about it some more, and I admit I liked MGMT’s “Electric Feel”…until I saw the video. It’s seriously one of the dumbest videos i’ve ever seen, and I can’t listen to any of that bands music anymore. Not that I really did in the first place, but there’s a full on embargo now.

By: ITMS

ITMS — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:28:54 +0000

I have such a disdain for The Ting Tings ever since I first saw the video for “That’s Not My Name”. It got to the point that I would mutter various expletives every time I passed by a poster for them or Duffy.

By: GhostOfDuane

GhostOfDuane — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:25:10 +0000

Apples in Stereo. Saw them on Colbert the other night and they really irritated me. Not so much the singer but the caped crusader on keys behind him. The song was also irritating, but watching them play the song only worsened the deal. I might say the same about Vampire Weekend – in both cases, the band is distinctively less annoying when you don’t have to look at them… But they’re both still pretty damn annoying. I’ll try to think of another example.

By: NickEddy

NickEddy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:58:33 +0000

Hold Steady. Also: don't make me listen to them, either.

The Ark are amazing. The most recent not so much, but they are genius. I've been ranting about this for a couple of years. "The Most Radical Thing to Do" is particularly great. Sez me.

By: RaptorAvatar

RaptorAvatar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:53:01 +0000

My most recent example is Of Montreal. I’d heard snatches of their stuff and it hadn’t pushed me one way or the other. “Oh, more inoffensive indiepop. OK, but probably sucking up some of the oxygen that could be going to a band with substance.” Then there was the Outback thing and I’m like, “Really? This piratey looking motherfucker is selling out The Fonda and getting massive acclaim for writing steakhouse jingles that are about Ayn Rand or something?” Then, two months ago or so, I saw that awesome quote “We want our film to be beautiful, not realistic.” on AIM or facebook or something, tracked down the source, and got totally sucked into “Hissing Fauna.” I’ve pretty much been listening to it 3 or 4 times a week for over a month now, definitely one of the better records I’ve slept on out of shallow arrogance in the past year or so.

By: SomeSound-MostlyFury

SomeSound-MostlyFury — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:47:38 +0000

My Chemical Romance, Panic at the Disco, Fountains of Wayne, Phantom Planet

By: MayhemintheHood

MayhemintheHood — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:45:08 +0000

@Ned Raggett: I saw BRMC open for Kings of Leon last year. I was actually already a fan, but I even found myself bored...mostly for the same reason. They looked bored as hell, which rubbed off on me. Maybe they were just high as hell, and I wasn't. Who knows.

Interpol comes to mind. Love their stuff but those dudes are stiffs on stage, for the most part; body language and facial expressions.

By: Rob Murphy

Rob Murphy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:43:26 +0000

I’ve never seen her in-person live (tho her concert DVD is pretty awesome), but, c’mon: Amy Winehouse