Random Music Talk LXVIII: Antipodean Sporting Edition

[LemonMelon]

Someone should buy the album and let us know if those are the liner notes he's unfurling.

 

[Dalton]

Some might even call my taste in music "redonkulous"

 

[PhilsFan]

I don't follow Muse at all, but is that thing in the title about the thought police an actual lyric from one of their songs? I cringe every time I see that thread pop up.

 

[LemonMelon]

Yeah, it's from Resistance.

Of course, the idea of a Thought Police goes back at least as far as George Orwell.

 

[Imperor]

It's not a Muse song without some ham-fisted conspiracy horseshit.

 

[PhilsFan]

That's the Museiest Muse lyric that ever Mused.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Yeah, it's simply hate for the hype.

Which seems kind of pointless to me, 'cause music gets hyped all the time, it's the nature of things. If it's genuinely not to someone's liking, cool, but to automatically decide to hate something because everyone's hyping it up doesn't make sense to me.

And then there's the whole thing about how if a song or band sounds even slightly different from a lot of what's on the radio, it's going to get noticed. Of course, these guys wouldn't stick out in the indie/folk world at all, but if you hear them on a top 40 station amongst people like Katy Perry or the fifteenth song about going out to the club on the weekend or whatever, I can see where people would latch on to Mumford & Sons or artists like that.

That said, I've only heard, like, three songs by these guys, two from their last album and the single from the new one. They're okay *Shrugs*. I'm with Cori on this one.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I don't follow Muse at all, but is that thing in the title about the thought police an actual lyric from one of their songs? I cringe every time I see that thread pop up.

As noted, yes.

And I like the song it's from. Very U2-ish and pretty.

 

[u2popmofo]

I can certainly understand getting annoyed by hearing the same band / songs on the radio and TV all the time. I've even become annoyed by songs I really like because of that. For that reason, I pretty much only listen to independent / public radio or oldies / classic rock stations now. Seems to have solved the problem quite well.

 

[PhilsFan]

Which seems kind of pointless to me, 'cause music gets hyped all the time, it's the nature of things. If it's genuinely not to someone's liking, cool, but to automatically decide to hate something because everyone's hyping it up doesn't make sense to me.

And then there's the whole thing about how if a song or band sounds even slightly different from a lot of what's on the radio, it's going to get noticed. Of course, these guys wouldn't stick out in the indie/folk world at all, but if you hear them on a top 40 station amongst people like Katy Perry or the fifteenth song about going out to the club on the weekend or whatever, I can see where people would latch on to Mumford & Sons or artists like that.

That said, I've only heard, like, three songs by these guys, two from their last album and the single from the new one. They're okay *Shrugs*. I'm with Cori on this one.

Well, it's not exactly pointless. The frustration comes from a place where most popular songs are people like Katy Perry, and that every spot taken up by a more traditional music act is rare. You want the ones ascending into popularity to be the best. And when people think the best indie/folk band out there right now is Mumford & Sons, it's pretty frustrating.

It bothers me that people think Mumford & Sons are so great because all it tells me is that they haven't listened to so many of the great acts out there in similar genres.

 

[Dalton]

Or they've listened to Mumford & Sons and realized they're really fucking great.

 

[Dalton]

And who listens to the radio?

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

And who listens to the radio?

Delmon Young, probably.

 

[Dalton]

Haha. True. While swinging at an 0-2 slider on the outside part of the plate. Every. Time.

 

[PhilsFan]

Or they've listened to Mumford & Sons and realized they're really fucking great.

What is the appeal for you? I don't find anything about them interesting.

 

[cobl04]

And when people think the best indie/folk band out there right now is Mumford & Sons, it's pretty frustrating.

It bothers me that people think Mumford & Sons are so great because all it tells me is that they haven't listened to so many of the great acts out there in similar genres.

This times a trillion.

 

[Dalton]

What is the appeal for you? I don't find anything about them interesting.

I enjoy the energy of their songs. I enjoy both their melodies and harmonies and whomever plays the banjo does a damn fine job.

I find most of Animal Collective's catalogue hit or miss at best. It doesn't do anything for me, but I'd be a fool to call them average because of that.

 

[PhilsFan]

I enjoy the energy of their songs. I enjoy both their melodies and harmonies and whomever plays the banjo does a damn fine job.

I find most of Animal Collective's catalogue hit or miss at best. It doesn't do anything for me, but I'd be a fool to call them average because of that.

Who would call Animal Collective average? I'm not sure what you're getting at. Besides, I think Mumford & Sons are boring and lacking in creativity (if you're going to rely solely on melodies, you're going to have to do something else interesting or be really great lyrically or have a great voice, none of which are things they do), not average. I feel like we're talking past each other here.

I'm not exactly a huge Animal Collective fan, either. I liked Meriweather Post Pavilion, but most of the rest of their catalogue is hit or miss for me as well.

 

[Dalton]

What an interesting conversation.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Just look at these fucking hipsters.

To weigh in on the hate for these guys...

First, it's their music. I don't listen to mainstream radio, but I do listen to satellite. These guys have been all over the alternative rock station, so when they first came out, I listened. Not my cup of tea. And then it became "OH MY GOD MUMFORD & SONS ARE SO ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE. HAVE YOU HEARD LITTLE LION MAN? PLAYING BANJO AND USING THE WORD FUCK? SO EDGY!11!! BEST SONG EVER!@!12111" So I listened again and could not for the life of me figure out why people thought they were so special. I've given them a chance, and I sincerely do not care for their music in any way, shape, or form.

It does seem to be the phenomenon that Peef described--people with pretty narrow music exposure hear these guys, who are different from the average, and fall in love with them. But fans with diverse tastes who go out of their way to find music know that there's so much more out there that really is unique and original, with stronger lyrics and vocals. So yes, they do also garner some hatred for the hype, because many see it as undeserved. I'm not saying all M&S fans are narrow in their taste or exploration of music, but for my friends who like this band, that is absolutely the case. Anything else I could say really was said by IWB in her post earlier. This band and their fans think they're fresh out of a new galaxy of music, and that's just not the case. The hype isn't justified, and that leaves a bad taste in the mouth of lots of music fans. And expressing our opinions on music is the whole point of this thread, so here we are.

ETA: Oh. And I think the name of their band is stupid, for what that's worth.

 

[lazarus]

More like Mumford And SUCKS, amirite??

 

[LemonMelon]

Boring & Lifeless

 

[cobl04]

Met an extremely hot paralympian this morning. And I have her number. For "work purposes".

 

[u2popmofo]

I haven't even bought the album, but I think Jens Lekman's songs I Know What Love Isn't and I Want A Pair of Cowboy Boots are two of my favorite songs this year. Always crazy to me when a guy who doesn't speak English natively can write songs with 10x better lyrics than those who do.

Jens Lekman - I Want A Pair Of Cowboy Boots (Acoustic at Bengans, Stockholm - 2012-09-16) - YouTube

 

[corianderstem]

I don't think I've ever heard a word the band has said in interviews, and haven't heard anyone proclaim them the greatest thing in music or the hottest indie bluegrass whatnot.

Maybe that's helped in my finding them completely inoffensive.

Although the Head Mumford has a terrible haircut.

 

[bono_212]

I thought the Mumford & Sons album was nice on first listen. Yeah, "nice." That's not a raving compliment, but honestly, I do not understand what it is about the band that inspires such love or such hate.

I don't get the hate part. I loved their first album because the music made me happy and also:

I enjoy the energy of their songs. I enjoy both their melodies and harmonies and whomever plays the banjo does a damn fine job.

This.

I don't follow Muse at all, but is that thing in the title about the thought police an actual lyric from one of their songs? I cringe every time I see that thread pop up.

Speaking of albums I am horrifically disappointed by. I can't even finish that new Muse album. I keep trying, but I don't think I've gotten further than 6 tracks in.

Who would call Animal Collective average?

Wow...

 

[bono_212]

And it's not like this shit doesn't happen all the fucking time. A band that's "indie" gets popular and the backlash hits them like a ton of bricks. I'm surprised Of Monsters and Men has managed to go pretty under the radar in the hatred department so far. Everyone's turning on Gotye, and I wonder how long it is before Take a Walk turns Passion Pit into the new .fun.

Seriously, this shit gets old. You guys have bitched about Mumford and Sons almost incessantly for the last two years. I'm pretty sure I've seen you guys go on about them more than I've had actual real life meetings with people who think they're remotely good, let alone love them.

 

[LemonMelon]

Mumford & Sons is a band with an inherently irritating image that got by on a few good but naggingly overplayed songs that all sounded the same. They released a lousy album.

Backlash? No wai!

 

[bono_212]

Mumford & Sons is a band with an inherently irritating image that got by on a few good but naggingly overplayed songs that all sounded the same. They released a lousy album.

Backlash? No wai!

You can't say the backlash is from the new album and the new album alone, that's asinine.

 

[LemonMelon]

You can't say the backlash is from the new album and the new album alone, that's asinine.

Oh, no, I'm just describing what is fueling the critical backlash to Babel, as well as my own bitching.

The backlash in general is from exactly what's being said above: ignorant people claiming Mumford & Sons is something that they aren't. The fact that they're merely OK is besides the point.

The meaningless, affected swearing is pretty bad though.