What Makes A Band Unique?
August 20th 2007 03:05
This past week I was traveling and listening to Gorgol Bordello Link to video and enjoying it a lot. As we drove I begin to think “What makes a band unique or unmistakable? Does unique mean one of a kind, so it is not possible for there to be degrees of uniqueness? In that case a band is either unique or not. Or maybe I needed to distinguish between unique and unmistakable. Eddie Vedder's voice is unmistakable, but Pearl Jam as a group isn’t really unique.” (There was more in this inner dialogue but won’t bore you with the details.) Do unique bands use instruments in unusual ways or just plain uses unusual instruments? Is it the fact there are no spin-off bands that sets them apart from other bands? I think there are a lot of bands that possess unique sounds, its just trying to find a band that has a listenable unique sound that is difficult To me it is their ability to do this and still remain original is what truly makes the band unique in my humble opinion. These bands may not be most people’s favorites but I enjoy them because they are in their own league.
I thought I would venture way off the beaten path with some of these recommendations of bands that might fit your criteria of unique or unmistakeable:
Mindless Self Indulgence (commonly referred to as MSI) is an American-based band. The band describes their music as "industrial jungle pussy punk." MSI has been described at an “ inflammatory band mixing punk rock and driving electronic music”. The lead singer James Euringer (who uses the stage name Little Jimmy Urine) wears fishnet shirts at concerts, and is occasionally seen in neon stockings, shorts or pants with the inside cut out.
The band's musical influence comes from early 1980s culture. Frequently the music contains
samples of early 80's hip-hop or rock, as well as Atari-style beeps and tones. Indeed, their second album as a band, 1999's Tight, was allegedly mixed on Atari equipment.
The band's energetic live shows have gained them much recognition. The band is known to stay after the show has finished, signing whatever fans want until not one person is left wanting an autograph. They also take photographs with all desiring fans. Although this may be the case, with some songs being of a 'juvenile' subject and tone, they also use clever lyrics and stance to give meaning to songs, such as "You'll Rebel to Anything", which talks about how punk culture is “being exploited by misdirected youths as a way to be unique or get noticed”. For the band no topic is too offensive or sensitive to be ridiculed.
Fantôma: Formed by Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle fame in 1998, this endeavor began as an experimental album of extended music. Patton performed it himself then sent recordings to various musicians to see how they would play the parts. Patton was joined on a unchanged (to this day) line-up of Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) on bass, Buzz Osbourne (Melvins) and Dave Lombado of Slayer behind the drum kit.
This avant garde metal band settled on the name Fantômas which honors an anti-hero from a series of pre-WWI French crime novels, sometimes dubbed the “lord of terror.” Fantômas’ have regaled listeners with a sci-fi homage, reinterpretations of motion picture theme songs, as well as twisted cartoon music. In 2005, the band recorded Delirium Cordia, an extended song with the concept of surgery without anesthesia.
They Might Be Giants: You know that "Far Side" cartoon in which, in split panels, people are lined up to be handed a certain something by angels and demons, with the captions reading, respectively, "Welcome to heaven. Here's your harp" and "Welcome to hell. Here's your accordion"? Here's the dilemma: They Might Be Giants do use accordions (seemingly in every other song, along with horns, organs, violin, and of course guitar), but the results sure aren't hellish. They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is an experimental alternative rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh in 1982.
The two Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh) are something of an acquired taste, admittedly; to play an accordion invariably leads you to produce an offputting oom-pah-pah sound, and when you pair that with Linnell's nasal vocals, one is tempted to frantically reach for the off button. And if that ain't enough, watch some of their videos, some of the wackiest dance routines this side of Bizarro comics. (Look down. Scowl. Place palm on crown of head. Grab shirt. Pull shirt forward. March in lockstep.) Most of the Giants' new videos have been imaginatively captioned, too, meaning deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers can join in the fun.
Kraftwerk: This robotic, repetitive, all-electronic music influenced virtually every synthesizer band that followed in its wake. In the mid-'70s the German group literally invented the man-machine sound and image. In 1970 Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, who had met studying classical music at the Dusseldorf Conservatory took the name Kraftwerk ("power plant") and began experimenting with integrating mechanized sounds from everyday life into music.
Following numerous lineup changes, they found immediate success with their first U.S. release, Autobahn, which went Top 5. The requisite hit was an edited version of the 22-minute minimalist title track about a monotonous journey along the famed German–Austrian superhighway. David Bowie cited Ralf and Florian as an influence for his Low and “Heroes” albums. (There is some evidence that Bowie’s “V-2 Schneider” is a tribute.) Kraftwerk confirmed its cold, conceptualist image with “Trans-Europe Express” and “Showroom Dummies,” both of which became late-’70s disco hits. In 1977 the group toured the U.S. playing electronic instruments and dressed in mannequin outfits. The members later threatened to tour by sending over robots in lieu of themselves while they rested in their studio.
The Beta Band: A Scottish musical group who received much critical acclaim and have achieved cult status among avid followers of the underground and experimental music scene. Their style was described as being “folk hop”. The Beta Band formed in 1996 around Edinburgh musicians Steve Mason and Gordon Anderson and later drafted bassist Richard Greentree. The group's first EP, 1997's Champion Versions, featured mixing by the Verve's Nick McCabe. Two additional EPs followed in early 1998, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos.
After collecting all three EPs on an album, the Beta Band began recording for their proper debut, a self-titled effort released in 1999. Initial recordings for their next LP began around the same time; after self-producing the record and subsequently passing it over to Nigel Godrich for a final mix, the group released Heroes to Zeros in spring 2004. Just a few months later, the Beta Band announced they would disband at the end of 2004, citing the frustration of much critical praise but no commercial impact. The band members were incredibly reclusive, giving the impression that they live somewhere in the highlands, wandering down occasionally only to record an EP or three; practically no press accompanied the releases, and they seemed determined to let their music, and only their music, do the talking. The Beta Band's blend of so many disparate genres is very odd, but it's also instantly listenable and keeps you coming back for repeated listens without ever getting old.
I thought I would venture way off the beaten path with some of these recommendations of bands that might fit your criteria of unique or unmistakeable:
Mindless Self Indulgence (commonly referred to as MSI) is an American-based band. The band describes their music as "industrial jungle pussy punk." MSI has been described at an “ inflammatory band mixing punk rock and driving electronic music”. The lead singer James Euringer (who uses the stage name Little Jimmy Urine) wears fishnet shirts at concerts, and is occasionally seen in neon stockings, shorts or pants with the inside cut out.
The band's musical influence comes from early 1980s culture. Frequently the music contains
samples of early 80's hip-hop or rock, as well as Atari-style beeps and tones. Indeed, their second album as a band, 1999's Tight, was allegedly mixed on Atari equipment.
The band's energetic live shows have gained them much recognition. The band is known to stay after the show has finished, signing whatever fans want until not one person is left wanting an autograph. They also take photographs with all desiring fans. Although this may be the case, with some songs being of a 'juvenile' subject and tone, they also use clever lyrics and stance to give meaning to songs, such as "You'll Rebel to Anything", which talks about how punk culture is “being exploited by misdirected youths as a way to be unique or get noticed”. For the band no topic is too offensive or sensitive to be ridiculed.
Fantôma: Formed by Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle fame in 1998, this endeavor began as an experimental album of extended music. Patton performed it himself then sent recordings to various musicians to see how they would play the parts. Patton was joined on a unchanged (to this day) line-up of Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) on bass, Buzz Osbourne (Melvins) and Dave Lombado of Slayer behind the drum kit.
This avant garde metal band settled on the name Fantômas which honors an anti-hero from a series of pre-WWI French crime novels, sometimes dubbed the “lord of terror.” Fantômas’ have regaled listeners with a sci-fi homage, reinterpretations of motion picture theme songs, as well as twisted cartoon music. In 2005, the band recorded Delirium Cordia, an extended song with the concept of surgery without anesthesia.
They Might Be Giants: You know that "Far Side" cartoon in which, in split panels, people are lined up to be handed a certain something by angels and demons, with the captions reading, respectively, "Welcome to heaven. Here's your harp" and "Welcome to hell. Here's your accordion"? Here's the dilemma: They Might Be Giants do use accordions (seemingly in every other song, along with horns, organs, violin, and of course guitar), but the results sure aren't hellish. They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is an experimental alternative rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh in 1982.
The two Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh) are something of an acquired taste, admittedly; to play an accordion invariably leads you to produce an offputting oom-pah-pah sound, and when you pair that with Linnell's nasal vocals, one is tempted to frantically reach for the off button. And if that ain't enough, watch some of their videos, some of the wackiest dance routines this side of Bizarro comics. (Look down. Scowl. Place palm on crown of head. Grab shirt. Pull shirt forward. March in lockstep.) Most of the Giants' new videos have been imaginatively captioned, too, meaning deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers can join in the fun.
Kraftwerk: This robotic, repetitive, all-electronic music influenced virtually every synthesizer band that followed in its wake. In the mid-'70s the German group literally invented the man-machine sound and image. In 1970 Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, who had met studying classical music at the Dusseldorf Conservatory took the name Kraftwerk ("power plant") and began experimenting with integrating mechanized sounds from everyday life into music.
Following numerous lineup changes, they found immediate success with their first U.S. release, Autobahn, which went Top 5. The requisite hit was an edited version of the 22-minute minimalist title track about a monotonous journey along the famed German–Austrian superhighway. David Bowie cited Ralf and Florian as an influence for his Low and “Heroes” albums. (There is some evidence that Bowie’s “V-2 Schneider” is a tribute.) Kraftwerk confirmed its cold, conceptualist image with “Trans-Europe Express” and “Showroom Dummies,” both of which became late-’70s disco hits. In 1977 the group toured the U.S. playing electronic instruments and dressed in mannequin outfits. The members later threatened to tour by sending over robots in lieu of themselves while they rested in their studio.
The Beta Band: A Scottish musical group who received much critical acclaim and have achieved cult status among avid followers of the underground and experimental music scene. Their style was described as being “folk hop”. The Beta Band formed in 1996 around Edinburgh musicians Steve Mason and Gordon Anderson and later drafted bassist Richard Greentree. The group's first EP, 1997's Champion Versions, featured mixing by the Verve's Nick McCabe. Two additional EPs followed in early 1998, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos.
After collecting all three EPs on an album, the Beta Band began recording for their proper debut, a self-titled effort released in 1999. Initial recordings for their next LP began around the same time; after self-producing the record and subsequently passing it over to Nigel Godrich for a final mix, the group released Heroes to Zeros in spring 2004. Just a few months later, the Beta Band announced they would disband at the end of 2004, citing the frustration of much critical praise but no commercial impact. The band members were incredibly reclusive, giving the impression that they live somewhere in the highlands, wandering down occasionally only to record an EP or three; practically no press accompanied the releases, and they seemed determined to let their music, and only their music, do the talking. The Beta Band's blend of so many disparate genres is very odd, but it's also instantly listenable and keeps you coming back for repeated listens without ever getting old.
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Comment by Chic Critique
Cheers
CC
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Mis
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
There are some old ones there ....ooooooooooooooooo
Not that I'm old of course.
katyzzz
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Althought Kraftwerk paved the way for electronic music, they had very limited widespread appeal. Herbie Hancock and his crew drew on Kraftwerk's kwork? HAHAHA any hoo I love this
Unique???? It's capturing lightning in a bottle!
I think that some of the old school "unique" bands would be Led Zeppelin, (of course) Queen, and Rush.
What do you hink?
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
As you know music is universal and spans all ages....
Not that I'm old of course.
Me either
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Excellent Point friend!
Mis
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
and the heir
of a shyness that criminally vulgar
I am the son and heir
of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
Gives me shivers.....
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Ground Breaking
Alternative
These days those terms have been hyjacked by the commercial music labels.
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Robert Smith makes my lady parts tingle! [wink]
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I feel ya' .... so irritating.... MCR are not groundbreaking and Fall Out Boys are not alternative.
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I just want to have a cup of tea with him....
Comment by Logan
Groovenomics
George Clinton's sense of style is unique...
the front man's mustache makes gogol bordello unique haha...and slightly intimidating.
Zappa has some unique lyrics..Billy the Mountain anyone? Penguin in Bondage?
jeff buckley had a unique voice...well...that probably goes under unmistakenable...as well as tom waits...
hmm..uniquenss, though, can be slightly over rated lol
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
woah there are some interesting videos there... smack the granny in the mouth why don`t you guy?
I think I agree with Tracy that the lyrics make a band unique. It seems like with a lot of music coming out recently there have been hours poured over them... I mean it must take hours to work out a song that has all of 5 words to it.
I think for me the others fall under the 'Rather Strange' category! Not for me to judge - we all have to have our creative outlet. I`d just like to get paid the same millions for mine that 5 word lyric song writers get
ash
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I just want to have a cup of tea with him....
Oh would that not be grand? So much to know!
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
George Clinton's sense of style is unique...
Agreed...he is full up with it
the front man's mustache makes gogol bordello unique haha...and slightly intimidating.
I think that his 'stache adds to the whimsy
Zappa
Old School unique fo sho
Love me some Jeff Buckley and Tom Waits
hmm..uniquenss, though, can be slightly over rated lol
SOOOOO TRUE!
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Great points. Creative outlets are important but I am surprised at what is considered marketable. I am amazed that creative folks can earn a living (very hard sometimes)....Thanks for hanging out with me!
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
You are such a funny guy!!!!
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I think I made it sound like I want to have a cuppa with Morrissey, as much as I love him and his lyrics, it's Robert I really want to talk to....and kiss.....and talk about lyrics...aaahhhh, what a dream.
Tracy
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Oh great post. You've really got me thinking now. I agree totally with you on Kraftwerk, They Might Be Giants, Fantoma and the Beta Band. Oh yeah, and the Cure (i love robert smith too!).
I'd put The Eels in as a unique band too. It's really only Mr E in the band and they have studio musicians. Weird idea for a pseudonym.
It's actually quite hard to come up with bands that are truly unique. Most are unmistakeable rather than unique!
I'll be off to ponder some more'
Kylie
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
That probably would be best, I'd be in safe and loving hands
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Robert Smith is so yummy sister!
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you like the bands I chose. Thanks for the addition of the Eels.....
It's actually quite hard to come up with bands that are truly unique. Most are unmistakeable rather than unique!
I agree!
I'll be off to ponder some more'
Hope to see you soon!
Mis
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
You girls crack me up!
Mis