Favorite bands..that sound awful..

I was just reminded about the fact that some of my favorite bands/musicians...are really hard to listen to.
I don't mean the recording quality...I mean the music itself.

Example...Robert Wyatt....god I love this guy, but sometimes it hurts my ears.

=FB=

Used to be Verucca Salt.

NOTHING beats The Shags.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyDwIYXOE7g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN9UT2zF8c8&feature=related

I have the Shaggs on CD somewhere.  It is indescribably awful, but is some of the best musical humor I own.  The liner notes must be read to complete the experience.  "Favorite" would be a stretch, however. 

The Rezillos!!!!!  What timing?    Pearls Before Swine. Van Der Graaf Generator.
Hatfield and the North. My head's beginning to spin

Van Der Graff!  Vital Live is one of my favorite records that everyone else hates.  The band pours-out their guts, literally.
Wire.  They seeded so much creativity in other bands, but they get no props.  Especially their post-punk period.  But it is rare that anyone else can take them.
Amon Düül II.  Oh. . . they just stink period.
Mike

And who could forget the late, great Wesley Willis?

Fantômas might qualify for this thread, as in: lovely music, well played, but sometimes pretty... ehhh, demanding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fant%C3%B4mas_(band)

I'm now pretty used to it, but maybe I shouldn't be... 



BTW, I recall reading that a lot of people both felt some kind of love AND hate towards the Beefheart album Trout Mask Replica... can imagine that, but again, used to it now  :


BTW #2, The Butthole Surfers did a pretty good job sounding awful as well  8) 

I have an album called "Journey" by Kingdom Come, fronted by good old Arthur Brown. It can be hard to listen to, but I still enjoy it.

About anything on Irwin Chusid's compliation CDs "Songs in the Key of Z".  I think perhaps Jandek is my favorite on Vol. 1.  Totally demented and dangerous.

Of course The Shaggs are all-time.

Hey, Irwin Chusid, that rings a bell, didn't he also compile those three yummy Space Age Pop samplers ?

sodderboy said:

Wire.  They seeded so much creativity in other bands, but they get no props.  Especially their post-punk period.  But it is rare that anyone else can take them.

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One of my all time favorites. Most of my musical friends feel the same way.

clintrubber said:

BTW #2, The Butthole Surfers did a pretty good job sounding awful as well  8) 

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Another one of my all time favorites. I don't think either one sounds awful. I want to live in that world. "Creamed Corn from the Socket of Davis" Who loves ya baby.

Grahme Parker  "Parkerilla" 8) album

Gold said:

clintrubber said:

BTW #2, The Butthole Surfers did a pretty good job sounding awful as well  8) 

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Another one of my all time favorites. I don't think either one sounds awful. I want to live in that world. "Creamed Corn from the Socket of Davis" Who loves ya baby.

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I realize I should have made clear that 'awful' can be 'very nice' in my book, and especially in the case of De Poepgat Plankzeilers (as they were often called 'back then' on Dutch national radio   )
I've seen them about 3 times and especially the first time was one of the weirdest shows I've seen (and I've seen & see a few).   "I want to live in that world", you say it mighty fine  ;D  

Butterylicious said:

Neubauten

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I saw them in the california desert.
We were so drunk, it sounded great.

Others:

The Residents
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDDVXlEG-_I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krmowThBYUk


Kalahari Surfers
http://www.rhythmrecords.co.za/music/847/Kalahari-Surfers/Volume-1---The-Eighties

Der Plan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtR5yjw-mnQ


=FB=

Zen Guerilla.
They sadly never managed to bring out a good sounding record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2klwXrt4AU&feature=related

Anyone know them?

I totally forgot to mention Motörhead, imho until Ace Of Spades their albums didn't sound that good, hissy cymbals etc. Ace Of Spades sounded so much better than the stuff before, refreshing dynamic sound in comparison.

Oh, and Hüsker Dü.  Some great songs, but the recordings suck (IMO).  Maybe it was just the SST stuff.  Bob Mould's solo recordings proved he could also sound good.

AnalogPackrat said:

Oh, and Hüsker Dü.  Some great songs, but the recordings suck (IMO).  Maybe it was just the SST stuff.  Bob Mould's solo recordings proved he could also sound good.

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I'm with you on that 

As it happens I had a listen again to a modest pile of HD-stuff recently and the poor weirdly processed sound struck me. Drums sound weird. OK, that dentist-drill guitar sound will have been intentional (dist-box-right-into-desk, it might well be true)
W.r.t. bass, the main comment would not be the sound* at first but the ehh, 'uncomfortable way' he's playing, dunno how else to describe it. 'Unsteady' might be another attempt here. But nice songs indeed, if we'd be 'improving' their sound we might not get the thing they did accomplish.

Bye,

  Peter


*: that's apart from LndSpdRcrd, wasn't there chorus on bass 100% of the time ?!  :