Share more of your unpopular music opinions!

I enjoyed the hell out of the original https://bbs.boingboing.net/t/share-your-unpopular-music-opinions/ thread which sadly is closed. This is a topic in fascinated in so I’m hoping to continue it here in a non-time bombed fashion.

I’ll start: Chumbawamba. Criminally underrated. Yeah, Tubthumper was coopted by the SportsBro set and played into the ground but by and large their catalog is pretty damn good. I would argue they could well be the official band of Boing Boing.

I largely wrote them off another commercial poppy sensation after Tubthumper until I heard of them collaborating with Negativland. Now, that had me intrigued. I came to learn that their music was incredibly interesting and subversive. That they were huge activists, and practiced what they preached - rather than using their profits after “selling out” to buy gold plated swimming pools filled with money, they put their money right back into activism. As an example when GM purchased the rights to use one of their songs, they gave all the money to anti-corporate organizations.

Anyway this thread is about the music. They had a very diverse catalog running the gamut from punk inspired to folk music. A lot of it is pretty great.

Here’s a perennial favorite of mine (if you don’t laugh at this, then you are probably a member of Metallica):

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I really only remember Tubthumpin and Amnesia. And the whole pouring a bucket of water over John Prescott thing.

I’d suspect @the_borderer could talk about their political activity more.

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Agreed. Thanks for making an immortal thread.

That’s a bold statement. Part of the charm is everyone having their own weird, and obviously wrong, tastes. Sometimes I’m amazed that agreement formed around the colours white, black, and red. If any band were to win a popularity context, I’d place my bets on Talking Heads.

Still, will give your pals Chumbawumba props for this:

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Justin Bieber is the reason we should all fear late stage capitalism.

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What better thread to manufacture controversy than one about musical tastes, eh?

Funny you should bring up Talking Heads. Here’s a potentially pitchfork worthy statement: I’ve never really been a fan. Something about David Byrne’s singing and delivery has just always really grated on me.

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Drummers are the most important part of the band. They are engines of order to reign in the chaos that is, frankly, everyone else.

I’ve been in bands. Usually as Lead/Rhythm guitar and/or songwriter. It’s a weird dynamic.

The drummer makes or breaks the music, not anyone else.

The singer, once everything else is sorted, brings the audience. (Which is why they always get to name the band. Total crap.)

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Here lies ActuallyARegular. Torn asunder by a mob of angry bassists.

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A good bassist is invaluable.

Somebody has to go get the pizza while everyone else does their thing.

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How can you tell when the drum riser is level?

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@OtherMichael is totes wrong about Jazz Flute

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I like Let It Go.

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In some great bands, all of the members are drummers.

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In September Ⅰ went to a Jazz concert in NYC. The band consisted of four drummers playing a full drum kit each and nothing else! It was surprisingly good and “listenable”. One of the drummers was actually the one who plays the drums on the Late Show with Colbert! That concert took place a week before the first episode.

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What did the drummer get on his SATs?

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I think that they’re usually covered with antennae and solar panels.

I’ve seen Les Percussions de Strasbourg live, and it was impressive. I think they tend to call themselves an ensemble rather than band, though. :smiley:

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Drummers who own their own van are the most important member of the band. FTFY.

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Nope. Nope nope nope. If the drummer is your foundation, you have a foundation built on sand. The bassist you don’t hear is the foundation.

(Is this an unpopular opinion, or popular?)

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I mean Drummers are kind of flaky. But compared to bass players?

I used to be the flaky one, then i met a fiddler who gives a croissant a run for its money regarding flaky.

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