I’m just not that into you…List of Bands I Can’t Seem To Like
With the recent back-hand slapping I received on my review of Moron Says What?!?!’s live performance in Auckland, I wonder if maybe, truly, I was wrong. What if those raving critics and the loyal fans were right? After all, it was possible I just didn’t get MSW?!?! So I Hype Machined them, had a listen to a couple of their songs and read a few reviews. But I STILL don’t get it – it still just sounds to me like a group of high-school teenagers screwing around in a garage, and not necessarily the most inventive bunch either.Then it occurred to me that this has happened all too often: I’ve listened and listened to a band the critics would trade their kidney to be friends with, and not been convinced. I’ve had the ‘Why do I know you?’ look from friends who worship the stage a band plays on, but I don’t understand the hype. I’ve bought albums, I’ve gone to gigs, and I’ve been prepared to adjust my standards when the naivety is set to fade… but it never comes. So, for the sake of martyrdom, here are the Top 3 Bands I Just Can’t Get Into:
U2 – While I tend to avoid saying this out loud near for fear of sharp pointy objects becoming embedded in my skin, when a band are constantly referred to as ‘the best band on the planet’ it grinds me. It’s a matter of opinion you marketing morons, regardless of the amount of sales. No, I didn’t like The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, or How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, and I borrowed all three albums from a friend for over a month in an attempt to try. I find U2 too self-indulgent and over-hyped. In the end, I am just not a fan.
Wilco – With Wilco, I tried. And I mean, I really tried. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot found its way into my iTunes off the back of some glowing reviews, and I did listen to it… as background music to put me to sleep. I thank Wilco for treating my underlying insomnia, but that’s about as much praise as I can muster. Then A Ghost Is Born came out, and I tried again. Nada. Nothing. I still didn’t get it. I feel like the slow indie rock thing Wilco has going on had been tried, tested, and accomplished to a much more successful degree before. Jeff Tweedy’s voice reminds me of someone swaying on stage in one of those late-night seedy bars, with a karaoke microphone in hand and a glass of beer in the other. Not a good image.
La Roux – There is a La Roux song on the radio every five minutes. My flat mate loves them, and they seem catchy enough, but the overwhelming synths that dominate every song are too much of a put-off for me. I’ve said it all before here.
So, let the judgements against my character commence. For those of you who found your way here searching for a taste of your favourite artist, I feel a little bad. So here are some MP3s. On the flipside though, tell me your thoughts: Got any bands to add to the list? Or if you want to try and convince me otherwise, please try! Seriously.
U2 – With or Without You
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
Wilco – Jesus, Etc.
Wilco – I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
La Roux – I’m Not Your Toy
La Roux – Bulletproof
I am with you on Wilco. It is staggering how many of my friends are in love with them and total diehards for their music. I even saw them 20 feet back on the main stage at Bonnaroo one year, and still nothing…