A New Year of Music: Volume I: Most Over-rated Bands

Let me begin by saying this is the first of four music-related posts I will be writing over the next several days, in an effort to wrap up the year of 2010 and lead into 2011. This particular list is in no way meant to be read “These bands suck”. But the title most certainly could be “Bands that it’s cool to like.” Not to start out an a negative note, but let’s get the downer out of the way so we can move onto the goods.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – Drunk chicks like just about anything. Also, they can make or break a band. That said, the guys in DMB are utterly talented musicians, there is no argument there. Perhaps the thing I hate the most is when DMB fans act like if I don’t think it’s the greatest band in the friggin’ world that I must not know good music from a hole in the ground, that I am tasteless, and my opinion can basically be dismissed, not only on music, but on anything. “You liked Avater? Well you don’t like Dave Matthews, so you’re an idiot.” Um, what? They have some good music. I’m not saying otherwise. I particularly like the live, improvised jams. I have fond memories of my freshman college roommate playing some of their live stuff in the room late at night or early in the morning, and I would lay in bed and listen, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anytime you can work violin and horns into rock music and make it work, I’m a fan. I actually own three DMB records. But here’s the thing: I rarely, strike that…I never get the urge to sit down and listen to DMB. And that’s usually how I can tell that a band is one of my favorites. I have the desire to sit down and just listen.

U2 – The Edge, the best guitarist in the world? You’re kidding me, right? Saying that is roughly equivalent to putting Tom Morello in the Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock game. I mean, I like Rage Against the Machine and everything, but best guitarists in the world? I think not. These guys have some great songs, modern classics: “With or without you”, “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “In the Name of Love” and one of my personal favorites from this band “Where The Streets Have No Name”. But Bono isn’t God. The Edge isn’t Jesus in guitarist form. Every record they release is not the second, third or fourth coming. The heavens do not part. The earth does not shake. Especially since on recent records they’re sound has become something of an amorphous blob of noise, one instrument indistinguishable from the next, and Bono’s voice is more of a croon than actual singing. I wish I had been alive back when they were first getting started, because I think it was probably something really special. But recently, they haven’t stayed relevant.

KINGS OF LEON – The coolest band that no one ever heard of until they did and then everyone loved them. Hey, I like “Use Somebody” as much as the next guy, the first time I heard it. And the second. Even the third. But by the 336, 297^th time, I was done. Seriously, play something else.

RADIOHEAD – The ultimate coolest band to like. If you’re a musician and you say you’re not a Radiohead fan, there is an actual task force that comes to your home, repossesses your instruments and brainwashes you until they are the only band you listen to.

NINE INCH NAILS – There is no other band that I have attempted to get into more times than NIN. I just. Don’t. Get it. To hear some people talk, this band is revolutionary. Pioneers. Legends. I think it might be one of those things where a band has inspired so many other people to make music that they end up becoming legends because of that, even though their music isn’t all that great.

Next up: MOST UNDERRATED BANDS