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Most Pretentious Band Ever Award

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Why?

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Come on! Who is it and why?

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

VU. Listen to "The Gift." Listen to "The Murder Mystery." Lou Reed--I'm a poet! Andy Warhol. German fashion model gimmick.
I'm not saying they're not amazing. But you have to admit, nobody was this pretentious before, and few bands have been this high-brow since.

― otto, Friday, 13 February 2004 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

well, it's gotta be Rick Wakeman and his ridiculous solo albums, surely.

― phil turnbull (philT), Friday, 13 February 2004 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Love em to pieces, but it's gotta be Cardinal.

― caspar (caspar), Friday, 13 February 2004 01:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Roger Waters

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Felt. and I love them too.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 13 February 2004 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex wins

― pete s, Friday, 13 February 2004 01:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Bono by himself gets the award for U2. Anything pretentious by the other members is merely frosting on the cake.

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Friday, 13 February 2004 01:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Either Cradle of Filth or Patti Smith (tho Lenny Kaye is a very down to earth dude)

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 13 February 2004 01:48 (twenty-two years ago)

-The Cure
-Bauhaus
_Marilyn Manson

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Sex Pistols.. I mean, these guys wanted to change the entire music scene. Could anybody possibly be more pretentious than that?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 13 February 2004 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I gotta go with Nico for now.

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

broken social scene.

Ugh....I can't even believe I graced them by typing the name.

Anyway, yeah, anyone who calls their band that needs to be stoned to death by an angry social mob.

― JesusMaryChain, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

TOOL!

― Josh Timmermann (Josh Timmermann), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Sex Pistols.. I mean, these guys wanted to change the entire music scene. Could anybody possibly be more pretentious than that?

Oh please. Don't believe the hype. Rotten may have talked big, but the other three just wanted to not have to work.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

How bout The Soundtrack of Our Lives? Talk about a pretentious name!

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't listen to Broken Social Scene for months because I hated the name so much. Now I'm glad I finally did. Anyone with a song called "I'm still your fag" is ultimately non-pretentious. "Lover's Spit" is another ironic gem, if you ask me.

― Etta, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

PINK FLOYD

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Fugazi take themselves so deathly seriously and are so insufferably earnest that I find them to be pretentious, but perhaps I should reserve this comment for the MOST INSUFFERABLY EARNEST BAND EVER AWARD thread.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

cradle of filth?!? wtf? they're like count chocula on acid ... what's pretentious about them?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Sex Pistols.. I mean, these guys wanted to change the entire music scene. Could anybody possibly be more pretentious than that?

Oh please. Don't believe the hype. Rotten may have talked big, but the other three just wanted to not have to work.

and maybe in retrospect it was all mclaren: combining the fine art of pretension with an undeniable skill at making money.

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

But Soundtrack of our Lives made an unabashedly great rock record. Hmmm....I didn't think it was contrived/pretentious at all, and instead totally embraced all the uncool things about rock at the time: flashy solos, a love for satin...

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

sountrack of our lives also sounds pretentious but the band isn't at all. anyone who saw them at coachella last year could't call them pretentious. earnest, maybe

― Etta, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Either Cradle of Filth or Patti Smith (tho Lenny Kaye is a very down to earth dude)

Cradle of Filth are a joke. You're not meant to take them seriously, thus they are not pretentious, but SPOT-ON RE: PATTI SMITH!!!!!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:29 (twenty-two years ago)

It'd be a terrible oversight not to mention Zimmerman, too - I just wish I wasn't the one who had to go and do it.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Dead Can Dance

― Etta, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

alex OTM re cradle of filth (one of dave q's best quotes -- that they're the british marilyn manson).

etta wins re dead can dance (though i do like them!)

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, but ya kinda want Dead Can Dance to be pretentious, don't you? I mean, icy austerity is part of their otherwordly mystique, n'est-ce que pas?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Radiohead

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:38 (twenty-two years ago)

AlexinNYC, using that logic then I'll grit my teeth and --

Belle & Sebastian

― Etta, Friday, 13 February 2004 03:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, miloauckerman, Radiohead is the answer. Somebody please lock this thread.
But if the thread must go on, I'll suggest Oasis and Echo and the Bunnymen as well.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Oasis aren't smart enough to be pretentious. Arrogant, yes, but not pretentious.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Oasis always struck me as being more pompous and delusional than pretentious.

― Josh Timmermann (Josh Timmermann), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

oasis are just a bunch of loud dumb-asses. if that's the sine qua non of "pretension," then ted nugent, andrew wk, and fifty-cent are 3 of the most "pretentious" motherfuckers ever.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Oasis aren't smart enough to be pretentious. Arrogant, yes, but not pretentious.
Yes, but they made believe that they could carry the torch for laddism while socialising with A-list celebrities, driving fancy cars, playing mega-festivals, and hobnobbing at political functions -- and think that they could get away with it because the record-buying public was too dumb to notice the hypocracy behind these actions. That, to me, is pretentious.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 13 February 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm...maybe you're right. I was going to argue that Oasis can't be considered because they weren't attempting to do anything groundbreaking while being dismissed in the process. But really, they were self-aggrandizing and self-serious, and thought that what they were doing WAS groundbreaking. And their efforts were really contrived, too....so maybe you're right.

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Being pompous is one thing, it's like being overconfident and self-assured to the point of becoming a nuiscence. This describes Oasis. But in addition, when you're driving a Porsche and still claiming to be a band for the working people, you've crossed a new line. And when you believe that nobody will notice that you've crossed that line, I think it makes you pretentious.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

but how does any of that make them different from the rolling stones, ice cube, or springsteen?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I know they had the odd good tune, and i've not heard very much of their output but ELO equal pretensiousness in my mind.

Also Duran Duran
Tears for Fears (pomposity overload)
U2
Moody Blues
Richard Ashcroft (so dull)
Kate Bush, tho i like her

― pete s, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

For great fun, read the Chomsky/Thom Yorke interview in last month's Resonance magazine. Wowza.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm kinda also having a hard time understanding how EATB were/are "pretentious." methinks that they also fall more on the "pompous" side than being all-out pretentious. i mean, most of the songs on ocean rain are tarted-up SEA CHANTIES (kinda like letting popeye loose in the studio or something).

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:05 (twenty-two years ago)

well, mr. chomsky is exhibiting better taste these days ... i'd rather have him chatting with radiohead than with rage against the machine.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'm starting to be swayed by Barry's argument. It makes them different because they were making these great claims that they were greater than the Beatles, and attempting to live in a world totally foreign to them while still pretending to be faithful to the working class. Their music didn't necessarily warant such claims as "we're bigger than the Beatles," nor did it warrant their arrogant behavior. Which, in essence, makes them pretentious pricks. Springsteen isn't hanging out at NY clubs, and the Stones and Ice Cube celebrated such a life.

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:07 (twenty-two years ago)

but how does any of that make them different from the rolling stones, ice cube, or springsteen?
Hmmm, that's a good point. Springsteen does the enormodome tours all the time, but outside of rock and roll you never hear about the guy. As far as his public profile goes, he's almost all about the music. Once you start taking pleasure in seeing your name in the tabloids as a sign of status, it's different.
As for EATB, I remember a lot of "we're the greatest band ever and all other bands are shit next to us" interviews with Ian McCollough (sp?). I think the holier-than-thou attitude is pretentious, but the music was not (as you wrote).

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:08 (twenty-two years ago)

That Resonance interview is just ACHING to be parodied. Ghastly!

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"c-c-c-cucumber/c-c-c-cabbage." or "spare us the cutter! cut the mustard!"

i think we'll have to agree to disagree with mr. mccullough and his comments ... i think that he's just fulla himself, they don't call him "mac the mouth" fer nothing!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:10 (twenty-two years ago)

mystique, n'est-ce que pas?

lol

― Le Coq, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, all the best musically pretentious bands were already mentioned upthread, so I focused on attitudes instead.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

From the New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock:

"Several centuries in the future, when society as we know it today has decayed into chaos, a group of earth people seeking a new start flee to the distant planet Kobaïa, to start a new civilization. (The band's albums) explain the origins and development of the new civilization on Kobaïa, all in the new language of that planet."

A sample of their sleevenotes:

" The Voice of Concience acted upon by the Universe answers, and this time, feeling the need for understanding deep inside them, they are ready and prepared to hear its message.

"The tyrant is not a tyrant but a guide and he is right. For the Kreun Kohrman has created you in the Image of his infinite Goodness and has entrusted you with a fraction of his Divine Nature so that you may accomplish yourselves. Instead you have only sought to live, to survive, without thinking of your spiritual fullfilment."

All the marchers has now received the message of Wisdom. "This is our only solution. We must march with him. We must march for the Universe."

Conscience raises its Voice once more, completely wiping-out their still human, or rather, inhuman spirit, so that they may become totally aware of their mutation into immaterial beings and feel their newly found devotion to the Universe, those that help them to find Ultimate Purty, those that lead to the State of Grace. And they are taken into the whirlwind of the Universe."

They were French (no excuse). Auntione De Caunes wrote a biography. Steve "Interesting" Davis, paid for them to reform and come and play for him specially. This was perhaps foolhardy. Christian Vander, their drummer and bandleader viewed live concerts thusly:

"I consider the audience as many enemies, and every time I hit a cymbal it means death to one of them."

They were Magma! Tremble, mortals!

― Jamie Conway (Jamie Conway), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:14 (twenty-two years ago)

If we're talkin' Moody blues - post EGBDF - then I'll want to throw in the likes of:
All progressiveness bands that came hence-after. and there were some good ones.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:15 (twenty-two years ago)

But wasn't prog more about geeky/adolescent exploration and obsessions, and not pretention? Is it more earnest than pretentious?

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Not that they're actually pretentious (I haven't heard them), but I was looking at a For Carnation cd in the store the other day. It had a review taped to it that talked about hypnotic vibrations in tune with the dark side of the human spirit and shit, ugh, totally put off whatever small interest I had.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:23 (twenty-two years ago)

But wasn't prog more about geeky/adolescent exploration and obsessions, and not pretention? Is it more earnest than pretentious?

aren't you confusing prog with emo?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmmm...good point! HEY, emo is the new prog! (And the new Prague).

― Playa Hata, Friday, 13 February 2004 04:29 (twenty-two years ago)

joan of arc. and anything tim kinsella is related to.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:30 (twenty-two years ago)

sigur ros is my serious nomination.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:31 (twenty-two years ago)

and i'm shocked that it took so long for anyone to mention them.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess I didn't say this quite correctly. I don't think prog bands were full of themselves, in general. Quite the opposite. As for the Moodies, they lit a candle. I wholeheartedly agree with "earnest".

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 13 February 2004 04:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Yup. Felt wins.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 13 February 2004 05:02 (twenty-two years ago)

The Raunchy Young Lepers. They promised anarchy and sex slaves AND DID THEY DELIVER?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 13 February 2004 05:11 (twenty-two years ago)

the Lepers may win the Most Pre-Sexual-Tense Band Ever Award.. but Pretentious? I dunno.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 13 February 2004 05:14 (twenty-two years ago)

They said they would kick your ass if you didn't listen to their suicide music, and so many haven't, and asses have not been kicked.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 13 February 2004 05:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I was gonna say Magma too. Has anyone read that biography? I bet it's awesome.

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Ultravox.. I don't know which one, but whichever one called Black Flag "dross". (Must have been the Ure-ltravox, as opposed to UltraFoxx)

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to second Tool, and Radiohead, and Sigur Ros.

What about Emerson Lake and Palmer.

Or indeed most prog bands?

― Sasha (sgh), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris Gaines

― huck, Friday, 13 February 2004 06:15 (twenty-two years ago)

*coughgodspeedyoublackemperorcough*

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 13 February 2004 06:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Apparently ambition of any kind = pretentious. I guess every band should just be a three chord garage band.

On that note, I nominate the White Stripes (even though I like them).

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 13 February 2004 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Mars Volta or Rush. Horribe, horrible shit.

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Friday, 13 February 2004 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Mars Volta....now yer talkin'. Rush are too eggheaded to be properly pretentious (bless'em). Sure, they sit backstage reading Jung and Ayn Rand and play around with complicated time signatures, but they don't carry themselves or present their art like it's God's Fucking Gift to the world of music (like, say Roger Waters does/did) or going around trumpeting what virtuosos they are (like my ol' mate Jaz Coleman does) despite the fact that they'd be perfectly within their rights to do so (can you play like Neil Peart or Geddy Lee? No, I didn't thinks so!). No, Rush aren't pretentious. STING....now there's pretentious.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 07:37 (twenty-two years ago)

For great fun, read the Chomsky/Thom Yorke interview in last month's Resonance magazine.
Howard Zinn, not Chomsky, right?

― no opinion, Friday, 13 February 2004 08:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I just hate Geddy Lee's voice most of all. As Malkmus once said "What about the voice of Geddy Lee? How did it get so high? Does he speak like an ordinary guy?" Second Voice "I know him and he does." Malkmus: Well then your my fact-checking coz'."

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Friday, 13 February 2004 08:11 (twenty-two years ago)

God Speed You Boring Emperor and all Constellation associates and offspring

― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 13 February 2004 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

God Speed You Boring Emperor


Hahahahahahha. Such an obvious and easy tweak of their name, but it totally made me laugh out loud.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

geir: Sex Pistols.. I mean, these guys wanted to change the entire music scene. Could anybody possibly be more pretentious than that?

alex: Oh please. Don't believe the hype. Rotten may have talked big, but the other three just wanted to not have to work.

this amuses me, having just read Lydon in Mojo and Levine all over the place. i think Lydon really believed that was what he wanted to do with the sex pistols, because PiL is so clearly an attempt at "new directions in music" (or [insert favourite "new music" PR]).

the proof is in the flogging-dead-horse round 2 (ie 25th anniversary of PiL, with all the interviews and critical panderings and current tribute/rip-off/ soundalike bands). All that but also the band themselves, in interview, and not just Levine but Lydon too, blowing hard about their noble future-music intentions past.

the distinctions of taste so many like to draw sandlines with between sex pistols and PiL make no sense to me. PiL were a deeply pretentious band with their special case public image -- sounds like a snarly Lydon-esque sidestep to me. Lydon obv. had the "change music" pretentions from the start, has admitted as much, and yet pistols persona non grata cf PiL.

Lydon at last/least proved successful in rock-music-criticism-swindle. Primary evidence _not_ 'metal box'/2nd, no, look no further than "punk crossover rock crit. hit"/ "trojan horse" 1st single, the very punk "Public Image" song.

― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 13 February 2004 08:49 (twenty-two years ago)

good speedos, you blind poseur !
(with latest triple-ep "empire <$

― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 13 February 2004 09:02 (twenty-two years ago)

with latest triple-ep:
"empire
[less-than & not-equals symbols (meaning "lacks sufficient")]
nude monuments"

(laboured down-under humour falls foul of unsuccessfully disabled auto-HTML nazi-bot)

― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 13 February 2004 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Why and when did Ultravox call Black Flag dross, donut bitch? I am intrigued

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 13 February 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

A dead heat between Yes and Duran Duran.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 13 February 2004 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd nominate late Japan/David Sylvian solo, w/thee proviso that there's actually nothing wrong w/being "pretentious".

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 13 February 2004 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Are we allowed to nominate bands we've played in?

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 13 February 2004 11:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Smashing Pumpkins were among the most pretentious rock acts ever. I still remember the press interview where a member of the band (probably Corgan) claimed that they're music had moved beyond guitars; they had taken guitars as far as they could go up to that point. I remember really wanting to napalm the band on stage at the time.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Friday, 13 February 2004 12:25 (twenty-two years ago)

That should be "their music" btw. I'm having serious problems with they're/their/there as of late.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Friday, 13 February 2004 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

cough cough Henry Cow cough cough

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 13 February 2004 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Manic Street Preachers

― Shooz (shooz), Friday, 13 February 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

What's the award, anyway? I don't want to nominate a pretentious band if the award is something like an Oscar Wilde biography. But if it's a punch in the gut, I may have some ideas.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 13 February 2004 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I pick Yes as well. Calling themselves "Anderson, Buford, Walkman, Howe" or whatever-the-hell-their-names-are when they got back together pretty much seals it.

― rainman (rainman), Friday, 13 February 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Am I dreaming or has nobody mentionned David Bowie ??
Here's someone who's always considered himself as a great avant-garde / intellectual artist...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Friday, 13 February 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

...and rightly so, you could argue.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Well then your my fact-checking coz

Ah, that's where the handle comes from.

I remember really wanting
to napalm the band on stage at the time.

Well now that's mean. ;-)


Why and when did Ultravox call Black Flag dross, donut bitch? I am intrigued

On Rollins' Get in the Band CD, one of his readings details an English show of Black Flag's where Ultravox were playing in the next venue over or something. Midge Ure and company see the show and come backstage and Ure imperiously notes the show was 'dross' -- Rollins, in turn, is annoyed by Ure's booties.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 13 February 2004 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I pick Yes as well. Calling themselves "Anderson, Buford, Walkman, Howe" or whatever-the-hell-their-names-are when they got back together pretty much seals it.

Yeah, but there's a really mundane reason for this - Chris Squire pwned the rights to the name "Yes", so they couldn't use it for the album (which was rubbish) or the tour (which was supposedly good, tho' I didn't go b/c the album was rubbish)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 13 February 2004 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

...and rightly so, you could argue.

maybe (depends on what period you consider !) but his creations - either good or bad - don't change the fact that he's pretentious, or does it ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Friday, 13 February 2004 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

alex v. alex FITE!

also, couldn't Henry Rollins essentially break Midge Ure in two?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 13 February 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I see more people with Black Flag tatoos than Ultravox tattoos, for whatever that's worth.

Bowie's pretentious, but as with Dead Can Dance, I overlook it....it's part of his charm, and his music generally warrants it (so long as you ignore a few clunkers).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 13 February 2004 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

his music generally warrants it (so long as you ignore a few clunkers).

so long as you ignore (almost) everything after scary monsters !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Friday, 13 February 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll probably get flak for this but,

the guy in the fiery furnaces pretentiousness shines through his faux self-depreciating remarks. "oh, I have bad music taste." (says Mr. Os Mutante) puleez. dude. why say something like that unless you're trying to convince people you're NOT pretentious like you are. thier whole bio is so annoying too. it's calculated. they're annoying. their songs are okay, but I find myself repulsed by the hype and everything. won't buy the album.

― katnyc, Friday, 13 February 2004 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuckin' STYX!!!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 13 February 2004 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

as much as i love them, i think Coil and all of their offshoots win this award.

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Bruce Dickinson (solo)
Mission of Burma half the time
seriously no one's mentioned the Beatles yet?

― andrew s (andrew s), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I'm getting the impression people are listing only the most pretentious bands that they also happen to NOT like.

I still stand by Felt. to answer the question, and my musical allegiance. (Lawrence was just lucky enough to have excellent lead guitarists and/or keyboardists playing with him until the late 80s, I have to admit) :)

Also, let's face it. Most well known musicians are pretentious to some degree. Otherwise, there would be nothing but earnest wanna-be Billy Bragg types making all the music in the world, and I'd instantly hang myself.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 13 February 2004 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Who's more pretentious: the band Yes or people who staunchly loathe the band Yes because it's some punk badge of honor to do so?

(aside: following along the earlier comment "there's nothing actually wrong with being pretentious", thinking Yes is pretentious and liking Yes are not mutually exclusive, i.e. you can like 'em but still acknowledge they were a bit over the top)

― Rocco, Friday, 13 February 2004 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

you can like 'em but still acknowledge they were a bit over the top

Or you can like them precisely because they were a bit over the top.

― rainman (rainman), Friday, 13 February 2004 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh it's Magma, i suggest you seek them out and report back

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 14 February 2004 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Magnetic Fields

― tod (tod), Saturday, 14 February 2004 21:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Marissa Marchant

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 14 February 2004 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

post-summerteeth wilco

― MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Saturday, 14 February 2004 22:13 (twenty-two years ago)

is fluency in non-English European languages needed to 'get' Magma or is it more just a Wagnerian thing ?
(or is it just a French band thing ?)

― george gosset (gegoss), Sunday, 15 February 2004 00:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim Reckling OTM.

http://www.yourblueroom.com/pics/covers/time_cover_030402_big.jpg
as those Generation Ecch dudes once wrote, Bono never said he was bigger than Jesus, he just thinks he is.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 15 February 2004 01:02 (twenty-two years ago)

katnyc O-T-M.

And no, I don't hate the Furnaces either. I like 'em alright, but just.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Thursday, 19 February 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

cough cough Henry Cow cough cough

Get some Nyquil! Henry Cow had too strong a sense of humor to merit this title.

I think to see a band as pretentious you have to conclude that they are/were to a large extent conning (or trying to con) their audience--i.e. pretending to a level of importance that they don't actually achieve. This is to distinguish pretentiousness from mere ambition, pomposity/self-importance, eccentricity, avant-gardist sensibility, etc.

― no opinion, Friday, 27 February 2004 07:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Manic Street Preachers, without a doubt.
Surprised they were only mentioned once.

― Alex in LA, Friday, 27 February 2004 08:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Sigue Sigue Sputnik!!!!!!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Friday, 27 February 2004 12:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Could someone please explain pretension / pretentiousness to me in a musical context.

I do know what the word means. However, I often get labelled "pretentious" in relation to the music I make / the music I listen to. I think lots of people use it when they mean to imply that I'm a music snob or something...which I'm not!

Anyone else get labelled pretentious, a snob, weird becuase of the music they listen to?

― TomB (TomB), Friday, 27 February 2004 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm SAILLLEEEEENG AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"

Sorry people. It's GOT to be Styx.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 27 February 2004 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Eric Clapton

― Sir Hiss! a.k.a. Jon Williams in brrrrrrrrrrrRochester! (ex machina), Friday, 27 February 2004 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Sir Hiss hasnt missed.

― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 27 February 2004 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

pink floyd, tool, and radiohead tie it in my book. U2 is a close runner up.

― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 27 February 2004 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

S Y
O O
N U
I T
C H

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 27 February 2004 20:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Which one gets the award for you, Sonic or Styx? Maybe one should briefly explain one's reasoning, why they are "pretentious" instead of just lame, disappointing, pompous, etc... Esp. when as here the bands' styles and images are so different.

― no opinion, Friday, 27 February 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

it's pretentious, however ironically, to make mission-statement-cum-demograph-punk-tag your name, as sonic youth did. It might have worked 1985-'95 but that was because they could pull off some punk humour in a populist rock context (and vice versa).

however claiming the high-art-ground, refusing to break up however much their side projects seem more interesting, the whole notion of side projects as being part of some big 'art' 'NYC artistic community', revamping by mutual back slapping with o'rourke, .. on it goes (i could spend all day describing how wet and bereft of ideas of their own this band has sounded for the last so-many years)

people tell me they're great live, but it'd be the same old songs, and mr thurst'in (for) moore mixes seeming disinterest and apathy with special precious interest in those few music things he deems important so consistently that i think he should retire from rock'n'roll and become a critic

but there's enough discussion re: sonic youth here so i needn't bother.

this thread has been done before too btw, here.

― george gosset (gegoss), Saturday, 28 February 2004 01:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I can see why people put Tool, but they do have a sense of humor about themselves, you just have to dig very hard.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 28 February 2004 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Through 15-minute songs about chromosomes and astrology, I mean.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 28 February 2004 09:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Is being pretentious good or bad?

― daavid (daavid), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Pearl Jam and that mumble mouth Eddie Vedder take the cake for me.

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Sunday, 29 February 2004 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone with a song called "I'm still your fag" is ultimately non-pretentious. "Lover's Spit" is another ironic gem, if you ask me.


This is wrong.

― Adm Mhel (adam michel), Sunday, 29 February 2004 03:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Who gives a shit about all this? I love pretentiousness, it makes and art interesting. There's almost nothing more boring than "authenticity".

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 29 February 2004 03:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretentiousness is always negative (unless you take a camp attitude). I think you're confusing it with artistic ambition. The problem with pretentious bands is that they are less interesting than unpretentious bands (artsy or not).

Wow, that was a good explanation above of why SY is pretentious. I wonder if anyone could argue convincingly that another band is more pretentious (guess I'll read the other thread). Pearl Jam? They're a rock band!

― no opinion, Sunday, 29 February 2004 08:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Liars!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Real answer: Brian Eno, surely.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Please offer a real reason why Eno is surely more pretentious than Sonic Youth.

― no opinion, Sunday, 29 February 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)


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