Artists who are similar less annoying versions of someone annoying

Let's help Niels:

For some reason my colleagues like Most sympathetic quote in Rolling Stone's July 2015 piece on Mumford & Sons">Mumford & Sons a lot and see it as GREAT BANJO MUSIC and now we're hearing it in the office aaaarhg

if they were really into Keane I'd know what better versions of Keane to play them etc. but I don't really know what the good version of M&S is - anyone?

(Similar questions welcome. Since "annoying" is obviously so subjective, I could recycle my suggestion that the good version of Mumford is Rednex and Hampsterdance, but srsly)

'annoying'

I'm trying to think of an example that isn't the precursor to someone else who later ripped them off.

Tame Impala's Currents is like a less annoying and more boring version of an Ariel Pink album.

Thanks for this helpful thread!

I actually don't know that much about Keane, but as with other whiny post-millenial british bands (Glasvegas, Snow Patrol, Elbow(?)) I can't help but think of them as second/third rate Radiohead. Maybe Coldplay is also a less annoying version of these.

Black Sabbath could be a less annoying version of Wolfmother, and Nirvana less annoying than Silverchair, but both of these probably fall in the ripp-off category Old Lunch mentions.

This could also be done with albums - just had to sit through 40 minutes of Billy Joel's live from Leningrad because a colleague remembers it as fantastic, finally googled for a proper BJ live album and "12 Gardens" is a lot less annoying.

Air France or Studio could be less annoying versions of Tough Alliance, arguably?

Re Mumford & Sons, it comes down to finding something that's OK as background music for work...

Off the top of my head, there's superficially similar music like The Pogues. Although some of their stuff might be too intense for the background maybe? But something like that, that could appeal to their fans' notions of "authenticity" or past influence. Even if it's a minor influence that's hard to recognize. (Mumford seems like an indie band with a banjo, rather than a folk band.)

Or maybe there's some brilliant-but-obscure bar band out there, inspired by The Mumfords but getting it all wrong.

Although I don't find these bands annoying, I can see how Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat might be a less annoying version of Current 93 (which, I assume, is mainly voice-related).

Pogues is a good idea, I'll try that!

Pogues is a popular choice

Woohoo

Inside the Mind of a Mumford Supporter: We're Going In

...um, I'm not sure what else they'd like, apart from that fairly obvious one.

Reminds me of what Saer went through (in the 2015 GTFO thread), though that wasn't just one artist:

Ive googled the lyrics to some of these, they mostly seem to be by Calvin Harris.

Today has been reminiscent of the day I listened to the end of year poll music but there is no break inbetween the garbage. I cant cope

nearly 7 hours of this stuff now

I think hes just a little bit oblivious, 2nd week in a new job and putting skrillrex and Katy Perry on just feels like a misjudgement. It's not really music conducive to developing or thinking.

but it lasted all day without complaint so maybe I'm just over sensitive!

He has a new playlist, ive googled the lyrics. its something called Imagine Dragons

back to the original playlist now. yellowcard, david guetta and katy perry. Work is starting to feel like spring break in cancun. I long to retreat to the copse

this bastille stuff is antagonistic garbage