Bands of Two

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In the spirit of the revival of the Lightning Bolt thread, why do two-person bands rock so hard, and is this the way of the future? Currently rockin' the format, I can think of LB, White Stripes, Jucifer, Local H. Historically, there's T*Rex, Randy Holden (sort of), Lee Michaels (sort of). Folk duos don't count.

So, the Band of Two: search/destroy, classic/dud, covered in a previous thread, or what?

― briania (briania), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:01 (twenty years ago) link

Search: House of Freaks, Nu Shooz, Timbuk 3, Everything But the Girl

― Joseph McCombs, Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:06 (twenty years ago) link

Royal Trux

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:07 (twenty years ago) link

Search: Pet Shop Boys, The Carpenters
Destroy: Robson & Jerome

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:07 (twenty years ago) link

B to the O to the NGWATER

― Mog, Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:08 (twenty years ago) link

Soft cell. BLancmange. OMD. Yazoo

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:09 (twenty years ago) link

ministry.

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:10 (twenty years ago) link

With lighting bolt its not so much the duo but that is the bass/drums rather than guitar/drums that I like. Actually there are many bands which are not the boring 2 guitars bass drums.

Its the different instrumentation, whatever the number of people, that's interesting (noxagt=> violin/bass/ drums, boredoms=> three drummers). Having said the music itself isn't that great a lot of the time.

(Or even how in sunburned hand of man/vibracathedral orchestra no one is stuck with one instrument at all times, the dynamic is changed and things happen)

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:11 (twenty years ago) link

Arab Strap

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:14 (twenty years ago) link

Off the top of me head...the original Kraftwerk, Damon & Naomi, The Associates, Fantastic Something, Tik & Tok (destroy that one)...

― Jez (Jez), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:16 (twenty years ago) link

Fucking BUDDYSHIP.

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:20 (twenty years ago) link

Orthrelm
Mindflayer (AMAZING Lightning Bolt side project)
Touchdown
Ruins
Hella

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:22 (twenty years ago) link

Mates of State

― myke boomnoise (myke boomnoise), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:26 (twenty years ago) link

historically:
Ween
They Might be Giants

― Nate (Nate), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:26 (twenty years ago) link

Everley Brothers
Chemical Brothers
Simon & Garfunkel

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:27 (twenty years ago) link

Suicide
Neu!
Cluster

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:28 (twenty years ago) link

Suicide?
some lineups of DNA
PINK AND BROWN

(x post)

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:28 (twenty years ago) link

The Fall (the Mark E Smith and your granny on bongos line-up)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:29 (twenty years ago) link

The Smiths (according to Morrisey anyway; even if Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce weren't aware of the fact)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:31 (twenty years ago) link

Emtidi ........................................ a joke, they don't really "rock" to any degree

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:31 (twenty years ago) link

Mahi Mahi
Japanese Karaoke Afterlife Experiment

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:33 (twenty years ago) link

Eurythmics
Luxuria

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:34 (twenty years ago) link

Fiery Furnaces
Chas n Dave
Sparks
Autechre
Orbital
Does Will Oldham playing Bonny Prince Billy count as 2?

― hmmm (hmmm), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:37 (twenty years ago) link

Cabaret Voltaire
The Creatures
The Glove

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:37 (twenty years ago) link

Erasure
The Communards

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:38 (twenty years ago) link

cant believe i forgot Cabs. ~hangs head in shame.

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:39 (twenty years ago) link

Oh, how could I forget Mr. Anus and Mr Horribly charred infant who, together, and there are two of them, are the Happy Flowers.

― hmmm (hmmm), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:39 (twenty years ago) link

Has no-one said the KLF yet? No?

OK then, the KLF.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:41 (twenty years ago) link

Buggles
Cocteau Twins
Dali's Car
Yello

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:42 (twenty years ago) link

Cocteau Twins

But there are three of them!

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:43 (twenty years ago) link

Medicine Head

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:45 (twenty years ago) link

was Miracle Legion a duo?

― Buster (mokey), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:46 (twenty years ago) link

Stealers Wheel!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:47 (twenty years ago) link

Seals & Croft
Loggins & Messina
England Dan & John Ford Coley
The Bellamy Brothers

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:47 (twenty years ago) link

STEELY DAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:48 (twenty years ago) link

...go Dada...go Dada...!

― Buster (mokey), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:49 (twenty years ago) link

Run out of 70s soft rock duos - help needed quick

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:49 (twenty years ago) link

UK wing:

The Sutherland Brothers (without Quiver)
Gallagher & Lyle

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:50 (twenty years ago) link

Disposablt Heroes of Hiphoprisy
Nice n smooth
Joy Zipper

― hmmm (hmmm), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:51 (twenty years ago) link

'disposable'

― hmmm (hmmm), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:51 (twenty years ago) link

Fucking TALL DWARFS

Destroy white stripes and shit like that.

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:53 (twenty years ago) link

"Cocteau Twins
But there are three of them!"

Only since Simon Raymonde joined them ('85 / '86? He appeared on several albums before he was officially made a member of the band but he certainly wasn't on Head Over Heels and although I believe he played on Treasure, I saw them after that came out and they were still performing as a duo).

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:54 (twenty years ago) link

Durutti Column (post 1st album)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:55 (twenty years ago) link

The Residents (post "Mole Show")

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:55 (twenty years ago) link

Clint Eastwood & General Saint

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:56 (twenty years ago) link

Air Supply!
The Frogs!

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 3 June 2004 12:59 (twenty years ago) link

Captain & Tennille
Peaches & Herb (even if there were at least 4 different Peaches!)
Ashford & Simpson
McFadden & Whitehead
Hall & Oates
Renee & Renato

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:00 (twenty years ago) link

The USA Is A Monster
Winnebago Deal
and an hilarious pair of LB apers I saw at the weekend called Das Double Muslim Machine. The drummer wore a mask of thin cloth over his head with a piece of masking tape round the mouth. It wasn't holding anything in place, it was just there

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:00 (twenty years ago) link

Peters and Lee to thread.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

Brian & Michael
Peters & Lee
Millican & Nesbitt
Keith Harris & Orville

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:02 (twenty years ago) link

Skipping 35 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Deja Voodoo!

― pauls00, Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:51 (twenty years ago) link

It's Immaterial

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:51 (twenty years ago) link

The Lotus Eaters? Or do I mean The Wild Swans? Some crap 80s Liverpool band anyway.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:53 (twenty years ago) link

Shack (yes, I know they come from Liverpool but this is not intended as an answer to Dadaismus' question!)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:57 (twenty years ago) link

In Guy Peellaert's penultimate Stones fantasy: just Mick & Keith.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 3 June 2004 13:59 (twenty years ago) link

oh and Scarce of course!

― Mog, Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:14 (twenty years ago) link

I suppose Run-DMC could now proclaim 'There's two of us but we ain't the Beatles'.

I was going to suggest TLC on the same grounds.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:25 (twenty years ago) link

I'm sure my faves have all been mentioned already, dangitall. Oh well...

Have the Flat Duo Jets been mentioned yet?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:26 (twenty years ago) link

Spinanes.

― gmn, Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:27 (twenty years ago) link

Gastr Del Sol

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:33 (twenty years ago) link

The Aluminum Group

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:33 (twenty years ago) link

The Handsome Family

― BarbarityItself, Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:48 (twenty years ago) link

Sneeze
The The (original line-up)

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 3 June 2004 14:54 (twenty years ago) link

I love the two-person band format:

Heavens to Betsy
Scrawl (just Marcy and Sue last time I saw them)
Courtney Love (and various other bands featuring Lois Maffeo)
Alison Statton & Spike
Secret Stars
Best Wishes
Nik-L-Nip
Kicking Giant
The Need
Tokidoki
Pipas

― mike a, Thursday, 3 June 2004 15:18 (twenty years ago) link

A two-girl Scrawl sounds awesome somehow -- what's their status nowadays?

I wonder how many of the above are reductions from previously bigger bands. So many bands start with two best friends -- others drift in and then away, and you're left, hopefully, with two best friends again.

It's the "best friends" aspect, I think, that makes the Band of Two format so interesting -- a focus and intensity that may become diluted when others enter the mix.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 3 June 2004 16:18 (twenty years ago) link

Bassholes
Noggin
Glands Of External Excretion
The German Shepherds
Mecca Normal
People Of The North(Kid and Fat Bobby, of Oneida)
The Dave
DQE(still a duo, I believe, could be wrong)
Doo Rag
Voice Crack and Moslang/Guhl(Knut Hamson was on percussion for I think only "earflash", but not a member)
Dos
Strength Through Joy

etc. etc. etc.

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Thursday, 3 June 2004 16:26 (twenty years ago) link

Kings of Convenience
Bel Canto (after Geir Jenssen left to be Biosphere)
DAF

― OleM (OleM), Thursday, 3 June 2004 16:29 (twenty years ago) link

Curve

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 3 June 2004 16:58 (twenty years ago) link

ATTILA!
Doug Snyder/Bob Thompson

Although they're usually a trio, there are many Nomeansno songs in which the guitarist lays out entirely, leaving only the brothers Wright (John & Rob) on bass/drums.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 3 June 2004 17:10 (twenty years ago) link

Flat Duo Jets, of course!
Chickasaw Mudd Puppies
Prick Decay

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Thursday, 3 June 2004 17:24 (twenty years ago) link

Dresden Dolls

Mr Airplane Man

― kephm, Thursday, 3 June 2004 17:40 (twenty years ago) link

People of the North!!

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Thursday, 3 June 2004 17:42 (twenty years ago) link

Mouse on Mars
Lamb
Two Lone Swordsmen
Dusted
Alter Ego
Air Liquide
Hardfloor
310
Global Communication / Reload / Jedi Knights
Aphex Twin (originally)
Secret Knowledge / Delta Lady

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 3 June 2004 17:58 (twenty years ago) link

Its the different instrumentation, whatever the number of people, that's interesting (noxagt=> violin/bass/ drums, boredoms=> three drummers).

VIOLA!

― eeegpo, Thursday, 3 June 2004 18:19 (twenty years ago) link

JAPANTHER
death from above
ayatollah momma please

― autovac (autovac), Thursday, 3 June 2004 18:23 (twenty years ago) link

POX

Flipper's Guitar
Missy and Tim
Latyrx
Neil And Iraiza
The DFA
Ike and Tina Turner
The Dust Brothers
Salon Music
Lemon Jelly
Black Star

Destroy - The White Stripes

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Thursday, 3 June 2004 18:37 (twenty years ago) link

the jesus and mary chizain

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:03 (twenty years ago) link

Skeleton Crew (first album & tour)

― (Jon L), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:15 (twenty years ago) link

black keys, dudes.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:23 (twenty years ago) link

Wow, that took a long time.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:25 (twenty years ago) link

Puffy AmiYumi
The Psychonauts
Cibo Matto
Dots and Borders
The Silures
Shakespeare's Sister

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:32 (twenty years ago) link

Chromeo
Oxide and Neutrino
Cornershop
7 Hurtz
Meth and Red
Ghost and Rae
All Natural
Masters At Work
Propellerheads
The London Boys
The Wiseguys (once upon a time)
Alan Braxe and Fred Falke

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:37 (twenty years ago) link

Jolly Music
PJ and Duncan
Zig and Zag

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:41 (twenty years ago) link

Backing up Phil Freeman on Godflesh.
Also:
Bodenstandig 2000
Bowery Electric

― Josh Anomaly (josh_anomaly), Friday, 4 June 2004 03:47 (twenty years ago) link

Eyeless in Gaza
Boards of Canada

What's up with ILM? If I can come up with these around 120 posts in, the Borg must be sleeping!

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:12 (twenty years ago) link

Sin Ropas

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:13 (twenty years ago) link

Low, just for a few days, when Zack Sally apparently quit.

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:13 (twenty years ago) link

Underworld

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Friday, 4 June 2004 11:14 (twenty years ago) link

Diatribe
Prime Time
Runners From 1984
Two Butchers
The Seize (sometimes)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 4 June 2004 14:22 (twenty years ago) link

The Pastels? Stephen and Katrina are the only current full-time members, right?

― mike a, Friday, 4 June 2004 14:42 (twenty years ago) link

Vaz
Black Forest/Black Sea
Ground Monkeys

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 5 June 2004 01:23 (twenty years ago) link

Blancmange, you slackers! Or "the mange" as they were affectionately known among their three US fans. Sorta like the Brewer & Shipley of the new wave. Glad tah godforsaken Go West got mentioned: they were an air-brushed major label version of a Wacky Brit Synth Pop Duo.
Michigan & Smiley from JA, too...or were they alter-egos of Eastwood & Saint?

― lovebug starski, Saturday, 5 June 2004 13:07 (twenty years ago) link

tah=that. I'm every copy editor's headache.

― lovebug starski, Saturday, 5 June 2004 13:10 (twenty years ago) link

STARS OF THE LID

― cutty (mcutt), Saturday, 5 June 2004 16:25 (twenty years ago) link

Oasis

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 5 June 2004 17:22 (twenty years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

the only mention of doug snyder i could find on here. this is absolutely wonderful and insane, lightning bolt drumming and scuzzy PSF style guitar with gamelan interludes. 1972! i love it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6IAVLO_Hs

― global tetrahedron, Saturday, 19 May 2018 05:45 (six years ago) link

this is some of the best stuff i have heard in a long time

― global tetrahedron, Saturday, 19 May 2018 05:46 (six years ago) link

i hope someone listens to this because i gotta talk about it with someone. good god this is great

― global tetrahedron, Saturday, 19 May 2018 06:01 (six years ago) link

I wish I had something interesting to say about it but I will say holy shit this is so good thank you so much for posting it

― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:21 (six years ago) link

GIRLPOOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDprSv9DjxY

my favorite band of the '10s

― flappy bird, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:47 (six years ago) link

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