Their voice gets in the way

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Mark S said that Thom Yorke's voice puts him off Radiohead - pl. discuss yr own examples of groups/acts where the horrible singing puts you off...

― Andrew L, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

My answers: King Crimson. the Dead (not horrible exactly, but so bland and meh). Zappa (but even if he was my fave singer of all time, there's still the lousy guitars/lyrics etc. to contend w/). Tim Buckley. Jeff Buckley (the source of much of Thom Yorke's evil, I suspect.)

― Andrew L, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

MOST rock bands.

― DeRayMi, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dissmemberment plan - sounds like dave mathews and kills me

― ddd, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Flaming Lips. I mean usually I like bad singing voices, but not this time.

― Jeff, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Test by the Chemical Brothers.

Jeff Buckley yes, the voice gets in the way, but I wouldn't like the music either I guess.

― Ronan, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Depeshka Mode. At least I think that's why I hate them. The musicians might suck too - but I don't know because I can't get past that horrible voice.

― Dave225, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to have the same problem with Radiohead. But on Amnesiac his voice sounded different and much more intense than his usual whining. I think on some songs he treats his voice electronically or something.

The singer of Sigur Ros, Jonsi I think he is called totally puts me off their music. He sounds more like a whale than a human. In general male high-pitch voices usually annoy me.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Agreed with Jeff. Mercury Rev too. Listen up kids - if you're going to take acid every day then stick to copying Roky, not Neil!!!

― dave q, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Walkmen. The vocalist is the weakest link in an otherwise promising chain.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes to Mercury Rev and Flaming Lips too.

― Sean, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Elvis Costello has an adenoidal quality to his voice that isn't always apparent but has nails-on-a-blackboard effect when it is. He has worked to improve his voice as a technical instrument so he can tackle more ambitious songs, but the adenoidal ugliness just becomes more and more obvious as he stretches out. EC venturing on stage with Tony Bennett is one of the most embarrassing things I've ever seen.

― ArfArf, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bennet totally showed him up, eh?

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dream theater.

oh wait, the music puts me off that too.

― fields of salmon, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dismemberment plan - sounds like dave mathews and kills me

absolutely.

i also have to mention einar orn again.

― drake, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

No ambiguity intended. Bennett was sublime.

― ArfArf, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The singer's voice is something I can get over if I really want to. Mercury Rev, the Flaming Lips, Jeff and Tim Buckley both, and others - none immediately befriend your ears. I had to make myself want to like those bands, and now they're some of my favorites (with the exception of Mercury Rev. Them, I still find terribly boring and unoriginal).

Radiohead, though...Yorke's voice was one of the things about them I liked the most way back in the day. Oh, and the "chuh chunk...chuh chunk" in the song "Creep."

― paul, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Britney. Usher. My homie Nelly can come close to the rap-whine. Anyone who does "nasal" R&B. Dare I say, Ian Curtis.

― bnw, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

most modern rock groups.

― unknown or illegal user, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

modern as in after 1966.

― unknown or illegal user, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dare it! It's a v. good ans.

― Andrew L, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Stone Roses win hands down in my buke

― Jez, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd lump Grandaddy and Built to Spill in with the annoying Neil wannabe crowd. Don't think I'd like Grandaddy much anyway, though. Dave q you're so right.

― Arthur, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was one of the few people to get the At The Drive-In album and really like it, at least the moments where I could ignore what I remember as whiny static layered over the top like dirty ice on a windshield (actually that makes it sound better than it is)

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal. He writes great songs, but I wish he would find someone else to sing. His voice reminds me of an adolescent Weird Al.

― o. nate, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

actually i have to agree too concerning jeff buckley, flaming lips, mercury rev (the new singer) etc. but i can take them in small doses. not a whole album. each of them made a couple of brilliant songs.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

led zep

― frances, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Michael Stipe's voice bugs the shit out of me. Also can't stand The Beastie Boys' voices.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

cardiacs-a-like band sleepy people/blue apple boy... jesus!!!!

― del a robbo, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Neil Young. Argh, a thousand times Neil Young. Almost every band I've ever loved has named him as an influence. I love covers of Neil Young songs. I love those people (Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips) that *try* to sing like Neil Young.

But something about Neil Young's voice just reminds me of warm sticky glue being poured into my nasal cavity. Get it out! Get it out! ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!

― kate, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Vedder idolized him - res ipsa loquitor

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oddly enough Neil Young is not someone whose voices bothers me.

― DeRayMi, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ooh, yes, NEIL YOUNG. Can't stand him.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I totally agree on The Walkmen call... that's a band I really want to like, but just can't make the hurdle over the howling, melodramatic vocals.

― Andy, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Captain Beefheart. I downloaded an mp3 of "Ella Guru" just to see if I'd like to get into his music, but although I really enjoyed the music, I found his vocal to be insufferable.
And this is coming from someone who can help but jump up and belt out Johhny Rottens vocals on that Mountain Dew commercial he sabotaged.

― Lord Custos III, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A lot of the singers from those one hit wonder 'Nuggets' type bands from the Sixties sound very samey to me. The music is fabulous but I wish the vocals were better.

The Smashing Pumpkins - I might actually like them if Billy Corgan didn't sound like a dying gazelle. (And a WHINY dying gazelle to boot)

The Morrison/Vedder/whatsisname from Creed-style sour croon is also a big turnoff.

― Justyn Dillingham, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Cure

― dave q, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm.
RE: Neil Young.
Slightly Offtopic, but its not his vocals that irk me so much as his pacing. He only seems to know three speeds:
1) 1/4 normal
2) 1/8 normal and
3) too fast to do the song any justice.

― Lord Custos III, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Mountain Goats.

― Idi Amin, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I am bored. I am off to go and read some Radiohead porn.

― kate`, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

But Kate, why not create your own?

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Jeff Buckley (the source of much of Thom Yorke's evil, I suspect.)

I've seen so many people say this. Why?
a) Thom Yorke's voice is really only similar to Jeff's upon cursory listening
b) Jeff's voice is much more influenced by a soul lineage...
c) Pablo Honey came out a year before Grace, and Thom was using falsetto on it. He did not suddenly change his vocal style after the release of Grace.
d) Thom is not nearly as enamored of his own voice as JB was.

Really, if you want to blame someone, blame Morrissey.
But even that's stretching it. Thom is a tenor with good falsetto capability. That's it. (Whether or not his voice annoys you is, of course, subjective.)

― Melissa W, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Thom's voice is fine - now if he just had something to say...

― o. nate, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nowdays I recognise the greatness of Robert Wyatt but it took some time ...

― phil, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bob Dylan. That whinen and weezen makes me cringe!!

― brg30, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dave matthews

adrian belew (as per the most recent versions of KC, though it's really not the sweet guy's fault)

bono

neil young

morrisey , bryan ferry (yet i really like Sylvian, is this strange?) , pre-Young Americans Bowie , Ian Hunter, Bolan

plus other obvious offenders too numerous to mention

i love all female singers that are not named Celine Dion :)

― glarbage, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

kevin barnes is wonderful. thom is one of my sore ones, lou reed, free design.

all of my friends hate moonshake because of the voice but i think it is perfect.

― keith, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Here's something strange -- I like every voice mentioned so far (except C. Dione, and Elvis Costello's bothers me sometimes.) Maybe I'm into quirky voices. I don't care for DMX's voice (except on a chorus hook), or the women of Destiny's Child.

― Mark, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

''Jeff Buckley (the source of much of Thom Yorke's evil, I suspect.)''

Freddy mercury (yes, he of Queen) is the source of it all. Very evil.

― Julio Desouza, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The voices of the rappers on the latest Hood album totally destroy the tracks they're on - and all because of their horrible, horrible sounding voices.

― electric sound of jim, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Skipping 67 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Talk Talk definitely, the music's beautiful, the vocals dire, ergo I can't listen to 'em... which I consider a minor tragedy

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 17 January 2004 13:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Robbie Williams has some decent ideas, but I've always found the blandness of his voice to be a turn-off. Same with Robert Pollard.

― John Fredland (jfredland), Saturday, 17 January 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Mighty Mighty Bosstones. First time I heard them was while seeing the video and I was like Are you fucking JOKING?!?

Green Velvet and Ellen Allien are weird because I can get into them in a big way for about an hour or two then I can't stand them.

Incredibad, Bethlehem, Gold Chains, Randy Savage, Bob Dylan.

― Le Coq (DarrenK), Saturday, 17 January 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Lots and lots...

AC/DC
Iron Maiden
Rush
Tom Waits (yes, really...)
Starsailor
P.J. Harvey
Patti Smith
The Pogues

etc. etc. etc.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 17 January 2004 23:33 (twenty-two years ago)

tom waits' voice is only one of his many problems.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 18 January 2004 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Neutral Milk Hotel, but I got used to Jeff's voice and don't mind it any more.

― nickn (nickn), Sunday, 18 January 2004 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Placebo.

― jole, Sunday, 18 January 2004 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Tom Rapp of Pearls Before Swine. Horrible lisp--you can hear his saliva swishing around in his gob.
I enjoy Michael Jackson's singing, but his speaking voice bugs the hell out of me. Especially when he's defending his right to sleep with children.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Sunday, 18 January 2004 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

isaac brock. always threatened to destroy the records for me. even the very good ones.

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 14 May 2007 16:09 (eighteen years ago)

I was trying to enjoy other tracks from Creedeence Clearwater Revival's Greatest Hits yesterday but that white bluesman voice of John Fogarty's kept getting in the way.

RONG

― pretzel walrus, Monday, 14 May 2007 17:45 (eighteen years ago)

Bobby Gillespie

― leavethecapital, Monday, 14 May 2007 20:47 (eighteen years ago)

Cookie monster vocalists. All of them.

― Andi Mags, Monday, 14 May 2007 20:55 (eighteen years ago)

SLEATER-KINNEY

― 6335, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:00 (eighteen years ago)

SLEATER-KINNEY

Really? I love Corin Tucker's voice. Go figure.

But back to the question: for me it's Tool. I would have been a fan if not for Maynard's voice.

― MacDara, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:04 (eighteen years ago)

Is it just me or does Eugene Chadbourne, from time-to-time, sound like a friggin' genious!

..those other times, that is, those times that he doesn't are as escrutiating as they come.

― christoff, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:07 (eighteen years ago)

Shane MacGowan, Mark E. Smith, Tom Waits.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:46 (eighteen years ago)

And Ian Curtis.

I can tolerate a "unique" singing voice in some cases (Robert Smith....) but those are just too much for me to swallow. Even if Tom Waits has written a lot of great songs.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:47 (eighteen years ago)

ooh yea sleater's my big one!

― Surmounter, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:47 (eighteen years ago)

agree w/ sleater k
a lot of times, for me, it's a question of the mix. i loved American Music Club, but Mark Eitzel's vocals were always way too up front in the mix. Every song a platform for Mark Eitzel, rather than a 'band'--which means i never feel like hearing them. shame, because they were a great, great band.

― nerve_pylon, Monday, 14 May 2007 21:54 (eighteen years ago)

Roger Daltrey from the Who - his voice is so boringly "RAWK" it's like he doesn't get it.

That chick from Deerhoof.

― the next grozart, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:00 (eighteen years ago)

I really want to love the Flaming Lips more than I do but Coyne's voice is ... I dont know. Grating. And I'm all for strange voices, I mean I know people who hate !!! for the singer's voice but not me. Not sure why the FLs aren't getting to me. They seem like they should be my kind of band!

― Trayce, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:06 (eighteen years ago)

Roger Daltrey from the Who - his voice is so boringly "RAWK" it's like he doesn't get it.

i used to hold that view, and it took me a looonnnng time to really appreciate daltrey. i think he defined that style of singing so...um...definitively that his many hapless imitators have given that style a bad name (hagar, whoever the fuck the singer is in nickelback, etc.). i think dave marsh put it best when he said that mick jagger was playing the role of a rock singer whereas roger daltrey has always BEEN a rock singer.

i always draw parallels between the who and charles mingus' 1964 band: townshend was mingus, entwistle was jaki byard, keith moon was dannie richmond and eric dolphy simultaneously; and daltrey was clifford jordan. he always ALWAYS brought it, never phoned it in, and brought about perspectives in townshend's songs that pete himself never imagined.

― Lawrence the Looter, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:15 (eighteen years ago)

Led Zeppelin seconded

― Tape Store, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:15 (eighteen years ago)

for me, it's zeppelin too. plant is probably the most negative influence on vocalists of the last 40 years or so. not just because of his comical screeching, but because on stage he was always completely lost, half-assed, and embarrassing. and not in the fun way.

― Lawrence the Looter, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:18 (eighteen years ago)

wtf do you mean?

― bobby bedelia, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 05:13 (eighteen years ago)

always

plant never put in a great performance. sure. somehow the eager voice of ilm sanctimony seems to be getting in the way

― kamerad, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 06:34 (eighteen years ago)

I just glanced at the Madlib thread, saw this:

quasimoto gets annoying cos of the helium voice

I'm not quite sure why anyone would be driven to make a voice sound like this for a whole project, apart from making a novelty track or something. Totally ruins it for me.

― Mark Clemente, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:45 (eighteen years ago)

Lambchop

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:47 (eighteen years ago)

i have to disagree with lambchop. that understated, fatherly drawl works well for me

― Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 16:46 (eighteen years ago)

about 95% of everyone ever

-- oops (Oops), Saturday, 17 January 2004 09:17 (3 years ago)

OTM!

― Drew Daniel, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

BOWIE.

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

Also MORRISSEY.

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

Nick Cave - really, he'd be awesome if he had a different voice.

― the next grozart, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 17:38 (eighteen years ago)

Calvin Johnson. It sets me completely on edge, so much so that I've never trusted myself to fairly review his music.

― Matos W.K., Wednesday, 16 May 2007 04:37 (eighteen years ago)

what you talkin' about?
http://www.profantasysports.com/userimgs/Calvin%20Johnson.jpg

― bobby bedelia, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 04:42 (eighteen years ago)

I cannot understand how one could have a problem with Wayne Coyne's voice without having the same problem with Neil Young's voice. I mean, they sound roughly the same.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:59 (eighteen years ago)

I second Zeppelin btw. And add Rush too.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:00 (eighteen years ago)

Nobody disses Geddy Lee on my watch.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:01 (eighteen years ago)

Not to mention the Slovenian entry at this year's Eurovision. :)

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:01 (eighteen years ago)

Lambchop OTM. Mind you I've only heard one song by them around the time they were getting hyped a lot and it just sounded like some Hootie & the Blowfish/Counting Crows crap to me.

― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:02 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, 120 Days I am looking at you.

But then again, I am seeing them live tomorrow, so maybe the singer's voice will be less annoying live.

― Masonic Boom, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:02 (eighteen years ago)

matt dc otm about bowie - whose songs i think i'd love if they weren't sung quite so archly - but not morrissey, who i'd hate no matter what.

james murphy, about 75% of the time
antony hegarty, on all his own material (he is somewhat restrained and v palatable on the bjork album)
girl out of electrelane on their new album (sing in tune lazy bitch!)

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:02 (eighteen years ago)

Is it just my imagination or is Wayne bloody Coyne the #1 role model for a whole generation of rotten vocalists? :(

― Groke, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:05 (eighteen years ago)

New Hella.

― bassace, Thursday, 17 May 2007 00:53 (eighteen years ago)

I cannot understand how one could have a problem with Wayne Coyne's voice without having the same problem with Neil Young's voice. I mean, they sound roughly the same.

Neil Young is a far better singer

Is it just my imagination or is Wayne bloody Coyne the #1 role model for a whole generation of rotten vocalists? :(

Nope, that's Neil Young!

― Tom D., Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

every1 dance punk

― A B C, Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:28 (eighteen years ago)

But yeah, Damon Albarn...

-- East Bay Crackhaus (nordicskilla), Saturday, 17 January 2004

haha i knew i'd find him in here somewhere! so many people i know have been put off Blur by Damon. I could probably say the same for The Divine Comedy, now I think about it.

Personally - Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah get the vote.

― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:29 (eighteen years ago)

Tindersticks

― Tom D., Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:31 (eighteen years ago)

Ain't Damon Albarn's voice that's the problem, but his personality!

― Masonic Boom, Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:32 (eighteen years ago)

Bjork!

― Tom D., Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago)

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