Nation of Ulysses-eque Bands - Bands mocking their own scene

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I Hate Myself obviously.

I used to think Anti-Flag was a very subtle joke, but I think they're actually serious with their "My First Chomsky Reader" type politics.

Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 11:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Do you mean bands who mock their scene through their lyrics or through the style of music they play?

No Trend definitely fits into the former category. They were sort of on the outside of the DC hardcore scene (circa '83) and wrote angry lyrics mocking the Dischord punks ("Hanging out in Georgetown... getting punky at Roy Rogers"). Their music seemed pretty serious, though. At least in the first few years.

A lot of hardcore bands come to mind (Crucial Youth, Jud Jud, etc.). Probably because something so humorless and insular is an easy target.

Diego Hadis (dhadis), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 13:43 (twenty-three years ago)

As far as OBVIOUS rips on hardcore:

Gayrilla Biscuits

Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 13:51 (twenty-three years ago)

The Dandy Warhols USED to take the piss out of their local scene - i.e. the Pacific Northwest thing, with songs like Grunge Betty and Nothing (Lifestyle Of A Tortured Artist For Sale). But then they proceeded to become the blueprint for a whole new PDX dronerock scene which desperately needs the piss taken out if it in the same way...

kate, Tuesday, 8 October 2002 14:31 (twenty-three years ago)

i love Television Personalities "part time punks" = hilarious lyrics.

ddd, Tuesday, 8 October 2002 19:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Prehensile Monkeytailed Skink - "Anarchy is Stupid"

Kris (aqueduct), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 19:22 (twenty-three years ago)

If its obvious what they are doing, this is NOT what were are tlaking about! Parodies! Not direct rips!

Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 19:24 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry for replying to your thread "john williams"

ummm, parodies, in that case
2 live crew

ddd, Tuesday, 8 October 2002 22:46 (twenty-three years ago)

The Dandy Warhols USED to take the piss out of their local scene - i.e. the Pacific Northwest thing, with songs like Grunge Betty and Nothing (Lifestyle Of A Tortured Artist For Sale). But then they proceeded to become the blueprint for a whole new PDX dronerock scene which desperately needs the piss taken out if it in the same way...

Someone needs to take the piss out of the way the Dandies take the piss... and wipe that po-faced pout out of Courtney's smug mug. But I really like the first record and "13 tales...". And the fact that they called their early Ride rip-off song "Ride".

donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 00:12 (twenty-three years ago)

being from portland, i would have to say the Dandy Warhols have had no effect whatsoever on the scene here, which isn't to say the scene is good either.

jack cole (jackcole), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 02:12 (twenty-three years ago)

How did NOU mock their scene? By wearing suits?

These band remind me of their energy AND their suits: Brainiac, Jonathan Fire*Eater, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead...

Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 10 October 2002 06:46 (twenty-three years ago)

ANAL CUNT!

Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 10 October 2002 07:00 (twenty-three years ago)

NOU's faux anarchist politics perhaps?

Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 10 October 2002 11:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Someone was telling me about a band called Black Forest Gateau - the world's only comedy Black Metal band. They have songs called things like "Tree" and "Shrub" and their manifesto is to become the worlds most hated Black Metal band.

dog latin, Thursday, 10 October 2002 14:31 (twenty-three years ago)

They were tongue in cheek, sure, but I don't think there was anything faux about their anarchism. In their own way, they really did want to create an "anti parent culture sound" and whatnot.

Also, they were on Dischord and were about as friendly as could be with scene movers and shakers in D.C. and Olympia, where Beat Happening wrote "Hot Chocolate Boy" in tribute.

Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 10 October 2002 15:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Ben Folds Five - Underground

My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 10 October 2002 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Was just thinking of this as browsing the "L" rack at the record store--what about the Locust? People seem to take them pretty seriously (myself included; I think they're a bunch of irritating bastards who play boring music) but maybe I'd be convinced to approve of them if they were really just taking the piss out of the emo-violence/grind scene.

Somehow I doubt it, though.

Ian Johnson, Sunday, 13 October 2002 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

ten years pass...

feel this thread could use a revive

Excelsior twilight. Harpsichord wind through the trees. (bernard snowy), Sunday, 19 May 2013 15:21 (twelve years ago)

would Jawbreaker count, or are they more a case of "bands defensively telling the scene that embraced, then rejected them to fuck right off"?

Excelsior twilight. Harpsichord wind through the trees. (bernard snowy), Sunday, 19 May 2013 15:22 (twelve years ago)

(first person to utter the word "chillwave" in this thread has their totem animal changed to a can of PBR, and may never consume PBR again)

Excelsior twilight. Harpsichord wind through the trees. (bernard snowy), Sunday, 19 May 2013 15:25 (twelve years ago)

... the weird thing is, when I listened to them, I never really thought of NoU (despite Dischord affiliation) as a phenomenon belonging to any 'scene'—to the extent that their schtick can be taken as a mockery or parody, it seems to be targeting 'rock music'/american culture as a whole. or maybe that's just me being swayed by their name.

Excelsior twilight. Harpsichord wind through the trees. (bernard snowy), Sunday, 19 May 2013 15:36 (twelve years ago)

Minor Threat's "Cashing In" and Husker Du's "Real World"--different tone, more or less the same moment.

clemenza, Sunday, 19 May 2013 15:51 (twelve years ago)

And "Flower Punk" by the Mothers of Invention, obviously.

clemenza, Sunday, 19 May 2013 15:52 (twelve years ago)

I don't know the UK/Wales well enough to say whether Mclusky ever belonged to any 'scene', but they were pretty vicious towards themselves & anyone else within earshot

Excelsior twilight. Harpsichord wind through the trees. (bernard snowy), Tuesday, 21 May 2013 19:18 (twelve years ago)

Camper Van Beethoven

how's life, Wednesday, 22 May 2013 09:24 (twelve years ago)

xp mclusky were sui generis in UK terms, and seemed to enjoy taking potshots at anyone.

Neil S, Wednesday, 22 May 2013 09:32 (twelve years ago)

Mark E Smith to thread.

Ask The Answer Man (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 22 May 2013 15:20 (twelve years ago)


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