5. Chairlift - OK, I don't dislike this band, they are OK. So I feel a little bad putting them on this list. But I do think they are overrated. I was disappointed to no other songs in their repertoire to live up to the beautiful simplicity of "Bruises", the iPod commercial song that pushed them into the spotlight. They have potential, but the hype is just too much. Their compositions are incoherent and their melodies are mostly bland. For the record, "Bruises" is undeniably lovely, another great pick by Apple's marketing people.
4. Cut Copy - These guys were overrated before 2008 too. They are creative, sure, but does that make up for being dreadfully irritating? I believe pretty strongly that all music, even the fun stuff, should have an element of beauty - or at the very least, sincerity. I haven't found that here.
3. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago is an album made by its backstory. It's not a soul-baring masterpiece, it's a series of whiny cliches (starting with the album title), all lumped together into poorly-constructed melodies and mediocre-at-best guitar work. The lyrics are especially dreadful. And the backstory isn't even that great. Isolated in the woods of northern Wisconsin? Uh, this isn't Nunavut or something, the most isolated it gets in Wisconsin is like twenty minutes outside of town. Living his parents' cabin? Seriously? That's barely a step up from living in their basement, and if it were me, I wouldn't brag about it in an international press release.
2. Vampire Weekend - This reminds me of pseudo-ska music. Enough to make this the most obnoxious band of 2008. Please make it stop.
1. Vivian Girls - I get that they are supposed to be cute girls who are not very good at their instruments, like an indie pop / punkgaze version of the Shaggs. Which definitely sounds cool. But so far, I just don't like them. In records and in performance, they're tediously boring. I hate to rag on my fellow female musicians, but I really don't get it.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
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2 comments:
Disagree with bon iver. I just saw him last night and he puts on a great performance. That albums is also pretty spectacular.
I do feel that everyone rags on vampire weekend for being overrated. I don't think they're as overrated as they're over played.
What about fleet foxes or no age? I think both bands are completely overrated.
Ha, I had Fleet Foxes on this list before I actually sat down and listened to the album all the way through. Turns out I liked them. I was as shocked as anyone.
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