thanks for the info, I'll take it into consideration next time. anyway, all their songs sound alike and there are much more clever and inventive hipster rockers out there. granted they did bring hipster indie rock mainstream along with franz ferdinand but their image and music is already a ridiculous cliche and if I have to listen to another band that thinks they are the strokes (who think they are the stones etc) I will go on a shooting rampage.

I think the first FF album has a cool sound (Which DOES copy the Strokes) and a handful of really good songs.

But they certainly have more of a sense for melod and closer to a 'unique' signature than all the other bands that copy the Strokes. So I wouldn't count it out that they might manage to put together another very good album.

Appleseed Cast - Low Level Owl Vol. I & II

Light years ahead of anything they've done before or after, and largely unheard due to that.

Well put Hanzo, the strokes definitely suck. I'm proud to say that I noticed this right from the get go while all my NME reading, pretention filled friends hailed "the return of rock"....
The strokes are what I like to refer to as a genre glitch, when something kind of cool is discovered and for some reason gets full blown media coverage in an attempt to elevate it to the next big thing. I've noticed that in recent years as the level of media coverage worldwide intensifies these scenes tend to get broken earlier and earlier before they are given time to expand in a natural way, once the mainstream catches on it is fair to say that a specific trendy style will be unlistenable in a few short months due to the saturation.

Also, on the topic of one hit wonder bands, lets be fair people, whether you like them or not Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac and Stones cannot by any definition be reduced to one good album each.

A more fair attempt at defaming a pretty popular and successful band would probably be someone like, oh say, Oasis if you trying to do that sort of thing, which I'll refrain from doing in the interest of good taste. (and I'm scared of Noel).

I'm gonna say Wish You Were Here. Pink Floyd's other albums were monsters of ego and self-importance, in my opinion. Plus, less lyrics from them is generally a good thing. Not to mention it has their best song, the title song.

Wish You Were Here? Honestly. No matter what your feelings about their other albums are, Pink Floyd is not a "mediocre" band. Wish You Were Here may well be their best work, and the title track is a stunning song, but Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Dark Side of the Moon, and Meddle are all extremely creative albums full of gorgeous music that rarely wander off into pretentiousness. I agree that The Wall could qualify as the type of ego monster you speak of, but that concession leaves them four classic albums whose influence on popular music cannot be measured.

Also, The Strokes do not suck, and their fans are not pretentious. People who think this have sadly allowed their resentment of popular taste to dictate the way they feel about certain bands. Yes, they were massively popular for about a year and half, and yes, they've been hit by a backlash. But their music is exactly the opposite of pretentious. They're a barely competent band with an amazing songwriter; Julian Casablancas writes some of the simplest, most engaging melodies I think I've ever heard. I feel sorry for people who let their resentment obscure the band's obvious gifts.

Manic Street Preachers did with The Holy Bible.

I have to vigorously disagree with those including Weezer in this category. Their debut was excellent, Pinkerton was even better, the Green album was good, and Maladroit was very good. I don't know about Make Believe, because "Beverly Hills" is up there with "Stacy's Mom" in the worst tracks I've ever heard, and I couldn't bring myself to buy the album.

I also couldn't disagree more regarding Massive Attack. Blue Lines is an absolute classic, and Mezzanine blew me away in a similar fashion to OK Computer. Their last album was disappointing, but they're hardly Massive Attack anymore.

I'd like to suggest Oasis. Definitely Maybe is one of the best debut albums of all time. It still sounds great. Everything else they've done since would be lucky to be described as being mediocre, apart from a few singles and a couple of b-sides.

How about Air. They're the epitome of mediocre. They're boring, bland, etc. And yet they made Moon Safari which is awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by Hophead:
How about Air. They're the epitome of mediocre. They're boring, bland, etc. And yet they made Moon Safari which is awesome.

i wouldn't consider Air mediocre. simply because the Virgin Suicides soundtrack is so great. I admit 10,000Hz wasn't up to par but Talkie Walkie was a return to quality as is their new album, Pocket Symphony.

my contribution:
i might get whipped for this but sometimes, and i do mean sometimes, i think DJ Shadow. I think we can all agree Endtroducing... is a classic. and i'll give you that The Private Press is pretty good. but it's nowhere near Endtroducing.... And last year's The Outsider was such a huge disappointment for me.
Personally, as talented as he can be, i'm afraid he's heading in the direction of having a mediocre career, yet remembered for one really huge stunner. your thoughts?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: brainofp,

I know there are some avid Wilco fans out and I'm not trying to be provocative, but for me they fit into this catagory. This was galvanised even more after seeing them live. YHF is undoubtedly a stunner, carving a unique and innovative sound for them.

The rest of their catalogue contains entertaining songs, but are bloated and lack variety. Songs on summerteeth like the title track are among my favourite wilco tracks, but so much sounds the same the album just loses its spark.

Maybe I should listen to agib more...

quote:

Appleseed Cast - Low Level Owl Vol. I & II

I'll second that one, but I'd have to add Mare Vitalis in too. I don't understand how a band goes from making shitty third rate mid-90's era emo to spectral, exploratory space/post/shoegaze style rock and then backtracks to playing simple, boring, embarassingly bad emo again. I love Low Level Owl though. It is a magnificent record, both volumes.

quote:

Originally posted by PrairieFire:
I know there are some avid Wilco fans out and I'm not trying to be provocative, but for me they fit into this catagory. This was galvanised even more after seeing them live. YHF is undoubtedly a stunner, carving a unique and innovative sound for them.

The rest of their catalogue contains entertaining songs, but are bloated and lack variety. Songs on summerteeth like the title track are among my favourite wilco tracks, but so much sounds the same the album just loses its spark.

Maybe I should listen to agib more...

....I really don't know what to say.

To call Wilco a mediocre band is astonishing. If they're mediocre, then I'd also like to include Radiohead, Talking Heads, and The Pixies, because that's the calibre of band I rate Wilco alongside.

Are you sure you're not trying to be provocative?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bloodsucking Borachon,

This is interesting - it is not enough to think that the band is generally be considered mediocre they had to produce an absulotely stunning album.

My nominee is "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp. While "Crime of the Century" is above average - in general Supertramp does is not held in high critical regard. "Breakfast in America" sold over 18 million copies and is a stunning Art-rock masterpiece.

Only a couple for me come to mind:
Le Tigre, Le Tigre
Play, Moby

And I love The Strokes Room On Fire, as for their third album, that can just go in the trash.

quote:

Originally posted by Sebtron:
...And I love The Strokes Room On Fire, as for their third album, that can just go in the trash.

I disagree with you. I think that their second album is their best album, however I don't consider them to be a "mediocre" band. All three of their albums are good releases with the latest being a different taste of good ol' fashioned rock and roll. I consider them to be a pretty great band that is making a nice catalogue for themselves. Not to mention that they are a very good live band; this only adds to their credibility.

quote:

Originally posted by Ralph M:
My nominee is "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp. While "Crime of the Century" is above average - in general Supertramp does is not held in high critical regard. "Breakfast in America" sold over 18 million copies and is a stunning Art-rock masterpiece.

Thats a great example. I love "Breakfast in America."

Guns and Roses comes to mind as well with obviously Appetite for Destruction. Use Your Illusion I and II were bloated messes of albums that contained a handful of good, yet forgotten songs. Maybe Chinese Democracy will finally put them back on top.

A little more recently, how about Cloud Room, and their one fantastic song on a mediocre album?

It never should have been like this. Liz Phair started with so much potential with Exile in Guyville. The only stunner in a now mediocre at best career.