What Turns You Off Bands, Non-Musicwise?

TheRightToArmBears

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Dec 13, 2008
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Aside from the music of course (that's the real decider of course, this is more about image), what makes you think "Hmmm... I'll stay away from that". I'll stick to what I know, and talk about metal (aside from Suburban Legends, there's pretty much no bad ska bands I know of).

Members of the band having straightened hair- Sign of emo-ness. Not good for a metal band, the results come out funny like 8th generation residents of a backwater swamp town.

Mention of romantic stuff in band, album, song titles- Stuff like romance, rose (G'n'R the big exception here, but that's different), valentine... once again a sign of emo-ness and thus, fails.

Having overly metal names, being too 'metal' in general- Stuff like, hmmm... I dunno, Cannibal Corpse? Personally, I find it's too far to be taken seriously. Wearing a crapload of leather and spikes also looks a little silly.

So yes, this does appear a thinly-veiled attack on metal genres I dislike because it is, but it's not absolute; Lamb Of God used to be called Burn the Priest, Trivium's not a silly name, but they suck. Slayer appear 'too metal', but they're awesome.

So yeah. Look at the title. Discuss if you like. Comment on what I said. Whatever. But do say something, or I'll eat your firstborn child, or I'll keep the cookies to myself.
 

Alias42

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Sep 10, 2009
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Hating on other bands. Hipster bands are especially good at this, but the whole "the music we made is better then everything that THOSE people made ever" is something I just can't stand. Being arrogant I can take, it can even be kind of funny (see The Hives). But bitchin' at your colleagues is something I really can't stand.
 

Mr. Self Destruct

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Feb 26, 2009
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I don't listen too or want to listen to Steel Panther cause they look silly and act stupido, i know it be an act, but still..

Bugs me yo
 

OrdinaryGuy

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Oct 19, 2009
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Alias42 said:
Hating on other bands. Hipster bands are especially good at this, but the whole "the music we made is better then everything that THOSE people made ever" is something I just can't stand. Being arrogant I can take, it can even be kind of funny (see The Hives). But bitchin' at your colleagues is something I really can't stand.
That's definitely what I hate most about bands as well. Artists that hate on other groups just because they think they're better are completely wrong. A good artist knows and learns from other groups that have been doing the same thing. A good artist also acknowledges this and gives them credit for the music they made. A bad artist steals material from other bands and doesn't give credit where credit is due.

Aside from that though, it's mainly the fans that get me upset. A lot more than the band itself, anyways. There's always arrogant jerks that think their band is superior to another. Just look up any metal band on youtube and I guarantee there will be a comment saying that Metallica is way better.
 

ProfessorLayton

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Nov 6, 2008
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I actually like some emo bands like Escape the Fate for these [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phFGwi1dO5M] two [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsdrJmXzISs&feature=related] songs. My Chemical Romance also has some good songs if you can stand the lead singer.

I guess this is where I show my hipster side but I won't like a band if they're too popular... not like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, I mean the bands that a ton of people listen to because it thinks it makes them cool. Liking that band sort of makes you associated with the poser crowd and I mean bands like Bullet for my Valentine and The Devil Wears Prada. It doesn't help that the music is most of the time awful and cheesy (I mean... Scream Aim Fire? Who thinks that sounds cool?).

I agree with the overly hardcore sounding names... often times it makes you look dumb unless you're Dethklok and that's a whole different story. Any band that tries too hard and does it with a straight face sort of makes me not want to listen to them, especially when you look at the T-Shirts. Take a look at these [http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Apparel/TShirts/BandTees/iwrestledabearonce-White-Bear-SlimFit-TShirt-908621.jsp] shirts [http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Apparel/TShirts/BandTees/Whitechapel-Spine-Rip-SlimFit-TShirt-908099.jsp] and tell me they aren't trying too hard. I actually like iwrestledabearonce, but that shirt is just dumb.

Also, you are awesome because you mention Suburban Legends. I didn't know anyone else in the world had heard of them.
 
Jun 13, 2009
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Pretty much exactly what you said.

The biggest turn off is when they try too hard to be METULZ. Stupid "look at me I'm so cool" names like Anal ****, Gorefest and Dying Fetus. They don't roll off the tongue, you can't say them and take them seriously and most of the time they then go on to produce equally imbecilic songs like Frantic Disembowelment by Cannibal Corpse. It's just such a childish and immature way of selling your music that I refuse to listen to them no matter how much I may actually like their music.
 

Rewold

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Mar 18, 2010
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Bands that are too much on gossip papers. Like every weekend one of the band members is in a bar fight or something like that. Publicity stunts suck!
 

SomeLameStuff

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Apr 26, 2009
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It turns me off a band when they have a fanbase consisting mainly of screaming 13 year-old girls.

 

Trivun

Stabat mater dolorosa
Dec 13, 2008
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I actually don't like Lady Gaga mainly because of her style. Music wise she's quite talented, though not really my cup of tea I can't deny she has talent. What I don't like about her, and why I don't listen to her, is the over-the-top flamboyant crazy-ass style she has. It just puts me right off.

Otherwise, I don't really care too much about a music artist's non-music aspects, as long as they sound good. Though I do like some artists partly because of their style, for example, I'll admit I have a slight crush on Florence Welch because of her quirkiness (seriously, she's like a non-actress redheaded Zooey Deschanel, with extra quirk - that has to be a good thing, right?). Plus she sounds great, obviously :D
 

WorkerMurphey

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Jan 24, 2010
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The use of eyeliner on men. I'm looking at you Green Day. Only Alice Cooper and Kiss are allowed to wear man-makeup.
 

BiscuitTrouser

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May 19, 2008
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ProfessorLayton said:
I actually like some emo bands like Escape the Fate for these [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phFGwi1dO5M] two [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsdrJmXzISs&feature=related] songs. My Chemical Romance also has some good songs if you can stand the lead singer.

I guess this is where I show my hipster side but I won't like a band if they're too popular... not like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, I mean the bands that a ton of people listen to because it thinks it makes them cool. Liking that band sort of makes you associated with the poser crowd and I mean bands like Bullet for my Valentine and The Devil Wears Prada. It doesn't help that the music is most of the time awful and cheesy (I mean... Scream Aim Fire? Who thinks that sounds cool?).

I agree with the overly hardcore sounding names... often times it makes you look dumb unless you're Dethklok and that's a whole different story. Any band that tries too hard and does it with a straight face sort of makes me not want to listen to them, especially when you look at the T-Shirts. Take a look at these [http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Apparel/TShirts/BandTees/iwrestledabearonce-White-Bear-SlimFit-TShirt-908621.jsp] shirts [http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Apparel/TShirts/BandTees/Whitechapel-Spine-Rip-SlimFit-TShirt-908099.jsp] and tell me they aren't trying too hard. I actually like iwrestledabearonce, but that shirt is just dumb.

Also, you are awesome because you mention Suburban Legends. I didn't know anyone else in the world had heard of them.
Escape the fate do rock hard. Bands that try really really hard to be "different" just so they can boast about it. Its like the sad guys at your school who wear retarded things, dress in black and call themselves vampires just for the attention. If a band is depserately trying to be weird and different it ruins it. If a band is new and out there it does it naturally, its their personal style. Agree with you completely. You linked me to hot topic .com of course they are trying to hard.
 

Cakekey

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Apr 15, 2010
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Personally, it may be a band's fanbase. There are so many good artists who get bad reputations for their fans being, for the most part, morons. A fine example is Slipknot, whose fans enjoy showing off how "metal" they are by spending a lot on black clothes and piercings, cursing far more than anyone would ever need to, and spending a good deal of time with other people who do the exact same things. It' hard to convince someone that an artist is good when your fellow fans just act like idiots, insulting anyone with an actual opinion that's more than just blind, moronic love.
 

thejdcole

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Nov 13, 2008
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The only reason i might not listen to a band is if they produce their music for money and not because they love music. If you make music for any reason other than to make something which makes awesome noise and a statement, then you have no idea what music stands for.

Like when King of Leon completly changed their image from long haired bearded hippy like people to stylish bearded, neat haired people. It was obvious that they did that just because the record company (or whoever) just said, ok do that, you'll look sexy, more people will like you (because of your image), you make more money.

It's the same with lady gaga, she wouldn't be that popular if it wasnt for her weird dress sense and hair styles. I bet half of her fan base are just people buying her music to be cool.

*Edit* and reading through some things above, i have to agree with furburt about the arrogance of some bands. I don't like it when people think they are above others. In my eyes everyone is equal. Hell if it wasn't for the fans the band would get nowhere. I remember reading an interview with tre cool (green day drummer) and he literally said something along the lines of "We can do anything we want, and we do.". Although that hasn't stopped me listening to green day,things like that definatley make me stop and think about who i'm actually listening to.
 

Talibr

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Apr 15, 2009
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Man I gotta say it's mostly about the music. Lyrics count as part of the music in my opinion too, but it's less about subject matter and more the way the topic is dealt with. I think this is what a few of you are getting at when you talk about cheesy songs turning you off, but probably don't mind the same subject matter being dealt with more adroitly by bands like GnR.

That said, I'm not a fan of screaming. I can handle a bit of Metallica or Alexisonfire, but if it's all screaming all the time I'm not interested. I find most metal drumming pretty boring, so if it's a standard pedal-thumping kinda song, I'm probably not interested.

The problem for me, when you say 'what else apart from the music turns you off a band' is this: should anything else really matter? They're a band, they exist to provide others with music. If there's any other reason you're disliking a band then in my opinion you're paying too much attention to marketing bullshit and not enough attention to the music.

The first time I hear just about any new band now is online, via reccomendation from a person or software. I can't think of a better way to avoid any preconceptions based on bs like what a band wears or what US Weekly says about them. If I hear them in a pub, I'll wait until they've actually played to make a judgement call, I don't care if they're spandex wearing transexuals writing music about the social relevance of gorn while vocally attacking the artistic integrity of bands exactly like them (@_@?), and insulting their bassist between every song. How's the music?
 

Wardnath

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Dec 27, 2009
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I don't like them when they suck. That'd be about it.

inb4 someone mentions corpse paint.

But really, why the fuck does it matter what they do outside of their music?
 

Sronpop

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Mar 26, 2009
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For me its all about the bands attitude towards making music, the kind of fans they attract and the bands response to that receptions. To be short and sweet it is whether they are fake or not. Are you making music because you want to make music, because you like the music you create, because you have something to express. Or are you making it to be famous and make money. That's what it boils down to for me. If a band truly and genuinely cares for its fans and making great music then I support them. If its the opposite well then fuck them. That's not what music is about for me, I don't want none of that. The bands style and attitude contribute loads to this. Did you dye you hair black and cut it into a fringe because that's the scene now or did you do it for a genuine reason.

Thank god its easy to spot the fakes. Although so bands can change, I hated A7x with a passion up until their self titled effort. It was a genuine record where they tried to express their pure talent as a band and it work gloriously. But up until that they were as fake as they come. Sadly from what I have heard from their latest album they have gone to shit again, sigh, Ill pass judgment when I hear it though.