# Bands **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 1999, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394 "1999-08-10T19:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeadlessCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@HeadlessCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadlessCow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/1 "1999-08-10T19:41:00Z")
Do any of you out there listen to bands that none of your friends have ever heard of? Especially if the band has songs that you thought were well known. The Bands that I alone seem to possess the knowledge of are: Sweet (Ballroom Blitz, Little Willy, Love Is Like Oxygen) Rush (Tom Sawyer, Closer to the Heart, Fly By Night, Limelight) J. Geils Band (Centerfold)-although a few of my friends do know the song ---
**Author:** ![bernard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bernard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernard)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/2 "1999-08-10T19:44:00Z")
Your friends don’t know about Rush? Strange friends, I suggest upgrading them immediately. 🙂 I would say about half of my friends don’t know about New Order, but the rest do. The rest of the music I listen to is either soundtracks from movies or classical so I don’t know if they count. ---
**Author:** ![HeadlessCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@HeadlessCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadlessCow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/3 "1999-08-10T19:51:00Z")
And I forgot about: Falco (Rock Me Amadeus) ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/4 "1999-08-10T19:51:00Z")
Rush? J. Geils Band? Your friends have never heard of these bands? This makes me feel very old. Robyn Hitchcock - he’s got a large cult following, but most people don’t know who he is or what he does. Very, very good! Flying Burrito Brothers - these guys never got the success that they deserved in the late 60’s and early 70’s, although they are critically acclaimed by most music reviewers (they had a mild hit with “Six Days On The Road” in 1969). Louden Wainwright III - part folk, part satire, part comedy, he’s been around since the early 70’s. Not much commercial success, but well respected among his peers. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/5 "1999-08-10T20:03:00Z")
Your friends don’t know about Rush? Now _I_ feel old, and I’m only 24! By any chance, are these friends women? Most women I know don’t listen to Rush, J. Geils, etc. (And before everyone jumps on me, I’m a woman.) I’m with bernard - upgrade the friends! 😉 Let’s see…bands my friends have never heard of: ## Sebadoh The Iguanas Freddy Jones Band “And the knowlege that they fear is a weapon to be used against them.” -Neil Peart, RUSH, “The Weapon” ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/6 "1999-08-10T20:10:00Z")
Tito and Tarantula The Toy Dolls Bran Van 3000 * * * To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/7 "1999-08-10T20:11:00Z")
I never travel far Without a little Big Star. – The Replacements Also: The Charlatans The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Fairport Convention The Modern Lovers The Flamingos The Treniers Billy Ward and the Dominos Of course, these boyos are obscure only because they date from the 50s/60s. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/8 "1999-08-10T20:12:00Z")
Sorry…Big Star and the Lovers are from the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Lou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea666f/32.png) [@Lou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lou)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/9 "1999-08-10T20:16:00Z")
My friends can all appreciate the music that I am into lately but the people I work with don’t even believe me when I tell them that “Yes, they do still make vinyl records and I own NEW records that I play on my RECORD PLAYER.” They can only comprehend this if I say it’s for DJs. NYC punk for me lately: The Dead Boys Richard Hell/Television/Voidoids New York Dolls/Johnny Thunders Velvet Underground & The Stooges (don’t really belong here but they were in NYC in the late 60’s/70’s so I think it’s ok) ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/10 "1999-08-10T20:28:00Z")
Weird–I was just thinking this morning of posting a topic very much like this… Anyway, my all-time favorite band is XTC. I’ve loved their music ever since I saw the video for “Life Begins at the Hop” in 1979. I managed to see them on tour, just before lead singer Andy Partridge decided he had permanent stage fright. Do yourself a favor and find one of their albums. ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/11 "1999-08-10T20:31:00Z")
Poe, Soul Coughing, Sneaker Pimps, Hooverphonic… ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/12 "1999-08-10T20:34:00Z")
indeed XTC are fabulous. All one needs to do is listen to “wrapped in grey” and you’ll be hooked. * * * To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion. ---
**Author:** ![topolino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/91b2a8/32.png) [@topolino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/topolino)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/13 "1999-08-10T21:34:00Z")
The only ones that have stumped me so far are The Toy Dolls, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, The Treniers, and The Dead Boys. > [@](#): > > Poe, Soul Coughing, Sneaker Pimps, Hooverphonic… I love all these artists. And XTC is one of my favorite bands of all time. Now, I like alot of bands that alot of people haven’t heard of so I’ll narrow the list down to artists I REALLY REALLY like whose names are relatively unknown: Failure Splashdown Elliott Smith Kate Bush Self Nick Drake All those 4AD bands (Cocteau Twins, Lush, etc) Bel Canto Grant Lee Buffalo I’ll stop here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/14 "1999-08-10T21:36:00Z")
Ah, The J. Geils Band–Centerfold was their most mainstream song. They were a “concert band” and always put on great shows. I’ve seen them several times. I used to have their live album,“Blow your face out” I loved Peter Wolf’s jive talkin’ intros to the songs…like “Musta Got Lost”. * * * Gail “Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you, my friend– Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again…” -Steely Dan ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/15 "1999-08-10T21:38:00Z")
I totally agree with Tito and Tarantulas Also: The Cramps Ry Cooder Headstones Yello Tailgators ---
**Author:** ![torq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@torq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torq)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/16 "1999-08-10T21:55:00Z")
Devo… yeah, yeah, I know everyone’s HEARD of Devo, but most of my friends don’t know any of their songs besides “Whip It.” ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/17 "1999-08-10T22:13:00Z")
Yeah, but that’s not saying much since most of my friends are unenlightened Philistines anyway… October Project Julee Cruise Cranes Concrete Blonde Black Tape For A Blue Girl Five years ago, I could of added Sarah McLachlan, but now I can’t escape her 😉 * * * “I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.” ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@Alan\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Q)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 1999, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/18 "1999-08-10T22:37:00Z")
Mott the Hoople, even tho the “classic” rock stations have jumped on the bandwagon, nobody played them when they were together, but all you hear are the same two dam’ songs. Bonzo Dog Band? You bet! And finally: Kinky Friedman & the Texas Jewboys–hard to explain, but Lord, are they good! –Alan Q ---
**Author:** ![Schizm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Schizm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schizm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 1999, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/19 "1999-08-11T00:04:00Z")
It sometimes seems like I have to spoon-feed my music to some of my friends, who never seem to travel past commercial radio. Some bands that I’m into: Velvet Underground (probably my favorite) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Gomez Built to Spill Spiritualized Husker Du Tricky Robert Earl Keen (for when I’m feeling patriotic) I’m just realizing these are all predominantly male artists. I guess I don’t listen to females that much. Life must imitate art then, in my case. ---
**Author:** ![tetzel1517](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tetzel1517](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetzel1517)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 1999, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394/20 "1999-08-11T02:29:00Z")
It makes me feel good that I’ve heard of most of the bands you folks have mentioned. My picks? Pavement, Jellyfish, Built to Spill, Wilco, the UNKLE project (a DJ Shadow side project actually, but no one’s heard of him either). There are other bands I like where most people only know one song: Radiohead (best band on earth, and SO much better than “Creep”) Blur (that “woo-oo!” song is only the tip of the iceberg) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands/7394.md?page=2)