# "Joke Bands" that are actually musically talented. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310 "2012-09-30T13:45:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/41 "2012-09-30T20:14:55Z")
The Joshua Trio [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaaCOHmAbR0) Actually this lot are so good, I don’t think of them as a ‘joke’ band at all. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GJNqgc6avfg/maxresdefault.jpg "THE JOSHUA TRIO - U2 - DESIRE") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJNqgc6avfg) I believe they started out doing U2 covers, hence the name and originally it started out as a bit of a laugh, however they turned out to be pretty darned good ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/42 "2012-09-30T20:32:25Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Re: The Darkness - I seem to recall that in spite of their clear outrageousness, they took themselves pretty seriously? Are they really a joke band? They’re sincere about what they do, even if it’s a little tongue-in-cheek. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/43 "2012-09-30T20:55:59Z")
P.D.Q. Bach. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/44 "2012-09-30T21:00:02Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > [Steel Panther](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s-TV1_uL-A) Warning: _Really_ offensive. Check out “[Community Property](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wYQ5vsGogY)” (NSFW). It’s the platonic ideal of 80’s hair metal power ballads. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/45 "2012-09-30T21:50:23Z")
The “Tijuana Brass”? …Wait a minute…there was no such band…was there? I also remember a parody group…“Al Tijuana and His Jewish Brass”! ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/46 "2012-09-30T21:54:41Z")
Not a band, but [Jonathan Coulton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-77ElyvRxI) certainly deserves a shout out. (NSFW) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/47 "2012-09-30T22:42:10Z")
[Me First and the Gimme Gimmes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_First_and_the_Gimme_Gimmes) - Not surprising they’re musically talented. The members of the band are also members of other genuine bands. Some of their covers: [Nothing Compares 2 You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpTM8DMGajM&feature=related) [Over the Rainbow](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBGGYrFePCk&feature=related) [Rocket Man](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqprhVmv3BI) [Uptown Girl](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=6n18tZjzOJI&NR=1) [Wild World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu0HTIuihy8&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/48 "2012-09-30T22:57:08Z")
Steve Martin used to make the banjo a big part of his standup routine - and while he never tried too hard to sing (in fact he was terrible), he’s an amazing banjo player. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/49 "2012-09-30T22:59:11Z")
Tiny Tim was essentially his own joke band. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/50 "2012-09-30T23:07:57Z")
They Might Be Giants are, on the face of it, a very unserious band with quite unconventional sounding music. They have actually made some very good songs with lyrics on much more serious topics than they can seem as well as some great imagery. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/51 "2012-09-30T23:11:02Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Big Daddy. > > I particularly like their cover of [Sgt Peppers](http://bigdaddy59.com/audio/sgt-peppers/) in 50’s style. The way they handled ‘Within You Without You’ was great. Excellent choice. I think _A Day in the Life_ is the standout on that album. I heard them a little bit back in the '80s. Just in the last few months I went looking to see if there were any recording or info online, and didn’t find much. Don’t know why I didn’t turn up that site. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/52 "2012-10-01T00:07:13Z")
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention did very jokey stuff, yet musically ambitious, right from their earliest days until the end. From Mexico, there is Cafe Tacuba. Their magnu opus, an album called “Re”, included songs from about a dozen genres, each competently composed and played. Most of it is more “hommages” than “jokes”, though. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/53 "2012-10-01T00:15:14Z")
ETA: Neither Zappa nor Cafe Tacuba would be considered a “joke band” (well, some might call Zappa that), so not quite in the spirit of the OP, but close. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/54 "2012-10-01T00:27:51Z")
The Folkmen. Obscure, but opened for Spinal Tap. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/55 "2012-10-01T01:10:12Z")
Johnny Dilks and the Visitacion Valley Boys. [Johnny Dilks - Comin' on Thru - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOENq28uf98&feature=fvwrel) Kind of alt-Western Swing. ---
**Author:** ![Myffical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Myffical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myffical)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/56 "2012-10-01T01:35:41Z")
The Rubberbandits [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPFZrRD3J8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPFZrRD3J8) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzo4rZxF3x4&feature=relmfu](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzo4rZxF3x4&feature=relmfu) Warning: offensive ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/57 "2012-10-01T01:40:01Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > From Mexico, there is Cafe Tacuba. Their magnu opus, an album called “Re”, included songs from about a dozen genres, each competently composed and played. Most of it is more “hommages” than “jokes”, though. Ween is in a similar vein. If not for their incessant juvenility and potty humor, a lot more of their songs would be on the “homage” side of a “joke song”. Like Weird Al, a lot of Ween’s musical talent is the ability to spot-on mimic any style. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/58 "2012-10-01T02:57:22Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Ween is in a similar vein. If not for their incessant juvenility and potty humor, a lot more of their songs would be on the “homage” side of a “joke song”. > > Like Weird Al, a lot of Ween’s musical talent is the ability to spot-on mimic any style. Cool. Which of their albums is your favorite? ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/59 "2012-10-01T05:25:23Z")
[GWAR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwar)! Although you could argue that they’re not really a “joke” band anymore. Over the years they’ve sort-of evolved from “joke band” to a real heavy metal band that sings about jokey stuff. You could also probably argue about how musically talented they actually are. I like 'em though. Gwar gwar gwar gwar gwar gwar! ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310/60 "2012-10-01T07:52:15Z")
Dread Zeppelin. Obese Elvis impersonator doing Led Zeppelin covers. [Immigrant Song.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eHfl0q_wug) [Stairway to Heaven.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dwh5_hicoE&feature=related) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joke-bands-that-are-actually-musically-talented/636310.md?page=4)