# Weird music you love **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870 "2006-11-02T18:01:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/1 "2006-11-02T18:01:33Z")
The “weirdest songs to ever hit the top 40” thread inspired this. What is some music that you really love, but that most people would probably find really weird? Can be an artist/group or a single song or album. I’ll launch it off by saying pretty much anything by **Laurie Anderson**. I love almost all of it, have several VHS tapes, and have seen her live… but it’s definitely weird stuff. Of her stuff that actually gets (albeit rare) radio play, I am particularly attached to “Oh Superman” but really, I have all of her albums and love all of it. “My Eyes” and “The Day the Devil” are two other favorites. I’ll have more but let me throw it out to the masses. Lovers of weird music, let’s compare notes! ---
**Author:** ![Basandre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@Basandre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Basandre)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/2 "2006-11-02T19:39:58Z")
My current favorite is E Nomine. German techno, with choral accompaniment and religious themes (I’m not Christian and I don’t speak German). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/3 "2006-11-02T20:33:23Z")
**Yat-Kha** (Tuvinian Throat Singing Rock Group) - or just **Albert Kuvezin** , the band leader. Awesome Joy Division cover. **Einsturtzende Neubauten** can get pretty weird. Ditto **Laibach**. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/4 "2006-11-02T20:48:22Z")
I like Laibach. Tuvinian… is that people from that place that Richard Feinman was obsessed with? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/5 "2006-11-02T20:52:34Z")
I’m sort of ordinary: the weirdest music I like is Dead Can Dance, and Dread Zeppelin\*. Now, Dread Zeppelin covering Dead Can Dance tunes, would be weird 🙂 \*For those that might not know: Reggae band covering Led Zeppelin tunes whose lead singer sings as an Elvis impersonator. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/6 "2006-11-02T20:59:12Z")
Sandra Boynton’s **Grunt** , a parody of the Gregorian chant album **Chant**. It’s in pig Latin, and in some real latin, with puns (“Gloria in egg shells Deo”), but if you don’t listen closely, it sounds like for-real Gregorian chant. **Big Daddy** ’s ouevre. I wish more of their stuff was available. They do contemporary songs in 1950’s Doo Wop style (and in the styles of various 1950s and 1960s songs). My favorite is “My Heart Will go On” from _Titanic_ done as an upbeat Elvis Presley tune. And the usual Tom Lehrer, Al Yankovic, and Allen Sherman stuff. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/7 "2006-11-02T21:03:42Z")
Is **Dead Can Dance** considered weird? For weird cover bands, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are hilarious, and Masters of Chant do Gregorian chant covers of pop songs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/8 "2006-11-02T21:05:22Z")
For me, the obvious nominee here would be **Finntroll**. They combine elements of extreme black metal with _humppa_, a tradditional form of polka that originates in Finland. The band is Finnish, as the name would suggest, but their lyrics are in Swedish, because it sounds so Trollish. The mix of elements works amazingly well IMHO, being both intesely heavy and silly fun at the same time. I love all of their albums, but would recommend their latest release _Nattfodd_ for first-time listeners. They’re in the studio recording a new album now, I can’t wait! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/9 "2006-11-02T21:36:40Z")
Where do I start? I used to do a radio show of nothing but weird music, but some of my favorites are: “The Into and the Outro” by the Bonzo Dog Band “The Sound of Music” by the Bonzo Dog Band “Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold” by the Bonzo Dog Band (I’ll stop the Bonzos now; just listen to any of their music) “Mother’s Lament” by Cream “You Know My Name, Look Up the Number” by the Beatles “On the Amazon” by Don McClean “Lumpy Gravy” by Frank Zappa “Alive and Well in Argentina” by Zal Yanovsky “Mabel” by Procol Harum “Cobwebs and Strange” by the Who “Leader of the Laundromat” by the Detergents And the weirdest song ever: “I am the Walrus” by Lol Coxhill ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/10 "2006-11-02T21:38:55Z")
Heh. I have that last one as an mp3. It’s hilarious 😃 Another good weird song: _Opus 4_ by **Art of Noise** ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/11 "2006-11-02T21:48:23Z")
Phil Ochs was great in many ways, but some of his stuff was pretty weird in its own way. I don’t have anything really oddball to add - except that when I play from my collection of Hammered Dulcimer music or Brazilian folk music, my friends think it’s weird. (Like Mariah Carey was ever normal). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@The\_Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Octagon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/12 "2006-11-02T21:50:07Z")
I adore the Who’s ‘Heinz Baked Beans’ and Neil Young’s vocoder-fueled ‘Transformer Man.’ People have told me Pinback was weird, but I assumed it was because they were philistines. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/13 "2006-11-02T22:11:03Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Another good weird song: _Opus 4_ by **Art of Noise** [/QUOTE] I’m a fan of **The Art of Noise**. I’d nominate their cover/duet with **Tom Jones** of **Prince** ’s _Kiss_ as my favourite. I also like **Dynamite Hack** ’s cover of _Boyz In The Hood_. A great novelty song. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/14 "2006-11-02T22:17:01Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Is **Dead Can Dance** considered weird? [/QUOTE] I guess I misread the title as weird_est_ music you love, since I wouldn’t consider them weird in an objective sense, just the second weirdest band that I like. Weirder than Weird Al, at least. Most of the times when groups borrow shamelessly from so many musical traditions in an unironic way it comes across to me as muddled crap, but not that band. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/15 "2006-11-02T22:17:04Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] **Big Daddy** ’s ouevre. I wish more of their stuff was available. They do contemporary songs in 1950’s Doo Wop style (and in the styles of various 1950s and 1960s songs). My favorite is “My Heart Will go On” from _Titanic_ done as an upbeat Elvis Presley tune. [/QUOTE] Not exactly the same, but you might enjoy the music of [The Bobs](http://www.bobs.com/) as well. Check out the “multimedia” page for a couple of samples. Their a capella version of “Helter Skelter” still makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/16 "2006-11-02T22:24:04Z")
_Little Green Men_ by Steve Vai and Frank Zappa. W. T. F.?!!? If anyone wants a copy of this monstrosity, email me. If you can tell me what time signature(s++++) this song is in, I’ll give you a cookie. I also like Steeleye Span and Pentangle, and the light orchestra music of Ronald Binge. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/17 "2006-11-02T23:47:45Z")
Sing Mitt Von Wilden Westen An album of your favorite cowboy songs, sung in German. I don’t know why, but I love it. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/18 "2006-11-02T23:54:26Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Tuvinian… is that people from that place that Richard Feinman was obsessed with? [/QUOTE] Yep, the [Republic of Tuva.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuva) I heard an example of Tuvan throat-singing on TV once- almost sounds like Popeye making nonsensical noises. Actually, Billy West, the current voice of Popeye, says he was able to figure out how to do Popeye’s voice after watching _Genghis Blues_, a documentary about Tuvan throat-singing. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/19 "2006-11-03T00:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] I guess I misread the title as weird_est_ music you love, since I wouldn’t consider them weird in an objective sense, just the second weirdest band that I like. Weirder than Weird Al, at least. Most of the times when groups borrow shamelessly from so many musical traditions in an unironic way it comes across to me as muddled crap, but not that band. [/QUOTE] Ah gotcha. (See, I wouldn’t classify Al as weird music, either. Weird GUY sure, but his music is really fairly mainstream, just comical.) ---
**Author:** ![Fast\_n\_Bulbous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@Fast\_n\_Bulbous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fast_n_Bulbous)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870/20 "2006-11-03T00:33:50Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] _Little Green Men_ by Steve Vai and Frank Zappa. W. T. F.?!!? If anyone wants a copy of this monstrosity, email me. If you can tell me what time signature(s++++) this song is in, I’ll give you a cookie. [/QUOTE] The time is 5+5+7. Can I get that cookie now? While I’m here I really should mention **Trout Mask Replica** by **Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band** , an album that almost no-one listens to more than once, but is one of my favourite albums when I’m in a weird kind of mood. Also **James “Blood” Ulmer** , who sounds like a cross between Muddy Waters and Ornette Coleman and is, in my opinion, one of the best guitarists on Earth [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-music-you-love/378870.md?page=2)