Okay, I’ll happily admit that playing DMB 24/7 is excessive – insane, even. But I’m surprised how often I hear people talk about them like they’re in secret league with Nickleback, Cold Play, and ICP on a mission to destroy the musical world. I just don’t get it. They always struck me as reasonably talented musicians and song writers. Were they overplayed or something? I didn’t hear a ton of them (of course, I’m from San Antonio, where radio listeners have a choice of country, oldies, country, hip hop, and country.
So what is it? How come the Dave Matthew’s Band doesn’t rock? Why is it that how I feel when I’m drunk isn’t correct!?
I never thought about it before, but you’re right, they are in the same league with Nickelback and Coldplay.
The answer is that no one hears about bands that suck that aren’t popular. It’s only bands that suck that are somewhat popular such as the aforementioned three that get all the hate.
I’d actively hate them too if I listened to radio or had it forced on me. I dont want other people to push their cultural choices onto me. That’s why the only musical genre I currently actively hate is soul-rap, because it’s the only completely lame genre that seems to be playing in places where I can’t avoid it.
What seems to happen generally is that bands get super-popular, then they get cliched, and then it’s on to the Next Big Thing.
I’m sure it’s been happening forever, but the Internet Age has seemed to accelerate the rise-and-fall curve quite a lot. Hootie and the Blowfish was the first band I can remember having this happen to … or maybe on a smaller scale the Spin Doctors.
Other bands with similar issues are Staind and Fall Out Boy.
Okay, but what I’m asking is, *what *makes them suck. Like, Coldplay sucks because all of their songs are the same bar, over and over again. Nickleback sucks because all of their songs are the same song, over and over. ICP sucks because - well, okay, I don’t know any ICP music, but by all accounts, they suck.
Why does DMB suck? Is there something specifically about their music that’s lacking?
DMB sucks as much as it does because I just don’t like the sound of Dave’s voice. While we’re talking about Nickelback it’s about the same reason I don’t like them: it’s fake whiny. Like he is trying too hard to sound angsty. Now, many bands I am sure are faking their emotions as well, but Nickelback and DMB aren’t even doing it well, it’s sort of like they don’t give it their all because they are afraid of not sounding manly.
If Dave either sang as a full out emo or as just a regular folkie, he’d be just another mediocre contemporary adult alternative act to me.
If you were in high school/college in the late 90’s, you likely never want to hear another DMB song ever again.
Edit:
I should add that, unlike the other bands mentioned here (Coldplay, Nickelback), DMB doesn’t actually suck. They are a very talented group of guys, and they had a great sound. Their earlier works were a bit more creative than later efforts which, to me, sounded like they were trying too hard to sound like DMB.
Coldplay sucks. Nickelback sucks. DMB is just a band I am so incredibly sick of.
It wouldn’t take much searching to find my position on DMB and Coldplay: Far and away, the two least-rocking bands that ever failed to rock. A matching pair of sucking musical voids.
This hits close to the heart of the matter for me. They’re like the Eagles were in the 70’s. Oh shit, not THIS again.
Plus, I’m just constitutionally opposed to “lifestyle bands”. It seemed like every frat kid and future yuppie douchebag wanna-be thought that DMB was the most profound thing in the universe for a while, and modeled their entire existence after DMB songs. Fuck those guys, and by extension, fuck DMB.
Same with the Dead, any of the million crappy college jam bands, Jimmy Fucking Buffet, etc.
What(or who) exactly is soul-rap? I can think of what it might be(more spiritual/metaphysical orientated underground rap?), but I can’t imagine where it might be so unavoidably widespread and overplayed.
I think this sums up what I came here to say. I don’t think it’s so much that they suck. I think it’s more that their fans suck and the band suffers the fallout.
They are the most pretentious a-holes. If someone just thinks they’re better than me and just have that “air” about them…I can usually tell they listen to DMB.
Edit: Didn’t see what Ogre said…but yeah, pretty much agree
I’m unabashedly a fan of DMB, but I understand why casual listeners might not like them. The fact is that pretty much every DMB a single on the radio has been among their weakest songs. Based on that I thought they were pretty lame when I first heard them, but after I went with friends to concerts a couple of times they really grew on me.
Edit: and I graduated highschool in 99, so yes, I’m a little sick of them now, but like any of one’s favorite bands, you drift away for a while, but you always come back.