Underrated Failure
 

One of the things most music fans do is rally against bands who doesn't deserve it as much as they say they do, and hate too little on bands that actually deserve it. I think its high time we took a moment to remind ourselves how good we all have it that certain bands aren't dominating magazine covers and radio air waves. I'll start...

Band: Incubus

Height of Fame 2000, Drive

Why I hate them: While there were many reasons to hate them, Brandon being a pin-up douche who always pretended to not want the fame even though he had a faded mustache and half a shirt on.

That they rallied against nu-metal when they made equally pretenious music

That they dumped the bassist drik for the guy from the roots only to crash and burn in talentless land.

That they gave rise to Hoobastank

And while those are all great reasons, the one that burned me most was that in any interview ever, Incubus always came off like some know-it-all ******* who took one college philosophy course and thought they knew everything.

If he wasn't talking about why we should all be vegitarians, it was how men weren't emotional enough and we didn't all play enough hackysack. While Im sure he never accused people with jobs of being shackled by the man, I'd almost expect thats his position.

But the one thing that drove me off the cliff was this ultra-leftist, one-upsmanship that concluded with a statement to the effect of:

"Woman are more accurate singers, I think thats what we're all subscribing to. I always attempt to sound like female singers when i sing. I listen to a lot of Ani and Joni Mitchell."

Keep in mind, I'm paraphrasing from an article I read somewhere close to 9 years ago. I'm sure thats horribly off but the gist is there. If your preference is woman singers more power to you, but Brandon felt the need to deliver from on high his dictum that men were always in-fact sub par. Not only that, but they ought to be vegans too.

A friend of mine recently heard one of their post fame discs and said it was bordering on emo. I don't want to start that ****ing war, shes not too muscially savy so I'm sure she ment that MTVmo that was prominent at the time, but thats another kicker. Incubus hid behind a "we like to change our sound mantra" which conveniently became, "we like to do what saves our career."

S.C.I.E.N.C.E was a really good album, Make Yourself was uneven but still pretty good, but after that: pure crap.

I have just found an incubus album in my collection-Morning view. I think I must have only played it once :(

Incubus are one of my favorite modern bands.

And you know, a big problem I have with your criticisms Big3, is again, it says absolutely nothing about the music.

Now, as for not liking their music, that's understandable, but I'm tired of people that say a band sucks and then try to "prove" it by pointing out that god forbid, the frontman comes off as being a douchebag.

That's a good reason to hate a musician or band on a personal level, NOT a good reason to say they are bad or talentless.

They were never really a nu metal band, but you sport some dreadlocks and have a DJ, well yeah, I know why they got pigeonholed in that category.

To say Incubus are talentless is just plain wrong.

So what? Hoobastank actually are sh*tty, so why not go after them? Does any artist have any f*cking control over what they influence? That's always a lame reason to hate somebody. If it wasn't a lame reason, than REM are objectively one of the worst bands of all time.

So your hatred for the band stems from, their political views? If picking on one of my favorite bands wasn't enough, you somehow turn it into a rant about vegans and feminists, now I of course, hate vegans and feminists, but that's never stopped me from liking Incubus, let alone come across as a good reason to say someone sucks.

I've used the vegan thing before to describe by hate for Morrissey yes, but I've always made it clear that I really only hate him on a personal level (though his solo music is objectively horrible). I'm not gonna say The Smiths suck because their singer likes to be a Nazi about what he eats.

And please, don't target a band for being snobbish about their beliefs and then defend somebody like the f*cking Smiths, who also have one of the most elitist fan followings in the known world.

Well your friend obviously has no understanding of the word emo.

And Incubus never needed to save their career, there was no reason at all for them to change their sound after Make Yourself and Morning View did as well as they did, if anything, their change in sound after that point has alienated a lot of their fans.

There are far worse things than Incubus out there, I'll say that much. Though they suffer from being overplayed, at least where I'm from.

if this thread accomplishes nothing else, it will at least serve to show that boo boo will take personally nothing directed at him in the slightest or else something you're agreeing with him on.

I'll agree to that, at least.

I certainly don't care if I never f*cking hear Drive again, I'll tell you that much.

Well I did kinda assume you were baiting me. I recall us having the Incubus discussion before.

Honestly I couldn't care if people agree with me, I would kinda like to have a thread where I come up with something mildly novel and it actually take off.

The influx of new people keeps dregging up 3 year old threads that everone talks about.

I'm being penelaized for saying there are issues with a band that hasn't been sanctioned for hazing. If this thread was about U2, anything poppy, or some classic rock BS this thread would have gone over amazingly well.

I think its time musicbanter realized its riding a merry-go-round.

C'mon, you're acting like you're going after a sacred cow here, it's f*cking Incubus, wow, you're a real rebel, you.

1. Yes, the people who join this forum and start making half-assed posts on years old posts are annoying. Nothing can be done about it, so there's no point even bringing it up.

2. I'm with you on this topic bro': I find Incubus lame both on a personal level and in the sense that I despise their music when I hear it, but if you are going to make a thread criticizing bands who don't get criticized enough, at-least make it clear to others where your critique is directed. Is it the band? The music? Both?, etc.

3. I didn't realize MusicBanter was biased when there are forums of discussion for all kinds of genres. I mean, sure the mods and long-time members like to flaunt their tastes around and recommend stuff to the people in their little friend-circles while ignoring other people's recommendations, but thats not really the fault of the community on the whole now is it?

4. Give us a few other bands you're glad aren't dominating radio and T.V. anymore and see how it goes. No telling where this thread could go. :)

I really don't get it, of all the bands to go after, you go after Incubus.

It's one thing to go after sacred cows, it's another to go after a band that isn't particularly well liked in the first place (one that's underrated, of all things), and ACT like you know something that nobody else does, that your opinion is fact and you have to spread the word.

I hate these kinds of threads, really I do, they always lead to disaster and this forum is already loaded with them.

i have been putting off downloading the incubus that i had before a crash. thank you thread

What albums did you have?

the good ones. i now have them again

no you illiterate clown. I said they were decidedly not a sacred cow. If I had gone after someone that was revered, I'd be a boring attention starved douche.

Incubus is far worse than the Rolling Stones, U2, Radiohead, and Kanye West but we can't say incubus is bad because their not super popular.

Well you know what I think they suck, and I think its high time we stopped giving a band a pass because they aren't played constantly. Incubus sucks and I don't care if their Boo Boo's favorite band, i'm still mocking them at risk of whatever violation that is Big Brother.

Big3, I'll get to the thread, I think you need to be more ducks back-like however. MB is what it is. I believe if people like you, me, deminoid, cardboard, rt, hammer, urban, Bulldog, jack etc etc etc there are a ton of great posters here who have great conversations about music and it's ever changing landscape. It's an open forum to all there will always be needless posts, repetitive nonsense and and a whole lot of sifting through the **** to get to the sugar, but it's always there.

I like Incubus but they have been in rapid decline for me for a decade now.

Here's a selected discography report card

S.C.I.E.N.C.E A

Make Yourself B+

Morning View B

A Crow Left of the Murder C

Light Grenades D+


Also Big3 I don't understand fully your title "underrated failure" could you elaborate of how you feel that motto applies to the band\thread?

I think like the premise of the thread (if I understand it); I think a band like Coldplay fits the criteria you mention for me.

I despise Coldplay not because their music is awful or listenable but because it does nothing for me, seems like a safe amalgamation of popular genres new and tried and true and by all accounts the band and it's members are worthless jack-offs which makes me even less inclined to give it a second or third chance.

Its because the amount a given bands sucks is not fully appreciate, its underrated.

Change it if you think its not appropriate.




*No I get it, I just never thought of it that way for some reason. I read it wrong I guess." -Jayjamjah

What I don't get, is why rally against "nu-metal?" How is that going to accomplish anything? You're not going to stop people from making a certain type of music.

And were proclaimed "nu-metal" bands such as System of a Down or Korn really that bad? What ever happened to just simply ignoring something you don't like? I don't like Korn, I'm not going to listen to them.

But as with Incubus, from what you said the frontman is annoying and their political views are annoying. Doesn't make the music bad though, although I've hardly heard them and honestly don't give a crap about them. I have more awesome music to listen to :D.

No, better than all of those actually.

You think most of my favorite bands suck, I also think the same way about a lot of the music you listen to, you don't see me making threads about it.

Oh my god, I can't believe you, you really think you're fighting the system don't you? :laughing:

Also, not my favorite band.

Fungus Amongus: C+

SCIENCE: A

Make Yourself: A-

Morning View: A+

Crow Left of the Murder: B

Light Grenades: D

First of all, i think you can believe me.

And it isn't a system. You felt the need to come in here and rant about how this thread and my opinion sucked because you liked a band. How egotistical is that?

And by the by, what bands that I enjoy don't get played on your stereo?

I love how Boo Boo is white knighting for Incubus. This thread delivers the lulz.

Also, my turn. I choose Rage Against The Machine. RATM managed to (dis)grace the radio waves for years without much complaining yet spawned lots of die hard followers. I, on the other hand, believe Rage Against The Machine to be one of the worst bands to ever exist. My reasons being...

1. Their music was half-assed radio safe no risks nu-metal. Rage Against The Machine played what everyone was playing at the time. Ultra generic guitar riffs, annoying rappy vocals, and simplistic beats that teetered between hip-hop and rock.

2. Zach De La Rocha had one of the worst voices I've ever heard. He sounded like he was dead centere of puberty and his constant angst filled whiny screams didn't make things better. He was also a notably bad rapper.

3. Tom Morello, while slightly innovative in the way he played leads, is a terrible guitarist. The way he over used pedals made the guitar sound very unnatural and not very guitar like. I get what he was going for but it honestly sounded like a guy who had no clue how to operate a synthesizer was getting terrible feedback.

4. The lyrics tried hard to be political but fell short of actually making any political statements. "ALL HELL CAN'T STOP US NOW!" isn't exactly impressing anyone, and it doesn't make you sound like a rebellious badass by any stretch. On the other end of the spectrum they had nonsense lines like "I give a shout at to the living dead who stood and watched the feds cold centralized" which has absolutely no meaning at all. Not to mention most of the songs were nothing more than childish slogan shouting. I don't imagine any other band will ever fail so hard lyrically.

5. Even when not failing at politics they failed at politics in real life with their super leftist hugs-n-kisses approach to politics. Being anti-capitalist is the same as being anti-freedom. If you're against allowing people to fail and succeed on their own merits get out of America, kthx.

Wrong. Lest I remind you, this band's debut album was in 1993. Bands that mixed Helmet style riffs with hip hop and political lyrics was not a common thing.

.

La Rocha's voice fits perfectly with the concept behind the band, which of course has a lot to do with, well, rage. La Rocha has the voice of a young, confused and angry individual. He suits the music perfectly. If you don't like the music that's fine, but he's hella effective at his style, beats the f*ck out of any nu metal vocalist by a long shot.

That's a horrible f*cking criticism. He's a bad guitarist because it dosen't sound like a guitar? That's just f*cking retarded, I'm sorry.

You haven't read their lyrics I see, it's not just sloganeering, that's obvious to anyone that's heard at least one album by the band. I'm not saying theres any lyrical brilliance involved. But your criticisms here all seem to be strawmen, when you try to criticise something, you should at least admit the undeniable positive attributes about it and try to understand why people like it, as a Rage fan I can confidently say, you have no clue.

I don't agree with their politics, I'm a civil libertarian. But that's just dumb.

I hate RATM as well but I think Unfan's assesment was dreadful. Rocha's vocals may be the worst there has ever been in history but Morello's guitar playing is quite interesting. They are very political, and actually mean it unlike Bono.

I hate them because they made either unlistenable or bland music. Their debut was alright though nothing brilliant.

I'd like to give a shout out to Bruce Springsteen, who's always irked me, but I've begun to develop a severe intolerance to his malignant songwriting. If you actually like him, ponder this:

1. Since the mid-1970s, he's been making the same generic music, and people REJOICED. There were critics who hailed him as the new face of rock n' roll, and after thirty years, he's been making the same goddamn songs over and over.

2. Springsteen is a mediocre guitarist, and he threatens to offend mediocrity itself by his inability to play, yet he somehow manages to draw comparisons to every other blues-based guitarist. I once read a Rolling Stone which compared no less than three Americana artists to the Boss.

3. Bruce Springsteen's solo albums are AWFUL. It is astounding to see how even die-hard Springsteen fans hate his solo work while they praise his work with the E Street Band. Doesn't really say much about his songwriting ability, does it?

4. Fuck New Jersey. Okay, so this might be tangent to the rant, but if you've ever been there (and you don't live there) you'll recognize it as one of the worst places in the United States. Dirty, crime-ridden and corrupt, New Jersey is a land mired in shit. Springsteen, naturally, spent enough of his life there to write most of his work about this shithole.

Springsteen is one of the biggest fails to grace music, and he's rarely recognized as such.

Blink 182... I don't feel like ranting about them but seriously... F*cking BLINK 182

I used to have a strong hatred for Blink 182. I have a friend who used to obsess over them. He still likes them but his tastes have expanded. Now whenever he listens to Nickelback I tell him to put some Blink 182 on.

Yeah, if people regarded talent according to kindness, John Lennon would be universally regarded as the worst artist of all time.

this should be unacceptible.

You could have said "**** blink 182" in 900 other threads.

Come on man, you can do better than that.

Not to mention Hendrix, Morrison, Barrett, James Brown and well, f*ck it, the entire nation of Britain.

I disagree. He's definitely hit or miss but Nebraska, which was one of his solo albums, is IMHO the best thing he's ever done. And I'm not alone in thinking this, a lot of people agree with that assessment, including die-hard fans.

The Newark/Jersey City part of New Jersey isn't the totality of the state. NJ always gets a bum rap from people who've only driven through it or only spent time in certain areas but it actually has a lot of nice areas too. Cape May springs to mind, for example.

Okay my turn. Thrice:
1.They release one good album as a debut, but they're not big enough for anyone to acknowledge it. Until Artist In The Ambulance comes out, and then all their fans are cok-rock junkies who cast off their debut because it's not "hardcore" enough
2.Get a f*cking drummer that knows what he's doing, and isn't just banging on the wrong beats
3.Vheissu may be the worst post-hardcore(and I use that term very lightly) album I've ever heard. They tried, and failed, to be melodic and different.

Identity Crisis-A
The Illusion Of Safety-B+
Artist In The ambulance-C+
Vheissu-D