Let's discuss something....

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I know what the answer would be to this, but I just wanted to put this question out there.

Scenario: a fellow drummer acquaintance gives me a flyer and a free download for their bands new single, drummin' up support business, inviting everyone to their next big half-hour gig. I enthusiastically thank him and "will try to get out there" to show my support. I get home and download the song (actually, before I went to all that trouble, I just went to YouTube and listened to it).

My wife comes in and says, "I didn't know you liked Paramore, honey".

We look at Paramore videos, and find out my acquaintances' band and Paramore sound almost identical, right down to the way the songs are arranged, and the way the vocals are laid out.

I've been on the block for a while, and I always thought the kiss of death was to sound like somebody else. A friend of mine worked with a "producer" who did alot of work with Prince, and his demoes sounded an awful lot like, well, Prince. Of course, this friend's project went no where. Ditto for others that I know who "sounded like someone else".

It's just funny because when I look back on the pinnacle bands that everyone knows, none of them sound like anybody else. Led Zeppelin? The Who? The Police? Jimi Hendrix? Living Colour? King Crimson? There are alot of original-sounding bands out there. So, do people knowingly do this to themselves? Or is it just a case of "this is what we like and who we are" so here it is? It wouldn't take all that much research to find out if you sounded like someone else, especially if it's another MTV-rotated group. I can only guess these guys want to pick up the gigs Paramore turned down?

So, obviously, I'll say nice things to my new acquaintance, but in terms of originality I just won't bring that up.

Yes, as a sideman, my job is to sound like somebody else and do the job. I get that. But to apply that idea to an alternative rock band searching for fame and fortune rewarded to those being totally original (not that I think Paramore is totally original, either) ? Would you spend money on a website, and recording, and general marketing?
What do you all do when you meet someone who can't see the forest for the trees?

I wonder if this post will anger anyone?
 
Almost as bad as a band where every song sounds like their first big hit. I'm sure I'll catch some flak for this, but the deftones seem to write a lot of songs that fit the formula for some of their hits just a bit too closely...
 
It's debatable I suppose, I think I agree; all the best bands in the word have their signature sound - you could listen to one of their songs and instantly tell it's them. But on the other hand, most of today's chart/pop music sounds pretty similar. Lots of female pop artists all sound similar (spare Gaga), but they still sell millions. Personally my favourite band is System of a Down, not everyone's cup of tea, fair enough, but to me they have sound that no one else can replicate at all. Like I said, I could listen to song by them and instantly tell it's theirs, that's just how unique they are.

EDIT: Dr_Watso... I hate the Deftones! All their songs sound the same to me... and they all sound baaaaaaaad.
 
If nothing else, Wolfmother demonstrate that sounding like Led Zeppelin, but being thirty years behind is going to bring a lot of heartache. And wrath.
 
Tough one.

Sounding exactly alike is a bit of a tradition though.

In the early 80's, Quiet Riot got signed and had a hit single. Suddenly, everyone was looking to see if another "hair metal" band could make it, or if it was a fluke. So Motely Crue got signed, they were huge. Then came Dokken, Poison, Ratt, WASP, etc. Then Warrant. And the blue print was laid out, and to get noticed, every band followed the formula. Dokken at least had the balls to admit they blatantly copied Motely Crue down to the brand of hair spray they used. By the end of the 80's, it was ridiculous as bands were getting signed just for their hair and spandex, musicality be dammed.

Then grunge came in and wiped the slate clean. Initially, it was just a handful of bands, but in a few years, the radio was full of "sound alikes". I remember when Stone Temple Piots first hit the scene, they were skewered left and right for just being a "sound alike" and jumping on the bandwagon, yet, all these later, they're mostly remembered as being a great classic band from the 90's.

In 2000's, everyone wanted an industrial flavored band, preferably with a cover tune. Limp Biscut did a re-make of "Faith". Marilyn Manson did "Sweet Dreams" Orgy did "Blue Monday". My band at the time jumped on the bandwagon, although looking back, omygod how embarrassing. But we were negotiating a record deal when the band fell apart, so maybe we were on to something at the time.

And who did what first is always open to debate. There is an online debate among metal fans if Pantera was actually original or just copied another Texas metal band's blueprint.

Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer are known as the "big 4" of thrash, but the on going question is who should be #5, and there are endless answers as there were numerous other bands that had a similar vibe going on at the time whom could all be considered #5.

Some times it's not who is the most original, but who works the hardest at it, or who gets the break, or other aspects.
 
Almost as bad as a band where every song sounds like their first big hit. I'm sure I'll catch some flak for this, but the deftones seem to write a lot of songs that fit the formula for some of their hits just a bit too closely...
U2 got rich doing this, so why not. I won't buy their stuff because it all sounds the same.
 
Is it a deliberate rip off, or have they collectively just spent too much time listening to the same bands so that they subconciously start adapting to the style they're listening to?
 
Is it a deliberate rip off, or have they collectively just spent too much time listening to the same bands so that they subconciously start adapting to the style they're listening to?

There's a fine line between adapting a style/being influenced by band and blatantly copying them.

I think most rock bands today sound like Nickelback. I don't know if they started that particular sound, but that's who I think of when I hear one of them.

Christian music is probably the most guilty party, as a whole, in this area. There are so many christian rip-offs of secular music it isn't funny.

I heard a song the other day that was a very close rip-off of Jason Mraz, in fact the song was called "I'm yours to take". Do a quick search for Jimmy Needham and see if you come to the same conclusion. I honestly don't know how these people don't get sued.

If John Fogerty was taken to court for sounding too much like...himself...then these people need to get the pants sued off of them. I don't care what they claim to be singing for. As far as I'm concerned, it's only greed if you can't bother to make something original. Not to mention the majority of them sounding like bad U2 clones. For examples, check out Hillsong, Jesus Culture, etc.
 
Almost as bad as a band where every song sounds like their first big hit. I'm sure I'll catch some flak for this, but the deftones seem to write a lot of songs that fit the formula for some of their hits just a bit too closely...

Deftones had a hit?

..........
 
Bo Eder said:
It's just funny because when I look back on the pinnacle bands that everyone knows, none of them sound like anybody else. Led Zeppelin?

After their first album there was a fair bit of criticism that Zep were ripping off the first Jeff Beck Group. Some others noticed Robert Plant's Janis Joplin influence. Still, no one had sounded like the Jeff Beck Group with Janis on vocals before :)


If nothing else, Wolfmother demonstrate that sounding like Led Zeppelin, but being thirty years behind is going to bring a lot of heartache. And wrath.

And success!

If you wait long enough after a much-loved band has broken up then you not only pick up some old fans pining badly enough for the past to forgive the bastardisation, but you also get the kids who think it's exciting and new. It would make more sense to extend the legacy than to copy it, though.
 
all the music industry is ...is a cycle of rip offs......thats just how it is....a band comes out and blows up and A&R run out to find and or form bands that sound exactly the same....until that burns out and the next wave of the same thing comes through

whats the Oscar Wilde quote?.....talent borrows genius steals
 
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"nothing new under the sun" -my drum teacher .. This formula works for more then the music biz..look at how many reality tv shows are out there.. if it wasn't for Phil Donahue there would have nevr been 20-30 years of Oprah
 
who came first ? Graham Parker or Elvis Costello ?

hard to believe two vocalists came up with that vocal style independently.

sometimes artists who work together influence each other to the point of being indistinguishable. does Michael W. Martin sound like Amy Grant, or does Amy Grant sound like Michael Martin Smith ?

to a certain extent, a new artist has to sound like somethingfamiliar or it will be just too out of the box for comprehension.

i don´t think there is any way to account for what will be successful or not. sounding like someone else is one of the many (usual) factors involved in the success of a band. timing and luck being among the others.

and established artists (once their established sound has run it´s course) must pick up on the next trend in order to survive. i remember Mick Jagger saying after hearing ¨Do You Think I´m Sexy¨ that they needed one like that.

someone gave Rush a Police album and their sound totally changed. ¨New World Man¨ (Rush) is one of the best Police songs ever.

of course AC/DC is an exception. they just keep stomping along. and i love it.

and it also depends on what a given hirer (club, label) wants to hear at the moment.

plus luck and timing.
 
There's room for everybody. Anything goes.
Nothing new under the sun, my dad said that too.
 
Hmmm?...Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains=Stone Temple Pilots.

Paramore and Flyleaf are the same band (aahem aahem...Flyleaf is better :) ).

Yeah, its still pretty rare that a copy band will make it big and stay there.

To not sound somewhat similar to another group or groups if very difficult. Its almost impossible to sound totally original, but to sound almost exactly like someone else is pretty much unforgivable IMO.
 
Hmmm?...Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains=Stone Temple Pilots.

Paramore and Flyleaf are the same band (aahem aahem...Flyleaf is better :) ).

Yeah, its still pretty rare that a copy band will make it big and stay there.

To not sound somewhat similar to another group or groups if very difficult. Its almost impossible to sound totally original, but to sound almost exactly like someone else is pretty much unforgivable IMO.

rare???

it happens everyday.......

name 3 mainstream bands that are totally original and sound like noone......


..........see
 
Hi Bo,

So........ :>)......... I wanted to ask you........ a little off topic I know, but.........

..........What's with all the avatars with the two bald headed men trying to escape out of the ladies shirts?????

I'm just askin'.....

Kelly
 
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