your LEAST favourite sound in music

Is that "woo! yeah" one of the little vocal tics left on the "Think" break, i.e. sampled from Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)"? Cz those are both irritating and sublime, in a way, to me. Sorry, at work, can't see the youtubes.

I can't stand autotune but I guess that is a total "have other ideas please" answer, so I vote for the post-emo male vocal style that has cursed British indie for the past 6 or 7 years

hey, I grew up in the 90s with vocalists who couldn't hold a damn note talk-singing, wd take that over all these singers who can hit 3 notes and do so over and over while enunciating like you are in a public school production of a musical

on the other hand, a thing that was worse in the 90s: at least people have now realised that women faking orgasms over the breakdown does not make a track sexxxy, just embarrassing (can just about give Moroder+Summer a pass here but people should really have been bored of it by 1990 at the latest)

all objections to the 'Think' sample are surely based almost entirely on it's over-use/repetition at one time rather than anything inherent about that sample of fabulous music itself.

I really hate sappy, maudlin "irish"-style pennywhistle melodies, usually played on a MIDI-driven synth preset through tons of reverb.

for example, the theme to the "Battlestar Galactica" remake, or the luv theme to "Titanic". That Riverdance-wannabe-tearjerk thing. Gross!

and lately, I'm really, really, really sick of new bands doing pseudo Animal Collective style vocals- it's painful to hear people try to imitate somebody else's imitation of Brian Wilson with added "child-like innocence" and "whimsy" sprayed on. Hearing people who probably do have a voice of their own trying to squeeze into this deeply artificial posture makes me feel embarrassed for them. I mean, I don't have a problem with people who can pull off a weird, mannered voice (Blossom Dearie! Tiny Tim! David Tibet!) but sometimes I wish that the guy from Slovenly or Chet Baker could be the default source of indie dude vocal mannerism ripoff for a while. Leave poor crazy old Brian Wilson alone dammit.

that kind of over-the-top mall-punk style of singing that was popularised by bands like Blink182 but people still emulate today, where "myself" become "moy-saalf".

was coming here to post exactly this but I'll just say 'thirded' and also elect slap bass and Kimya Dawson

Drake auto-tune singing

and lately, I'm really, really, really sick of new bands doing pseudo Animal Collective style vocals- it's painful to hear people try to imitate somebody else's imitation of Brian Wilson with added "child-like innocence" and "whimsy" sprayed on. Hearing people who probably do have a voice of their own trying to squeeze into this deeply artificial posture makes me feel embarrassed for them.

I agree with this, but it's not the SOUND that I dislike (got mad love for AnCo), it's the lack of variation and imagination. That's a whole other thing.

I really hate sappy, maudlin "irish"-style pennywhistle melodies, usually played on a MIDI-driven synth preset through tons of reverb.

It's probably been mentioned already here, but that singing-through-a-shit-eating-grin style of vocalising originated (possibly) by Marti Pellow and subsequently copied by every fucking boy band makes me want to kill.

overprocessed harmonies. cheapen the impact of them and ruin the aesthetic beauty of them if you double them too many times. give me Beach Boys esque harmonies anyday.

that kind of over-the-top mall-punk style of singing that was popularised by bands like Blink182 but people still emulate today, where "myself" become "moy-saalf".

was coming here to post exactly this but I'll just say 'thirded'

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Thursday, September 2, 2010

Also just all out whining by mall-punk targeted emo bands. Its like an overwrought progression from what is said above.

Any harmonica not in an old acoustic blues recording or played by little stevie wonder.

1/2 points if its a folky thing or the Harmonicats

oh my god that Tiesto is horrific

can't stand hearing mouth/throat noises when someone is singing a capella. like when the microphone is close and i can hear wetness. reminds me of phlegm. which, sadly, is why i can't listen to bobby bland sing. also really can't stand when people whisper in my ear for this reason. but that's just me. (so siked to hear sinead's 2nd album when it came out and really liked it a lot until she does that long solo vocal thing and i feel like i'm sitting in her mouth when i listen to it which is why i can never listen to it. aaaaaahhhhhh! wanna jump off a bridge. still love her though.)

Might be misremembering, but isn't there a Slint song that is basically the sound of someone sipping and swallowing a drink, and it feels like you're sitting inside the actual drinks can and it's just ...icky?

All-white choirs on soul records. I mean, I love all of Ray Charles’ “Modern Sounds in County ...” stuff, but I still cringe when I hear those backing vocals on “I Can’t Stop Loving You” or “Hang Your Head in Shame.” Compare that to the all-black singers on “You Are My Sunshine.”
SNL did a skit once when they had an all-white group perform a Ray Charles cover. Only they sang it as, “What Did I Say.”

80's drums sound, especialy the overblown snare-horrible.

― nakamura, Thursday, September 2, 2010 9:29 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

^^^ this

^^^ especially when it's on the 2nd and 4th beat: bomp BISH! bomp BISH! bomp BISH! bomp BISH!

sb; both of you

80's snare sound, especially when coupled with 80's over-processed "Tom Scholz Rockman"-sounding guitar. Tim by the Replacements (for instance) ruined by these production techniques...

xp especially when repeated throughout the song: "woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!, woo! yeah!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgpDN-bARwc

are you kidding? this is the shit

When I first think of the overblown 80's snare I think of 'In the Air Tonight'. The snare is essential to that song

okay maybe that isn't snare drum. i'm no pro

I Think of 'Born In The USA.' Hate the snare on that.

you must embrace the fucking massive snare.

80s gated snare is the best

i used to dislike high pitched whiny moog leads but i've cooled out on that now

xp
It's the sound of a boot being smashed in the human face forever.....1984, innit

80s gated snare is the best

― vessels in distress (r1o natsume), Thursday, September 2, 2010 5:03 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

ZZ Top's Frank Beard would disagree.

The kalimba tends to really annoy me

That clean John Popper harmonica sound.

― ellaguru, Thursday, September 2, 2010 1:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Yes, that is the worst.

I don't like:

Max/MSP generated FM synthesis, i.e. Autechre "Confield"

Digitally recorded crash cymbals

"Good" singing except in opera, R&B and 80s-era hard rock

Sounds below 50 Hz

Cockney accents

That vocal affectation on ballads in recent years in which the vocalist 'croaks' their way into almost every note, presumably to show added feeling.

>are you kidding? this is the shit

physically impossible to not nod yr head to that tune. Never seen the vid before, good work Cap'n.

Joan Baez (and warbly vibrato-abusing female folk singers in general)

mumbly shuffly can't-be-arsed american indie

With the caveat that there are good examples of all of these:

Flutes
Fretless bass
Steel drums
Operatic singing

Fretless bass. Blueergh!

Sub-bass below 50hz is the shit.

Cello. "Strings" are fine but cello should never appear in a pop context.

yep, fretless bass, saxophone, and add rollicking honky-tonk-style piano.

"Good" singing except in opera, R&B and 80s-era hard rock

The processed, squealing guitar effect used by the likes of Viv Campbell and Zakk Wylde on late 80s, mid 90s "metal" records. One of the most un-metal sounds by supposedly "metal" guitarists.

best pop cello intro EVER.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo0LMNSKrt4

melisma

Is this a cello? Because if it is, I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree that it has no place in rock/pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntdgqByqYM

I'm gonna submit autotuned/vocodered melisma as my least fave.

Cello. "Strings" are fine but cello should never appear in a pop context.

― cee-oh-tee-tee, Friday, September 3, 2010 1:03 PM

Surprised at first but I might somewhat agree with you, only because, in the classical context, the cello is the king of all instruments.

percussive farts

piccolo snares (311) and properly tuned toms (rush)

also, flutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEgRdZj7LJQ

^ my favourite flutes in rock

Actually, is that flutes? Or is it ...a mellotron?