Countdown 100: Bands that got megahyped that failed spectacularly...

Although I doubt if what is written there is witty. My point being that it's something that isn't done anymore. I wonder if the record companies got straight-up ad agencies to do their work.

See, I sort of think it's a shame that there aren't any Music Newspapers anymore.

Back when, it was 'black and white' like it was The Times, or something.

Now, they're just magazines with thinner paper, just about.

(and also kinda underrated these days - the first album belongs alongside the primitives and darling buds as great buzzsaw pop records)

Transvision Vamp, Darling Buds, and the Primitives would be an amazing nostalgia tour. I would book them for my county fair in a heartbeat.

PAS/CAL, heard of 'em?

Guessing this is a regional thing, what with Jim telling of their Australian success as well. Over here in North America I think they sputtered out almost immediately after a pretty big push.

Regional as in making it big in the UK and then the rest of the Western World outside America following:

UK singles chart stats are as follows:

5 Transvision Vamp I Want Your Love Jun 1988
30 Transvision Vamp Revolution Baby Sep 1988
3 Transvision Vamp Baby I Don't Care Apr 1989
15 Transvision Vamp The Only One Jun 1989
14 Transvision Vamp Landslide Of Love Aug 1989
22 Transvision Vamp Born To Be Sold Nov 1989
30 Transvision Vamp (I Just Wanna) B With U Apr 1991

But I think there are a lot of examples of acts being hugely hyped in the US and still not making the US market, yes. Robbie Williams, for starters?

Soft Pack

THE RAPTURE

next U2s: might Diesel Park West count?

THE RAPTURE

Not quite, I think they received quite a bit of indie love.

For a bit, but what now.

I still wouldn't call it "failed spectacularly."

Grant Lee Buffalo

your right....agreed.

a possible current contender : Hurts

re chakk : honestly. no.

the band shot their load with the early 12" records (Out of the Flesh and They Say 12") which were great distorto-funk.
but, as an album of its time, i still play the odd track when in the mood.

― mark e, Thursday, 23 September 2010 16:11 (1 year ago)

just to contradict myself.

the final CHAKK 12" that they released themselves on FON post MCA chaos, 'Time Bomb' was fucking amazing.
just wanted to set the record straight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kBctZrz-5s

is grime a band

hahaa

voxtrot!!

― markers, Sunday, September 26, 2010 5:07 PM (seven years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That EP is still eerily good for a band that never did anything else.

They’re like my favorite band that doesn’t really exist.

Guardian is still hyping up The Horrors and people stopped paying attention more than a decade ago.

Personally I hyped THE BOOKS so hard a decade ago and so did Pitchfork and several other indie zines but it never worked like it should have. Their 3 most famous albums where in so many top 10 EOY lists and yet it seems like most people forgot about them. They should be huge but they ended up disbanding and being a cult underground band to discover in 20 years when indie + folktronica goes through a reappreciation phase.

I’d argue Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros fall in this description. After Funeral and Agaetis Byrjun had everyone charmed in the early 00s, it seems like they’ve both experienced diminishing returns and they haven’t received the same loving consensus ever since.

Mum is another one which I remember was super hyped 15 years or so ago and I can’t remember the last one I read or heard anything about them.

holy shit @ Voxtrot i haven't thought about them in at least a decade

Some artists which I remember sold big and got good reviews but their next record was a massive failure and failed to get any single any airplay.

Duffy, MGMT, Klaxons, MIKA.

Possibly, but they have had their time in the sun, and quite possibly will do more. xpost really Arcade Fire

This was more about hyped up bands/artists that did not hit, but I'm guessing we've done those, and a side order of 'bands that pissed it away' is also good.

I just came in here to see how long it took before someone mentioned Terris. Not long, I see!

Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes could qualify too even though they can still fill stadiums. Their second albums could be considered massive failures after the debuts were filled with potential singles.

The Fabulous Somethings?

They had a single 'If she doesn't smile, it'll rain' which everybody loved but they did nothing else. It seemed like they were so objectionable to their label that they got shown the door, and nobody else took them for similar reasons.

Or something

no way this thread was made for Voxtrot

what about Times New Viking

Black Dice too. There was a time when Animal Collectibe and them were like the coolest most hyped indie acts from NYC. Animal Collective are a household name now but Black Dice are a dark reference nowadays.

A good way to find these bands is to google the posters for Coachella or Primavera sound or whatever festival from 10+ years ago. The bigger the letters and the least you know who they are 10 years later, the more they’ve failed.

Are people just missing the point of the thread now?

Ah, I see Mark G already said it.

Like for example Coachella 2012 had 3 main acts: Radiohead, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg, and Black Keys. The last popular single I heard from Black Keys is ‘lonely boy’ from 2011 and I only know an album from them. I’ve no idea if they’re even active anymore.

Yeah sorry I deviated the original thread a bit but it seems pointless to start a new thread to expose a similar sort of phenomenon. Spontaneous self combustion vs slow burns.

ctrl-f 'Razorlight' 0 results!

Black Dice didn't live up to their indie potential like Sonic Youth didn't live up to their commercial potential. still doesnt fit itt

bands that are still active after the hype has long gone (cf. deerhoof, xiu xiu, black dice) don't count. i saw deerhoof play to 50 people max a couple months ago and it was so depressing, they're still great

ditto for xiu xiu who i saw play a sold out 300 cap room in april and play to 30 people in the same room in september

They're hardly "failing spectacularly" though. They've found their audience, are still up to inventive things.

Sigur Ros def have an audience but are an example of a band that went the U2 route: somewhere along the way they decided to stop evolving and make the same music over and over again. (and no, this was def not the case with the first three recs).

right, i'm not saying those bands are Voxtots. but Sigur Ros isn't either

Nah true. Artists and band who come to a grinding halt creatively and just keep doing what they're doing are an interesting diversion of the theme though. I loved the first two albums of Heather Nova, and recently googled her: turns out she's still touring, still making the same music. You'll never read a review again but she's just doing her thing I suppose.

Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes could qualify too even though they can still fill stadiums.

Franz Ferdinand played an 1100 capacity room tonight. I saw them two years as part of FFS, playing a 1350 cap room. Neither were sold out.

The Strokes haven't played a headline in 17 months, and that was in an 1800-seater/2300 standing venue.

Animal Collective are a household name now

They made a song about wanting a household, certainly.

What about The Woodentops?

They seemed to get pushed hard everywhere I went back then, and it was the sort of thing I should like, but.. mmmm... no.

Even bought the album! The singles were the sorts of things I liked for three plays and then never wanted to hear again.

63. FMB

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/lottery-win-inspires-failed-band-to-reform-514521.html

― ledge, Thursday, 23 September 2010 14:25 (seven years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

update:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295133/Lottery-winner-42-spent-thousands-forming-student-band-left-relying-handouts-parents-blowing-1-8m-fortune.html

(don't click. couldn't find non daily mail entire story in url link)

Personally I hyped THE BOOKS so hard a decade ago and so did Pitchfork and several other indie zines but it never worked like it should have. Their 3 most famous albums where in so many top 10 EOY lists and yet it seems like most people forgot about them. They should be huge but they ended up disbanding and being a cult underground band to discover in 20 years when indie + folktronica goes through a reappreciation phase.

I remember hearing the name everywhere from 02 to 05. given the sort of music they made I'd say they made off quite well. what was disappointing was seeing their final album get lukewarm reviews. I thought it was quite good. but yea, taking 5 years off was probably not the best move

How about Datarock, about 2 years after their first album they started getting all sorts of positive attention, slotting in with the whole LCD/DFA thing that was taking off in the mid-00s. I remember hearing "Fa-Fa-Fa" everywhere for a while. Their second album came and tanked hard (undeservedly, imo), they did a big international tour and did alright but not great. And they haven't really been seen since.

The Fabulous Somethings?

They had a single 'If she doesn't smile, it'll rain' which everybody loved but they did nothing else. It seemed like they were so objectionable to their label that they got shown the door, and nobody else took them for similar reasons.

Fantastic Something - two Greek brothers, iirc. Their album was "quite good"