Bands Who Know Not of FUNK in Any Semblance

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

As a sister thread to this...
What bands are FUNKY, but they are seldom described that way?

Which band are utterly devoid of funk?

I'd say...
- Buzzcocks
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
- The Wedding Present
- Fudge Tunnel
- Swans
- Sisters of Mercy
There are more...list'em....

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Belle & Sebastian.

I'd disagree with you about Buzzcocks. Selzer played "Boredom" last night and it is extremely funky, albeit inhumanly fast.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

US Maple

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

crass.

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

cLOUDDEAD

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

r@dioh3@d

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

buzzcocks have "why cant i touch it?", too.

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Buzzcocks definitely have some funk to it.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I was just gonna say "Why Can't I Touch It" as well.

Fudge Tunnel = haha, I didn't know anyone even remembered them. Great version of "Sunshine of Your Love" those guys did.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Millions and millions of bands have not the funk. Sisters of Mercy though, at least people dance to them.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

erase errata
northern state
buckethead

― harshaw (jube), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

creed
staind
paul mccartney post 1970

― harshaw (jube), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I think I'm wrong about Buzzcocks. Sorry about that.

Millions and millions of bands have not the funk. Sisters of Mercy though, at least people dance to them.

Yes, but making danceable music doesn't necessarily equate with making funky music.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

David Fucking Grubbs has no funk, no funk at all.

― sexxxyHexxy, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Buckethead has fucking armies of garbage trucks full of funk backed up over the horizon!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

David Gray

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost to Alex - truer words were never spoken. Or typed.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

buzzcocks-SOME funk? They could easily qualify for the other thread.

As for this thread, I should like to add:

Merle Haggard

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude Merle Haggard is funkier than fuck! What the shit is going on in this thread? White people, god.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Stone Roses

I was gonna say the Red Hot Chili Peppers but I'm not in that crabby a mood right now, I guess.

Merle Haggard is EXTREMELY funky. He's got as much jazz rhythm in his music as any country artist since Western Swing, for crissakes.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

BOB FUCKING SEGER

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

There ya go! Cutty has redeemed whitey!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

And "Stay Loose" shows that Belle and Sebastian are on at least surname terms with funk.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

>paul mccartney post 1970<

wrong, "Jet" and "Junior's Farm" (and didn't he have some disco crossover hit around 1978?) are as funky as almost anything he did BEFORE 1970.

The Bob Seger nomination is even more ignorant.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Vienna Boys Choir

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Bob Seger is antifunk. His music is a fucking funk-destroying vortex of ass!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

By the way, not being funky is NOT a crime. Funk isn't right for every occaission, after all.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

JAMIE FUCKING CULLUM

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Merle Haggard is quite complex! See my comment in the other thread; I mean it, both ways.

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate to say this, because I love Skinner & his music to death, but The Streets. The Streets is not particularly funky whatsoever.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Re: McCartney....

"Comin' up" was kinda funky. It was CRAP, but it was still kinda funky....or at least it attempted to be funky.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't heard Jamie Cullum yet, but I heard his version of Frontin' is pretty hot.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

The Bob Seger nomination is even more ignorant.

please cite me a FUNKY bob seger tune and i will try to feel the funk

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

No wait lemme retract that...A Grand Don't Come For Free isn't funky. Original Pirate Material is fine in the funky dept.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Pretty much any metal band ever influenced by Iron Maiden or Slayer or Korn belong on this thread, though. And pretty much any indie "rock" band between, say, 1988 and 1999 or so. And pretty much any alt-country and powerpop band that ever existed. (Except the exceptions to all of these, which are probably somewhat numerous if you put your mind to it.)

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post to Jordan) Yeah, it's probably the best single ever recorded.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

opening barres of OTR&R dude

― Huk-El (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, now I'm trying to think of a bunch of groups/people I really like who haveth not teh funk:

Sigur Ros
Kronos Quartet
Explosions In the Sky

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Korn can be kinda funky, no? Don't misinterpret that as a word in their defense, but they do occaissionally attempt the funk, no?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

mimic'ing funk does not IMPLY funk capability

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Korn cannot be funky. Oh how they try.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

codeine?

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Insane Clown Posse, not funky.
311, soooooo ridiculously not funky.
Franz Ferdinand, they've done well to trick a bunch of indie duderz that they're funky, but they're still not.
P. Diddy, convinced he's Mayor of Funktown, and nowhere in his expansive riches does he own a single ounce of funk.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Stone Roses

dude Chuck, ever hear "Fool's Gold"?

You're totally right about Seger, tho. "2 + 2 = ?" = more funk than these fools can handle

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Lisa Loeb?

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Seger funk: UMC, Get Out of Denver, Sunspot Baby, Lucifer, Back in 72, Lookin Back, Nutbush City Limits, Rosalie, Santa's Got a Brand New Bag (a fucking JAMES BROWN cover, for god's sake), Persecution Smith, East Side Story, Ramblin Gamblin Man, 2+2=?...just about everything he did pre '80, in fact, and especially pre '76. He wasn't quite Mitch Ryder, I admit, but he played the same bars, you know?

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Elliot Smith
The microphones
Merzbrow
Anal cunt

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Helloween

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

...in conclusion, stick-up-the-ass morons like the Chili Peppers and Fishbone and Primus WISH they were as funky as the Bob Seger System and Seger's Last Heard (and even the Silver Bullet Band) used to be.

(actually, Primus come off kinda funky when they try to play COUNTRY, but not at all when they try to play funk, as near as I can tell.)

xposts

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Funktelligence

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Helloween's covers album includes a fine cover of "The Mexican" by Babe Ruth, one of the funkiest songs in the history of the human race. They also ably cover "Hocus Pocus" and "White Room" -- neither devoid of funk at all -- on the thing.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Lisa Loeb?

-- ben tausig (btausi...), June 23rd, 2004. (later)

"Garden of Delights" from her debut album is pretty funky. For a Lisa Loeb song.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

>Stone Roses
dude Chuck, ever hear "Fool's Gold"?<

yes.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

...in conclusion, stick-up-the-ass morons like the Chili Peppers and Fishbone and Primus

Uh oh, I don't want to be here when Nickalicious gets back.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

But yeah, there's nothing wrong with not being funky necessarily, but the nu-metal bands really bother me because you know that they THINK they're funky.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

okay, just wondering, Chuck. I maintain that the Stone Roses are funky, even for British people.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Bob Seger is antifunk. His music is a fucking funk-destroying vortex of ass!

chuck's already got it covered but I just wanted to say listen to the whole Bob Seger System record...it's all pretty much R&B....

Ramblin Gamblin man is funky like Stax.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I still don't get how Chuck doesn't think Fool's Gold is funky though.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

What about Green Jellö? Now there's the beginning of a debate.

― ben tausig (datageneral), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Primal Scream

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Yngwie J Malmsteen.

― mei (mei), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

"Unleash the funking fury!"

― mei (mei), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Spacemen 3

― Iggy Bliss, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Cocteau Twins. (Despite "Cherry Colored Funk," I suppose.)

― Iggy Bliss, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost:
"2:35" has got a bit of a lurch to it, but otherwise OTM

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

HOLD UP...FISHBONE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay so who's getting mentioned up in here next? Prince? George fucking Clinton? ha ha white people jesus

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree with Chuck about RHCP though.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

And Primus. Especially about them being funky when they play country.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

YES FOLKS! Yet again, ILM has devolved into negativity.

― vexyAnswers, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG!

1. visit www.m-w.org
2. type the word "facetious"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Although I'm not being facetious at all about how ridiculous it is that anyone would even think to mention the 'Bone on this thread.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Breakestra

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Phish is funkier than Breakestra.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

And Phish is about as funky as a vacuum cleaner.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh wait, another from the I-like-though-they-lack-teh-funk file: SMASHING PUMPKINS.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Breakestra: what happens when you think you're too funky and your friends won't tell you you're not.

While we're at it: how about most SF area hip hop? Seems severely unfunky to me.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Despite titling an album Funky Little Demons, the Wolfgang Press

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that he really needs any more defending, but I just wanna add that in addition to being righteously funky, Seger's "Black Eyed Woman" and "White Wall" wouldn't sound at all out of place on Tago Mago! They're both on Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, which is in fact the first of THREE albums credited to the Bob Seger System, Matt. All of 'em damnably out of print & scarce, like most of Seger's best stuff.

Uhhh...bands with nary a trace of funk? One of my favourites from the '60s, the Byrds! I think they were being ironic when they titled a song "Captain Soul".

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Are the Breakestra not funky? I only remember hearing one track ages ago where they did indeed do a pretty accurate rendition of some familiar-sounding sample source.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post to Jordan) Yeah, it's probably the best single ever recorded.
-- Dom Passantino (lifetimepilingu...), June 23rd, 2004.

I don't have the slightest idea whether you're being sarcastic or not, Dom.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

They're both on Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, which is in fact the first of THREE albums credited to the Bob Seger System, Matt. All of 'em damnably out of print & scarce, like most of Seger's best stuff.

oh wow i didn't know there were more....must investigate thanks for the tip.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

We're not talking about bands that fail to funk enough, we're talking about bands that never even thought to try. We're talking about the real white shit: Tower Recordings, Lois Maffeo, Alvin Lucier.

― vexxxyDancer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

> how ridiculous it is that anyone would even think to mention the 'Bone on this thread. <

Well, I never said Fishbone were completely funkless (their debut EP did have its entertaining quasi-Funkadelic moments, after all); I just said they were funkless COMPARED TO BOB SEGER. Which is true.

Neil Young is pretty damn funkless (despite being pretty damn great), actually. Though I guess "Mr. Soul," "T-Bone"," and select songs on *Trans* might disqualify him. Also, Myonga's name reminded me as well of the funkless greatness of MX-80 Sound. (Which reminds me of the funkless greatness of Voivod.) (Which reminds me of the funkless greatness of Scandinavian dark goth metal.) (Which reminds me of the funkless greatness of early Sonic Youth, unless "Into the Groovy" or something counts.) (Which reminds me of the funkless greatness of early Husker Du.) (Which reminds of the Byrds, all over again!)

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I...I'll get me hat.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

xposter:
"Tonight's the Night" has got a number of funky moments. Neil mentions "rolling another number" in _two different songs_, bassline to the title track, going downtown, etc. I think general sloppiness can count for funk in select caucasians, just like a joint rolled in toilet paper.

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Which reminds me of the funkless greatness of early Sonic Youth

okay now Chuck have you heard their first EP?

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Bread.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Sometimes I have this strange feeling that I'm like the only person who ever listened to any of Fishbone's albums after their debut EP.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

no way I loved Truth and Soul back in the day (I haven't heard it since then though....it's from my long-long cassette era and is gathering dust in some closet at my mom's house)

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

re:SOnicGroovy:
Making The Nature Scene
Brother James
Burning Spear
Master Dik
Youth Against Fascism

― FunkyAnswer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, the drummer on Sonic Youth's debut EP was the best drummer they ever had. (Though then again, the Bush Tetras and Gang of Four and bands like that were never as funky as they wanted to be, given the anal placement of their copies of certain Karl Marx texts, and that first EP's rhythm had nothing on *those* guys, even.) And oh yeah, Rick James was in Neil Young's Mynah Birds, right? But I have no idea what they sounded like. Probably not like "Super Freak," I'm guessing.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Rick James also makes an appearance on Bruce Palmer's solo lp ... zero cocaine influence on that record.

― sexxyDancer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

re: Mcartney...Temporary Secretary is electro-funky in a new wave way.

re: the Swans-I have a test pressing of the 12" they did for A Screw or Time Is Money Bastard, I forget, they're sorta variations on a theme. That period of the Swans was funky

re: Sonic Youth-my dj "partner" plays the Burning Spear off the first EP all the time. It fits in nicely with ze style punk disco and post-punk funk or whatever you want to call it. That song is extremely funky, but yes much credit should probably go to drummer Richard Edson, who was funkier with Konk.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

"Don't worry, I'M a professional."
http://fusionanomaly.net/richardedson.jpg

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

"what country you think this is?"

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I have to say, when I hear the word "funk," Bob Seger's is not the first name to spring to my mind.

And "Fool's Gold" is plenty funky.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Discharge.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Marillion

― john-paul (john-paul), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Suede were extremely un-funky. Unless you count "Whipsnade", which was supposed to be reggae.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Also Most Un-Funky:

- The Birthday Party
- The Ramones
- Ride
- Fields of the Nephilim
- The Jesus & Mary Chain
- Robyn Hitchcock

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

>>when I hear the word "funk," Bob Seger's is not the first name to spring to my mind.<<

Exactly, Alex. Which is why I nominated him here:

What bands are FUNKY, but they are seldom described that way?

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not suggesting he ain't, Chuck. I'm simply not familiar enough with his work (beyond the tracks that used to be all over the radio) to assert as much. But if his more celebrated work is any indication, I don't think Bootsy Collins is going to lose any sleep.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

The Jesus & Mary Chain
No way. "Reverence" is funkier than the shores of Lake Ontario near the Redpath sugar refinery in this fine city.
"Never Understand" is also funky (dig those drums).

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Neurosis
lots of Europeans

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmmm....you're right. I was thinking solely of Psychocandy actually. But, "Never Understand"? Dunno `bout that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

here's an obvious one that didn't occur to me earlier:

METALLICA

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, Parliament Funkadelic themselves were quite frequently not funky at all, given as they were to aimless and interminable Zappa bullshit and drag-assed tempos. (Which is not to say that they did not have extremely funky moments all through career or at least until the early '80s or so, because they obviously did.) And since Bootsy Collins's influence in the world has primarily been to convince nitwits like Les Claypool and Flea that all a band needs to make themselves funky is mumbo-jumbo blabbermouthing plus a bassline that sounds like you're milking a cow, one could easily make an argument that Bootsy should've been stripped of his funk ribbons years ago.

xpost

I think Metallica's funkiest moments are probably their Budgie or Killing Joke covers, but yeah, they definitely occured to me, too.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

drag assed tempos are frequently funky as hell!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Is that what milking a cow sounds like?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

you don't milk a cow at a drag assed tempo! it would take all day! not funky!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

>I have a test pressing of the 12" they did for A Screw or Time Is Money Bastard, I forget, they're sorta variations on a theme. That period of the Swans was funky<

Well, about as funky as "We Will Rock You" by Queen, anyway...Though I swear I heard "Time is Money (Bastard)" played back to back with Run DMC in an r&b record store in Elizabethtown, Kentucky (just outside of Fort Knox) around 1985. I promise I am not making this up.

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

wow

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, about as funky as "We Will Rock You" by Queen, anyway...

Is this statement supposed to be indicative of something's unfunkiness? Cuz "We Will Rock You" is some serious F-word shit. I think I'm just gonna hafta leave this thread alone because it's making me feel funny in my brain.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Y'know, Bootsy Collins has never been quite the acrobatic-styled bassist people make him out to be. His basslines were usually very simple but heavy on the processing. Flea & Claypool & Wooten et al get most of their lookitme! bass styles from Stanley Clarke & Larry Graham & Jaco & such.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)

jeez. I just used Bootsy as a example of someone roundly associated with funk.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The point: Be he a funk god or not, Bootsy Collins is one fuckuva lot funkier than Bob "Against the Wind" Seeger will EVER be.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:48 (twenty-one years ago)

You know who has no funk whatsoever and doesn't even try, like comes from a world where the concept of "funk" never came to be? Barenaked Ladies.

xpost I'm just a'ramblin' now Alex

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:48 (twenty-one years ago)

You know who has no funk whatsoever and doesn't even try, like comes from a world where the concept of "funk" never came to be? Barenaked Ladies.

That's `cos Canadians know no funk. And don't say Bootsauce either, `cos they didn't get it right.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Flea & Claypool & Wooten et al get most of their lookitme! bass styles from Stanley Clarke & Larry Graham & Jaco & such.

as a former teenage reader of many guitar mags...I will go with Nick on this one...also don't forget Stu Hamm

That's `cos Canadians know no funk

I'M RICK JAMES, BITCH!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

funky

adj 1: offensively malodorous; "a putrid smell" [syn: fetid, foetid, foul, foul-smelling, noisome, smelly, putrid, stinking]

Many bands on this thread are funky!!

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Bands whose live performances I've been forced to endure by the promise of good drugs and sweet sweet hippy girl poontang wherein I saw many many crusties really "feeling the beat, MAAAN" who were in no way, shape, or form jammin' on the one: String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, Disco Biscuits (what a shameful waste of an almost kewl name), whatever that one band's name really is that me & my slightly clued in friends call Black Banana Deepthr0at.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 22:57 (twenty-one years ago)

if you ever want to see a show filled with the promise of funk but not any actual funk, see a band in L.A. called (ugh) M a m a Sutra, whose lead singer comes on like a cross between Janis Joplin and Edie Brickell.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

ew worst band name ever god! It makes me feel like I need to scrub it free of my brain with sandpaper.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

That's `cos Canadians know no funk.
If we're talking about rock bands, then I agree, but don't get me started on techno ...

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 23:09 (twenty-one years ago)

but "Tom Sawyer" by Rush is funky....ask any hip hop dj!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Re: Birthday Party
"Nick the Stripper" counts as funky if only in the fact it sounds like Tracy Pew's bassline sounds like in actually is going in and out of a man's anus, and baby, that's a fonky,

― HexxxyDancer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 23:17 (twenty-one years ago)

remove a "sounds like in" from that OOPs

― seexyDuncer, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

The Birthday Party's "Happy Birthday" was also pretty damn funkay in an odd way.

Declaring that Canadians know nothing about funk is like declaring that Michael Dempsey (of The Cure and then Associates) never got his groove on! Just listen to Fly Pan Am's second album!

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:29 (twenty-one years ago)

concidentally i heard OLD TIME ROCK N ROLL in a taco bell after all this funk threading.

and it was NOT IN THE LEAST BIT FUNKY.

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Cutty, that's because it's been scientifically proven to be the most irritating, awful song in the history of the world.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:36 (twenty-one years ago)

yes it is

and i am appaled by certain ILXors position on his funkiness

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:49 (twenty-one years ago)

the high llamas (the funky cooties carried by stereolab didn't jump onto mr. o'hagen).

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 24 June 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I am retracting my knee-jerk agreement with Alex's "Canadian rockers know no funk" statement.
Do Make Say Think are also well-acquainted with the funk, further disproving the assertion.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, not all of his songs are bad! It's just that this one casts such a lengthy, pitch-black shadow of shit.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)

And since Bootsy Collins's influence in the world has primarily been to convince nitwits like Les Claypool and Flea that all a band needs to make themselves funky is mumbo-jumbo blabbermouthing plus a bassline that sounds like you're milking a cow, one could easily make an argument that Bootsy should've been stripped of his funk ribbons years ago.

Not his fault that he (unwittingly) begot Les Cesspool et.al.
That's like saying James Brown is not funky because so many morons have used the Funky Drummer rhythm as their "instant hip hop/funky" beat on umpteen awful recordings. To say Bootsy is not funky is just plain weird. And wrong.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Though I swear I heard "Time is Money (Bastard)" played back to back with Run DMC in an r&b record store in Elizabethtown, Kentucky (just outside of Fort Knox) around 1985. I promise I am not making this up.

E-town's got the funk.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you using "R&B record store" as a relative term?

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Thursday, 24 June 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

you got rhythm, you got blues, you got R&B.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

(my statement regarding the utter, abject funklessness of all things Canadian was not meant to be taken quite so seriously).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

"Not Rap and Bullshit!"

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Thursday, 24 June 2004 02:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Radiohead for the most part, with "Airbag" as a glaring exception.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Thursday, 24 June 2004 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Most (certainly not all though) hardcore punk and speed/thrash/death/black metal/grindcore to thread.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 24 June 2004 07:08 (twenty-one years ago)

...which is not an accident, I'm guessing. That said, the Bad Brains were heckafunky.

Anyone remember Token Entry's lamentable "funk" album? You're blessed if not.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 24 June 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, Myonga's name reminded me as well of the funkless greatness of MX-80 Sound.

Yep, gotta agree, even though they titled a song "Felonious Funk" back in '77! (Also "You Turn Me On / I'm A Sex Machine")

As for funkless bands with actual African-Americans in 'em...well, I can't offhand think of anything by Love that was truly funky, although Lester Bangs once described Arthur Lee's solo LP (which I've never heard) as "There's A Riot Goin On as performed by an old toothless janitor" or something like that.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

**Radiohead for the most part, with "Airbag" as a glaring exception.**

See this is a typical example of people thinking that to stick in a slightly syncopated drum beat makes something 'funky'. See also 'She's Lost Control'. It doesn't. They're not.

To be funky you have to have a second rhythmic line opposing the main rhythm - either explicit or just 'felt'. (Ha they're not at all funky. Felt, I mean). In fact the Buzzcocks did this quite nicely in 'Why Can't I Touch It'.

Classic example of band often described as funky, but aren't remotely - Cabaret Voltaire. On the other hand 23 Skidoo's 'Coup' IS. To get an idea of the two rhythm lines listen to the two bass guitars. The drums on the other hand hold a pretty straight non-shuffle 4/4. See also The Temptations 'Shakey Ground'. The Gang of 4 ARE quite often funky because the rhythm guitar is working in opposition to the bass and drums. Josef K for the most part are NOT because they simply strum furiously. (An exception is Heaven Sent - here the guitars set up the two lines).

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Did anyone say Iron Maiden yet?

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

That's `cos Canadians know no funk.

HEY! Just 'cause we can't PLAY it doesn't mean we don't know it when we HEAR it!

(No disputing the wretchedness of Bootsauce or Barenaked Ladies, certainly.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Bush
Live

― People love Gravity and Ebullition! (ex machina), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

How about whole genres? For instance, "Funky Breaks" are not funky in the least, and they've got the word 'Funky' in their name!

― tylero (tylero), Thursday, 24 June 2004 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

> funkless bands with actual African-Americans in 'em...<

TV on the Radio spring immediately to mind.

As for Canadians, there is definitely a sense of funk on late '70s Streetheart and early '80s Loverboy (and maybe even Aldo Nova) albums. And plenty of French stuff from Montreal I can't remember the name of right now has funk in it. As does *12 Inches of Snow.* As do Joni Mitchell and Shania Twain, on certain special occasions.

― chuck, Thursday, 24 June 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

¿Quién es menos funky: Moxy Fruvous o Born Against?

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 24 June 2004 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Born Against spawned Men's Recovery project who I'm sure dabbled with funk at some point.

― People love Gravity and Ebullition! (ex machina), Thursday, 24 June 2004 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

>concidentally i heard OLD TIME ROCK N ROLL in a taco bell after all this funk threading.
and it was NOT IN THE LEAST BIT FUNKY<

So? What does one nonfunky song prove?(It's still funkier than anything by Pavement, though. How come nobody's mentioned them yet?)

― chuck, Thursday, 24 June 2004 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

tad

― ben tausig (datageneral), Thursday, 24 June 2004 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

uhh chuck, i was responding to this

opening barres of OTR&R dude

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 24 June 2004 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Sum 41

― People love Gravity and Ebullition! (ex machina), Thursday, 24 June 2004 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Bingo Gazingo

― ben tausig (datageneral), Thursday, 24 June 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.