How much material do you have to hear to honestly hate an artist?

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This is an argument I've had with a couple of people. To honestly dislike or loath a band/artist, do you have to hear a wealth of their material, or will a few songs suffice? Have you ever gotten into one of those arguments before?

― James Morris (HorrayJames), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

One song can pretty much do it for me, honestly, but it's good to hear at least two tracks before signing off on the Fatwa.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

A good acid test is a concert. Two concerts, even better. This is why I hate Rage Against the Machine even still.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I can hate a band without ever having heard a note of their music.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Take Fast Food Rockers - five seconds is enough.

― M Carty (mj_c), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not being facetious. There are some genres that I know that there is no way in hell I'm never going to like them - an artist described as "A funkier Prince... but with RHCP style pop-bass! With free jazz sax solos over the top..." Do you really think that I need to hear this to hate this?

Ditto anything that appears in the pages of the NME these days, through overhype. I really don't need to hear the Kings of Leon to know that I hate them.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The suspenders are enough?

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate, you are small.

Ned's right -- shows are best. I haven't seen Polyphonic Spree live yet, so I will refrain from saying that I hate hate hate hate hate this band soley on the basis of their album. I hear they're really something to see live.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

About 10 seconds of a Richard Ashcroft solo tune.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Y'know (totally unrelated), the Chili Peppers only have slap basslines in about 10% of their recordings...and even then, it's rarely for the duration of the song.

― pedantalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought Kate's first answer was awesome

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not small. I'm just set in my tastes and fairly consistent in what I like. You can call me unadventurous, maybe, but small? No.

If you take a bite of a sandwich and the butter is rancid, you don't carry on eating the whole sandwich in the hopes it'll get better. I'm like that with music.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

hearing their music played by all the mouthbreathers on your dorm floor will make you hate anybody QUICK.

see DMB thread, et al.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The Polyphonic Spree scared the shit out of my friend Kevin who's one of the biggest live music freaks I know. He says he can't even tell if he did/didn't like it, just that they FREAKED. HIM. OUT.

I might hate the band before I hear their music, but I don't hate their music until I've heard it. Fr'instance, I hated the Strokes before I heard them, heard them, kinda liked one of their songs (it's got the vocals mixed real low, forgot the name), but still hate them.

"mouthbreathers"! LOveryL!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not small. I'm just set in my tastes and fairly consistent in what I like.

I was kidding. When will I learn that facetiousness doesn't come off well in print?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh very little. Possibly none. And you can LIKE some of their material and still hate them.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Nickalicious, the title of the thread is "How much material do you have to hear to honestly hate an ARTIST." So you are basically agreeing with me.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Well yeah, but I like to make the distinction between hating an artist and hating their work, cuz I'm a bastid like that! :D

Also, I find that sometimes descriptions-of-elements-in-the-music doesn't give you a very good idea of how the actual unified sound works. Radiohead is one of my absolutely favoritest bands evah, but based on the way most people describe their music, I shouldn't like it at all. It's not so much the stand-out elements that most people write about that I love about their group; it's the chemistry of all their minds working together.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm with Kate. Hell, I don't even have to hear the band described, or see their publicity picture, to make the call. If they're on Epitaph, for example, it is 100% guaranteed that they will suck.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Also if I hate an artist the chances are I'll like them at some point, and there's a good chance in the opposite direction too.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

All I need is to see one asshole wearing their T-shirt.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

If a CD has the artist on the cover, doing something like looking off in the distance, or praying, or crying in the fetal position, or flying through the air over starving children, or hanging out with young latino boyz on the lower east side, or using their supernatural powers, or crying while hanging out with starving children while using their supernatural powers....I HATE them.

― gage o (gage o), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

or any artist who sings to the camera in their video. excluded are Neil Young and Sonic Youth. For no good reason.

― gage o (gage o), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Band is from Canada = I hate.

This is based on conclusive scientific evidence mind you. I figure, if you come from the land of Rush and Barenaked Ladies, it's quite likely I'll wanna stab you in the eye with a rusty fork.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd just like to note that when I posted this topic, I meant hating artists' music, and not them personally.

― James Morris (HorrayJames), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Fun-spoiler. :-(

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

exceptions on Canada tip:

NOmeansNO
Joni Mitchell
Neil Young
Members of the Band

― gage o (gage o), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

(This is more proof that Nickalicious = the anti-me. I LUUUUURRRVE each and every member of The Strokes. Personally. (Well, except for the ones with dud white boy afros.) I want to paint their little dirty dronerock toenails. But I'd rather chew glass than EVER have to listen to their music.)

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I want more videos where they start making out w/the camera

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Strokes = Canadian?

What?

The Strokes are NYC prep school dinks.

― gage o (gage o), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

also on the canadians-not-to-hate tip:

DOA
New Pornographers
The Meligrove Band
The Vagiants
the Dirtmitts
The Constantines
Broken Social Scene
Most of the cast of SCTV -- take your pick with Martin Short, tho.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

the strokes are dronerock?

― Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

No, they're not dronerock at all. But they are Dirty Dronerock Boys. Or, at least, they LOOK like DDB's.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Not a note - one word of praise from the NME and its shitty, nicotine stained, greasy haired, Converse clad writers would be more than enough to make me hate a band with a passion.

God, I DESPISE the NME.

― russ t, Wednesday, 16 July 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

i try & ignore what i hate.

― kephm, Wednesday, 16 July 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

You guys really are doing nothing but reinforce my I-don't-like-music-written/performed-by-Canadians stereotype even more!

Did I say The Strokes were Canadian? Maybe it's time to put the doobie down...

Me as anti-Kate = I can kinda see that! In fact, the only Strokes I find tolerable are the white-boy afro guys! And I only "like" them for their hair! muahahaha!!!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Manitoba = Canadian. Obv. Someone else I've been listening to lately is too but i can't remember who.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I really don't need to hear the Kings of Leon to know
that I hate them.

See, it's NOT just me!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Somehow I assumed at least "La Villa Strangiato" or "YYZ" would find a place in the nickalicioustacks.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

four tet?

― Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, what about people who have only heard "Friday I'm In Love" by The Cure and so assume that they only write breezy guitar pop songs and dismiss them. I'm sure some Cure fans would object to that.

The first song my girlfriend heard by XTC was "That's Really Super, Super Girl" because I had it on a mixtape. Then whenever I brought them up she said "Oh, I hate XTC" or "How can you listen to that shit?" and so I forced her to listen to some other songs and she admitted she liked "Making Plans For Nigel" and was curious to hear some other stuff by them.

― James Morris (HorrayJames), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I had a simillar experience with the Flaming Lips. I fuckin' HATE "She Don't Use Jelly," and then heard Yoshimi Battles... and thought it was fantastics. Just goes to show, I suppose. Still hate "She Don't Use Jelly," though.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 16:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to hear at least 3 songs off a record (and hate all three) before I completely decide I will never ever buy it. If they put out two records that are equally bad, I cease to acknowledge their existence.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

There's plenty of groups I hate just 'cos of their name, or the name of their recs.

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Hate is such a strong word, but I can almost always instantly dislike an artist after mere seconds of a song.
Sometimes even mere nanoseconds.
That concert litmus test doesn't work for me anymore because my work schedule conflicts with most shows. I actually have to book vacation time to see a show.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I can hate things from just a pic, name etc but since there are always exceptions to the rule, it means you could be missing out on great music (but of course you're gonna go through with it bcz of money and so on) so I try to hear something.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 20:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"If they're on Epitaph, for example, it is 100% guaranteed that they will suck."

What, even if it's
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd400/d492/d4927040449.jpg ,
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf200/f250/f25014t02cv.jpg or
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf200/f250/f25015uf0fd.jpg ?

You make me cry!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 17 July 2003 07:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Any reason to hate the Cure is a good one as far as I'm concerned.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 17 July 2003 07:41 (twenty-two years ago)

i can hate bands solely down to their fans - nothing to do with what they sound like whatsoever...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 17 July 2003 09:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Hated the Strokes on principle, hated their appearance, hated the hype, heard 2 or 3 songs, and still hated them.

If I hear 2 songs by an artist that I dislike strongly enough, I'm fully willing to discount them completely. Life's too short. Also, I don't mind a few electroclash type songs from Ladytron, Fischerspooner et al, but I would never buy their albums... don't hate the music (neither do I like it all that intensely), but hate the scene, again on principle.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Thursday, 17 July 2003 10:52 (twenty-two years ago)

exactly and hear, hear... ladytron are one of my pet hates...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 17 July 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Somehow I assumed at least "La Villa Strangiato" or "YYZ" would find a place in the nickalicioustacks.

D'oh! Sundar has blown my cover! I can't keep this anti-Canadian act up no more. :-(

I do find it kinda funny that possibly my favorite band from Canada, GYBE (insert "!" where appropriate), were a band I totally hated on first listen; but that's cuz what I first heard was that thing with the guy talking about "dark corridors" from Raise Yr Skinny Fists..., and I assumed I wasn't gonna like their other music due to their being so heavily slagged by everyone. About 6 months later when I heard the opening track off that album, it was a total 180.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 17 July 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Good/non-sucky bands that have been/are on Epitaph include: Rancid, Refused, Bad Religion, L7, NOFX, Gas Huffer, Dropkick Murphys, Raised Fist. And if you include Anti, Merle Haggard, Sage Francis, Tom Waits.

― Tom Breihan (Tom Breihan), Thursday, 17 July 2003 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

a local girl (san francisco) named jolie holland just signed to Anti and she kill slay you with how great she is. So I think Anti is a full exception to the Epitaph rule.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 17 July 2003 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

and Fat Possum, altho rumour has it that the current guy who runs it stole the label from its original owner, who was a south african unable to get back into the country due to visa problems.

other epitaph bands that i likes: Descendents, Hives, Turbonegro...

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Thursday, 17 July 2003 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not drunk enough to really hate any band right now. I must be hearing a band to truly HATE them, usually. Like the one time I heard "We're Only In It For The Money" I HATED Zappa, but now I'd tell you that his autobiography is really funny if you brought him up.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 17 July 2003 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

and it would take only a few notes to make me hate a band. I doubt I could hate a band based solely on looks alone though. I'm not as annoyingly superficial as some people here. I refuse to hate people based on surfaces.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 17 July 2003 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm all cool like that.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 17 July 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I hate every band ever on the Vans Warped Tour, without having heard most of them. same goes with Fat Wreck Chords.

oh, and Jack Johnson.

so, really, next to none.

― derrick (derrick), Thursday, 17 July 2003 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i find it weird that people on this thread are actually proud of the fact that they can say "hated the look of them, heard them, and STILL HATED 'EM" about so many bands. if this sort of thing happens to you often, perhaps the following might be true:

1) you are outrageously closed-minded
2) you can't admit that you might have been wrong about something
3) you know yourself so well that talking to other people seems like a waste of time (and I'm sure they think the same thing)

― Dave M. (rotten03), Friday, 18 July 2003 08:06 (twenty-two years ago)

4) You understand that talking about music is fun and that being hyperbolic can add to the fun!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 18 July 2003 08:08 (twenty-two years ago)

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