List 3 Non-derivative Artists....

[audiobill]

Davey's '79 thread got me thinking about the derivative nature of most if not all music, today.

Can you list 3 musical artists/bands who are the 'least' derivative from, say....., the last five years??

Here's my 3:

1. Eminem
2. Sigur Ros
3. Kanye West

Interestingly enough all three are not what I'd consider to be "rock'n'roll" (at least, in the traditional sense of the word)

Do you have any??

audiobill

[Dusty Chalk]

How can you say Enemam is not derivative? It's rap, plain and simple. Sure, he's white, but he's still derivative.

And as much as I love Sigur Ros...can you say, 'shoegazer'?

[audiobill]

How can you say Enemam is not derivative? It's rap, plain and simple. Sure, he's white, but he's still derivative.

And as much as I love Sigur Ros...can you say, 'shoegazer'?

Ahhhhhhhh, but this is where we differ my friend.
Eminem is very original in his "raps" and of the non-word vocalizing that he creates; similarly, Sigur Ros is also very original -- creating even their own language -- that no other 'shoegazers' use.

[Stone]

And as much as I love Sigur Ros...can you say, 'shoegazer'?

I know I haven't listened to as much shoegazer stuff as you, but I really don't see Sigur Ros as shoegazer. When I think of who is the most original/least derivative over the past few years, Sigur Ros is the first artist to come to mind. Fiery Furnaces also come to mind due to the way many of their songs are structured.

[Dusty Chalk]

Well, no, they're not just shoegazer, but they are derivative of shoegazer. Just as enemayhem is derivative of rap. Very derivative. Let's put it this way, I saw Snoop Dogg on Las Vegas last night, and I could have closed my eyes, and it could just as easily have been M&M from SNL two weeks back. Yes, he's clever, but so are some other rap artists (he==both/either one).

Yeah, you covered yourself a bit in the text of the original post, "...least derivative...", but I wouldn't go so far as to say these qualify as "non-derivative". That was my only point.

Regarding least-derivative-ness, the first example that comes to mind is Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden -- nothing out at the time (that I heard, anyway) was even remotely like what they put together, yet I could still hear elements of the things from which they derived their unique-sounding opus. A little Miles Davis here, a bit of psychedelia there...but it was assembled in a way that I had never heard before. So it's not like I don't know what you're talking about.

And yes, I guess Cigar Rose are pretty unique...and yet, one of the things I think they derived from (besides shoegazer and minimalism, and perhaps prog) was late period Talk Talk.

But I still disagree with Emanem.

I would also agree with Fiery Furnaces -- they sound pretty unique to my jaded ears.

[tentoze]

Although I'm not a raving fan, I'd throw Sigur Ros in there as well. Only other one I can think of that fits the bill for me is Johnny Dowd, so I'm one short of the minimum here.

[audiobill]

Although I'm not a raving fan, I'd throw Sigur Ros in there as well. Only other one I can think of that fits the bill for me is Johnny Dowd, so I'm one short of the minimum here.

Of course!! How could I have forgotten JD. One of my favourites. He gives Americana a dark gothic edge.

[Davey]

Hmmm, that's kind of a loaded question because it really depends on what the artist does with their influences as I don't think anyone can really be all that non-derivative anymore. I'll pick three albums that came out in the 2000s that strike me as a sound that was very fresh to me and I think also very influential.

The Dirty Three - Whatever You Love, You Are
The Notwist - Neon Golden
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

That previous Solex album Low Kick And Hard Bop from 2001 was another that knocked me for a loop as does the Fiery Furnaces new one. Calexico has been putting out some pretty unique sounding albums. Yume Bitsu is pretty unique. Kinski integrates their influences into a fairly unique sound. Lots more come to mind as well. I think it still fairly easy to be unique even today, just don't quite know about the non-derivative part

[audiobill]

Hmmm, that's kind of a loaded question because it really depends on what the artist does with their influences as I don't think anyone can really be all that non-derivative anymore. I'll pick three albums that came out in the 2000s that strike me as a sound that was very fresh to me and I think also very influential.

The Dirty Three - Whatever You Love, You Are
The Notwist - Neon Golden
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

That previous Solex album Low Kick And Hard Bop from 2001 was another that knocked me for a loop as does the Fiery Furnaces new one. Calexico has been putting out some pretty unique sounding albums. Yume Bitsu is pretty unique. Kinski integrates their influences into a fairly unique sound. Lots more come to mind as well. I think it still fairly easy to be unique even today, just don't quite know about the non-derivative part

Hey, Davey.

Solex and The Notwist are two I should revisit. Both are "least derivative", in my book.
I wonder: Are either issuing any new albums soon??

audiobill

[Stone]

Hey, Davey.

Solex and The Notwist are two I should revisit. Both are "least derivative", in my book.
I wonder: Are either issuing any new albums soon??

audiobill

I'm assuming you didn't know Solex released this in September:




I know both Dusty and I have it, and so far it hasn't impressed me much (I don't like it nearly as well as Low Kick and Hard Bop).

[audiobill]

I'm assuming you didn't know Solex released this in September:




I know both Dusty and I have it, and so far it hasn't impressed me much (I don't like it nearly as well as Low Kick and Hard Bop).

No. I did not know that Solex had released a new one is September. Thanks for the "headzup". I'll take both yours and Dusty's word & pass on it, this time. Mind you,
"Low Kick and Hard Bop" would be hard to equal.

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, I liked it -- I did use the word "accessible" in my short one-liner description of it, which some may have taken as a criticism, but I consider a boon not a bane. However, it may be that that was a really good description of it, because some may find it less than appealing as a result, so even though I like it, the turn-off may be legit.

[nobody]

You can argue against anyone anybody throws out, because no matter how original a band is, they use instruments, structures or genres that have been used somewhere before, nothing is created in a vacum. And then, you've got to admit none of us hear everything, so sometimes new is just new to me. But, for me, here are three recent folks that I'd place in this catagory...

Sigur Ros - merging of ambient and electronic sounds with spacey rock elements in a way I hadn't heard before

Notwist - merging of electronics and rock with sparse yet detailed instrumentation was new to me

DJ Spooky - melding of avant garde musical theory and hip hop while remaining very listenable in a way I'd never heard before him

Still, while I like all three of these artists quite a lot, I don't necessarily equate someting new with something good. Oftentimes, bands find little twists on old ideas that make them sound fresh and I am just as likely to like that sort of music making as the larger scale experiments.

[chrisnz]

That Kanye West album is really good but...

my 3

Four Tet, Prefuse 73, Manitoba, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher, Funkstorung, Autechre, Mouse On Mars, DJ Spooky, Cannibal Ox, Dalek, Bjork, M83, GYBE, Mum, Pole, Jan Jelinek, Vladislav Delay, Papa M, Antipop Consortium, DJ Cheb i Sabbah, Amon Tobin,

[audiobill]

That Kanye West album is really good but...

my 3

Four Tet, Prefuse 73, Manitoba, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher, Funkstorung, Autechre, Mouse On Mars, DJ Spooky, Cannibal Ox, Dalek, Bjork, M83, GYBE, Mum, Pole, Jan Jelinek, Vladislav Delay, Papa M, Antipop Consortium, DJ Cheb i Sabbah, Amon Tobin,

Thanks chrisnz for introducing me to some names that I need to familiarize myself with: Squarepusher, Funkstorung, Autechre, Cannibal Ox, Dalek, M83, Antipop Consortium, DJ Cheb i Sabbah and Amon Tobinyself.

Although I see these names mentioned on the board, I must say that I have not listened to much from the bands/artists you list. One of the pleasures, of course, of this RR board is discovering new music.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

You can't find a band that is not derivative of something. There are artists who mix there influences and present them in a unique way....

Godspeed Your Black Emperor - This is the first artist that came to mind.

TV on the Radio - I can't think of anyone else these days who sound the way these guys sound.

Modest Mouse - of the more mainstream, (now), indie bands,, Modest Mouse sounds the most unique to my ears.

Haven't heard a lot of those mentioned previously, like Fiery Furnaces, Sigur Ros or Kanye West.

[Stone]

Haven't heard . . . Sigur Ros .

Seriously? Someone will have to remedy that. I think you'd enjoy them.

[KEXPMF]

hard to think of something not derivative, but least derivative is easier.

Hmmm.
DJ Z-Trip (I'm sure he's not the first to do that but he's the first I heard)

his recorded stuff is hit and miss, but I do recommend seeing him work live.

The Notwist is a good choice. I strain to think of anything that sounds like that.
Sigur Ros, while clever with the language (and great), reminds me of some Radiohead.
I first heard of Sigur Ros when Radiohead took them on tour. Or maybe Radiohead copied them, what do I know.

Deride all you want musicians. Keep it coming. As JC said, good music is good music.

[KEXPMF]

Hmmm.
DJ Z-Trip (I'm sure he's not the first to do that but he's the first I heard)

oh wait, he probably heard Aerosmith/Run DMC "Walk This Way" and created his whole genre. Oh well. I like what he does and he's damn good at it.

[Troy]

You gotta define derivative because everything you guys have listed (that I've heard) is derivative of SOMETHING. Siggi Ros (seemingly everyone's shoe in) is derivative of 70s spacerock prog and Eno's droneing soundscapes. I hear a lot of classical or soundtrack influence too. Phillip Glass? That "invented language" is Icelandic. Dang, but that band puts me to sleep!

Eminem isn't derivative? Excuse me, but "Eminem is very original in his "raps" and of the non-word vocalizing that he creates" means that he raps. That's derivative of . . . rap. Rap is an ofshoot derivation of R&B. Am I missing something here?

As previously stated, EVERYTHING is derivative of what came before it. Sure, you can recombine disparate elements that no one else has done ("Alamaaailman Vasarat" doing heavy metal arrangements on Klezmer instruments, or "Combustable Edison" combining John Barry and Arthur Lyman with trip hop, or "Calexico" combining traditional Tex-Mex sounds with indie rock) but these artists are the very definition of derivative. The sound is derived from different elements.

Really, a pointless thread.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Seriously? Someone will have to remedy that. I think you'd enjoy them.

Remedy away, oh great Dr. of Rockology.

Later.