Weird music

[General Tso]

I'm very into bands like Mr. Bungle, System of a Down, and Primus. I can relate to their weirdness. But I'm starting to grow a bit tired of them.

So I need to you to recommend me some new music that could be considered "weird". Specifically of the rock genre.

Or hey. Maybe just recommend me something so incredibly unique that could potentially blow my mind.

[Ihsahn]

Maybe try Cerberus Shoal... pretty hard to describe, but very avant-garde at times. I love them, anyway. Not necessarily rocking, but hey...

Also Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. If the name isn't enough...

[The_virus]

I'd suggest Sigur Ros, Beck, The Avalanches, and Radiohead. There are many bands with distinct sounds, so it's hard to just throw darts in the dark and hope to score.

I'll throw a curve ball with the suggestion of DJ Shadow though, and RJD2. It's not like anything you mentioned, but it's unique and interesting to listen to. Try "1976" on for size. If you like that, try MSTRKRFT's "Paris".

[Kid_A]

Try The Mars Volta (or Sparta or At The Drive In), Blood Brothers, Death From Above 1979. I gotta look harder if you want more. That's what I had off the top of my head.

My favorite 'weird' is probably Of Montreal, but that's a little more toward electronic pop rock. Check 'em out anyway... you may recognize "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)" from the ripped off theme-song for Outback Steakhouse.

[Mrmakee]

I'll second the Mars volta, Sparta and At the Drive-In. The Mars Volta are especially strange.

If you're a fan of System also try Scars on Broadway. That's System's guitarist and drummer's band. Self titled album.

Get some of Serj Tankian's solo stuff as well. His album is called Elect the Dead.

[Civil Disobedient]

Stiny Plameneu (http://stinyplamenu.mysteria.cz/) - Czech black metal about sewers. With a drum machine.
Fantomas (www.myspace.com/fantomasband) One of Mike Patton's many projects, grindcore and punk mixed with cartoon samples one minutes, movie theme tune covers the next.
Crotchduster (www.myspace.com/crotchduster666) - "Genremash". Death Metal, Grind, Pop Rock, Disco, Rap, Cheesy 80's Metal, it's all in there with a huge dash of wierdness. "My mammal sauce is the best mammal sauce, spread mammal sauce on my wang..."
Big dumb Face (www.myspace.com/bigdumbfacemusic) - Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit's insane side project. Often sounds like disco dwarves playing with machinery.

There's more where that came from. Most bands mentioned in this thread are about as weird as a cup of coffee.

[Fire King]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vDak-B86mE&feature=channel_page

Try this guy. This is his most recent work, and he gives a link to his website where you can get free downloads of all his other songs. Wacky stuff.

There's also another youtube video on his account of another song (Computers Again) which is pretty good.

Also Frank Zappa. You cannot have a discussion about weird music and not mention that man.

[Ihsahn]

I guess if we can go down the black metal route then Wold (http://www.myspace.com/woldsongs) might be worth a listen. Though it's arguable quite how black metal they are. Or if they even write music. Hmm...

[Demikain]

Try Merzbow if you want something really really weird

[JoetheShow]

What's weird about Sparta?


If you can find anything by Three Happening Guys (myspace), do so. They are f*cking weird for sure.

[coheed]

Try The Mars Volta
This is the correct answer.

[lk6.200]

Tool and Pink Floyd can get downright freaky at times, especially while being put under at the dentist's office.

[General Tso]

Sleepytime Gorilla MuseumFantomas
Crotchduster
Big dumb Face F*cking win. Muchas gracias..Also Frank Zappa. You cannot have a discussion about weird music and not mention that man.I love ZappaIf you're a fan of System also try Scars on Broadway. That's System's guitarist and drummer's band. Self titled album.

Get some of Serj Tankian's solo stuff as well. His album is called Elect the Dead.Heard it. Pretty good. Not as good as System but sounds similar enough for me to listen to it

[Ihsahn]

Unexpect (http://www.myspace.com/unexpect), maybe? Again, avant-garde metal... bit like Arcturus at times, except with more weirdness I suppose. I am, however, not convinced that they're actually good. I don't think they are? Maybe?

[Conscience]

I bet that 9/10 people won't make any sense at all from Audioslave. Their lyrics are terrible, but its all good.

[Demikain]

I bet that 9/10 people won't make any sense at all from Audioslave. Their lyrics are terrible, but its all good.
If Audioslave are the weirdest band you can think of then you need to listen to more music. They're totally generic.

[Dan]

Agreed ^. Audioslave are incredibly formulaic.

My suggestion is King Crimson. Considering they have a radically changing line-up (the only constant member being Robert Fripp), no two songs really sound the same. They've included elements of jazz, prog, avant-gardé, world music, gothic and countless other genres and styles into their music. As a matter of fact, Primus' Les Claypool claims to be influenced by them, and the bassline from Jerry Was A Racecar Driver is strikingly similar to KC's Elephant Talk.

Something more jazzy would be Miles Davis' landmark release Bitches Brew. Apparently him and his band setup in the studio, improvised for hours, and then the producer edited bits together to form an incredibly diverse and changing collection of jazz songs.

For something more modern, I'd suggest really anything from The Bends onwards by Radiohead. Their music incorporates all sorts of genres, with each album having a dramatically different sound. Specifically, you should look into Kid A. It was the band's first experience with more electronic/jazzy/whatever sounds, and it turned out to be one hell of a good album.

[sushi san]

The Locust, noisecore at its finest :D

[Olga]

Joanna Newsom has a very peculiar singing style, and her lyrics occasionally feature words you'll probably never come across again as they're either obscure or obsolete. It's an intriguing folky sound.
I've just started listening to stuff by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and love it so far. It's jazz and avant-garde and... Oh, I don't know. Cheerful and quirky.
David Bowie's not exactly known to for his innovation to most people, but he's done some interesting experimenting in the past, particularly in his Low album, which he recorded in Berlin with the help of Brian Eno.
The Tiger Lillies are amazing live with their cabaret-avant garde style (they dress up as clowns and sing songs about murder, hamsters up the rectum, sodomizing sheep and other wonderful things, all in an almost operatic falsetto), but not sure it's the sort of thing you'd want to listen to for a long time. Still, I highly recommend getting a bunch of their songs, or an album (Farmyard Filth isn't bad at all).

[Ihsahn]

jazz... jazzy... jazz... jazzy

No discussion of weird takes on jazz would be complete without me throwing Oxbow into the equation...

[coheed]

The Locust, noisecore at its finest :D
A friend told me he thought I'd like this band, so I looked them up.


Frankly, I felt a little insulted.

[Vermin]

going to go with Primus, anything Les Claypool is a part of, Aesop Rock,and Animal Collective.

the latter is probably the least wacky, but it has its moments.

[Dan]

He said he listened to Primus actually.

[JoetheShow]

What's the deal with Animal Collective? I feel like I'm missing out but haven't liked what I've heard so far, any recommendations?

[Demikain]

Joanna Newsom has a very peculiar singing style, and her lyrics occasionally feature words you'll probably never come across again as they're either obscure or obsolete. It's an intriguing folky sound.
I've just started listening to stuff by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and love it so far. It's jazz and avant-garde and... Oh, I don't know. Cheerful and quirky.
David Bowie's not exactly known to for his innovation to most people, but he's done some interesting experimenting in the past, particularly in his Low album, which he recorded in Berlin with the help of Brian Eno.
The Tiger Lillies are amazing live with their cabaret-avant garde style (they dress up as clowns and sing songs about murder, hamsters up the rectum, sodomizing sheep and other wonderful things, all in an almost operatic falsetto), but not sure it's the sort of thing you'd want to listen to for a long time. Still, I highly recommend getting a bunch of their songs, or an album (Farmyard Filth isn't bad at all).
Joanna Newsom and The Bonzos are both really good. I always think of The Bonzos as a sort of musical Monty Python, a lot of their songs are like musical comedy sketches. Joanna Newsom just makes lovely harpy music.

What's the deal with Animal Collective? I feel like I'm missing out but haven't liked what I've heard so far, any recommendations?
They seem to be kind of polarising. Try Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished, but if you don't like it chances are they're just not your thing

[xxSlipknotxx]

No discussion of weird takes on jazz would be complete without me throwing Oxbow into the equation...

Might as well throw in Anthony Braxton, Machine Gun, and Dave Holland in. Can't get any weirder than free jazz

A friend told me he thought I'd like this band, so I looked them up.


Frankly, I felt a little insulted.

How could you be insulted when someone recs you The Locust? Not J. Pearson's best work --which would be Swing Kids-- but its nothing to feel insulted over. That comes when someone recs you Audioslave or Sparta

What's the deal with Animal Collective? I feel like I'm missing out but haven't liked what I've heard so far, any recommendations?

Not missing out on anything. "My Girl" is the only non-****ty song they have, but that could be because it was in a gnarly part in the new AWS video

[Jofish]

The Decemberists aren't really weird but they are a bit different, good stuff.

If electronic is your cup you gotta get some Underworld going on.
Check out Ghostland Observatory they describe their sound as a Robot making love to a tree, so, yeah.

[Two Angels And A Dream]

Check out Atomship - Here's My Review Of It (http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=574262)

[the dmg]

I would check out Naked City and anything by John Zorn. If you listen to Bungle, you should branch out into Patton's other works, especially Fantomas. The latest Tomahawk album is worth checking out. He did a great album with Kaada that was awesome.

I would also check out Bad Brains, Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum, Gabby LaLa, Bjork, Fugazi, and Mogwai for starters.

[The Crowing]

I'll second Bjork and Animal Collective

[Dr. Doom]

Rush
go listen to YYZ!

[Shane]

Gogol Bordello.

Gypsy punk go

[Forgotten]

If you like comedy and metal, I'd recommend Psychostick. They're not super-weird, but they do have their moments.