When you think of weird bands, you usually associate the “weird” with their style of music. The band I’m about to present today has weird music, but they are just extremely weird in almost every other aspect. GWAR is a si-fi-based rock band formed in the 80s.  The band’s members said that the acronym GWAR doesn’t stand for anything, but some fans have interpreted it as “God What an Awful Racket”.  GWAR doesn’t really have the musical talent or strength of other bands I’ve listed on this blog. They have only sold 820,000 records in the United States. GWAR’s real stand-out ability comes from their shock factor and overall weirdness.

GWAR all started in 1984 when Dave Brockie began recruiting fellow hippies at Virginia Commonwealth University. He ended up finding fellow band members Hunter Jackson and Chuck Varga. These three collectively formed a production space titled “The Slave Pit”  for a movie they wanted to create together. The movie they ended up creating was filled with the band playing weird songs and sacrificing fake animals. The band gained some traction through this video but mainly for their musical abilities. The band collectively came to the name GWAR and decided to focus their energy on a musical career.

In 1988, GWAR released the album Hell-o which featured heavy metal rock and violent lyrics. The album wasn’t all too successful as they maintained their small niche audience. In 1990 they released Scum Dogs of the Universe, the album that helped them gain global attention. The album was extremely vulgar and filled with crazy inappropriate concepts like pedophilia and so on. Their following album This Toilet Earth was even more controversial. GWAR casually sang about extremely morbid topics like sodomy, necrophilia, and mutilation. This shock factor music gained GWAR a large niche following. Some people saw GWAR as a protest against society and they loved the freedom their music provided.

GWAR didn’t limit their weirdness to just their music. GWAR had the most obscene costumes of possibly any band ever. GWAR members wore futuristic barbarian outfits that did a poor job covering their private areas. Each member had a crazy helmet that matched their stage name. In addition, GWAR’s concerts were certainly an experience. They often performed simulated acts of violence like beheadings on stage. Their signature event of every concert would be when they spray the audience with simulated body fluids. Sounds weird right.

GWAR is certainly the weirdest band on my list. They got famous because of their weirdness. GWAR may have been for fun initially, but they gained a mass following of similarly minded fans. Their political satire and overall violence drew people to them. Although I don’t personally like their music, this list wouldn’t have been complete without mentioning them.

Tame Impala is without a doubt the most popular band on my list. The best part about Tame Impala is that it’s not actually a band but a person. Kevin Parker aka Tame Impala is a psychedelic Australian music artist who creates his own music. Parker is a multi-instrument phenom who plays all the instruments when recording his songs. As a touring act, he hires Dom Simpler, Jay Watson, and Julien Barbagallo to play his supporting instruments. Parker’s project has succeeded beyond all measures as he has immortalized himself through Tame Impala.

Parker’s humble beginnings can be traced back to Australia where he was part of several lowkey rock bands such as the Dee Dee Dums. Parker quickly found his passion for music and performing as he learned new instruments. In 2007, Parker started creating music projects from his own home. He enlisted future comrades Simpler and Watson to help him record his initial songs. He initially uploaded all his solo projects to Myspace under the name Tame Impala. In 2008, Parker uploaded his self titles EP which took off. His album rose to the top of the Australian Independent Record Charts and from there it was a hit.

After touring with MGMT and other acclaimed acts, Parker started to make his music more official. In 2010 he released the band’s official debut album Interspeaker which quickly became critically acclaimed in the United States. The album was also named “best new music” by Pitchfork. Tame Impala’s success didn’t stop after this album as they proceeded to release Lonerism which was named Australia’s album of the year.

Most people who are familiar with Tame Impala, know songs off their album Currents. Tame Impala released this album in 2015 and it was a smash hit. To this day, songs from this album continue to blow up on TikTok and other popular social media platforms. This album was very experimental, but it’s a perfect blend of creative noises. Currents combined funk with psychedelic rock in an odd blend that works so well.  In 2015, the album reached number 4 on the Billboard 200. The album spent a total of 55 weeks on the billboard 200 which is over a full year.

The vast success of Tame Impala is unrivaled. It’s crazy to consider that one of the most successful alternative bands is comprised of one person. Personally, I find his music to be the perfect blend of experimental and pop.  “Lucidity” off of Interspeaker is my favorite song without a doubt. If you a fan of psychedelic rock, this album would be a great place to start. If you a fan of more funk experimental, give his most popular songs a listen. Either way, Parker won’t let you down.

Odds are you’ve never heard of The Unicorns. The truth is nor did I until a friend of mine introduced me to them over this past summer. The Unicorns formed in 2000 when band founders Nicholas Thorburn and Alden Penner took their musical talents to the next level. The pair met in high school in Canada and started writing music together for fun. The pair never wanted to publish their music,  but after peer support, they formed The Unicorns. In 2003, they added Jaime Thompson to the band as they set to release their debut album.

2003 was the beginning and the peak of The Unicorns’ popularity. In 2003, The Unicorns released their debut album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone which was rather successful. In its subsequent months after release, the album soared in popularity as the music world recognized the band as “the next big thing”. Pitchfork Media praised their debut album giving them an 8.9. Unlike other alternate bands, the Unicorns experienced success right out of the gate. When most alternate bands release their experimental debut albums, people tend not to like their new sounds. The Unicorns smashed this barrier with their success in releasing Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone.

You might be wondering why you’ve never heard of The Unicorns. This would be because the band broke apart after one album. The public loved The Unicorns as there was high anticipation for their future projects. Unfortunately, Nicholas and Alden didn’t share this same appreciation for their music. After a few tours, they quickly grew out of the rockstar lifestyle. The members hated being on the road as they constantly fought with one another over trivial matters. Subsequently, the band split unofficially in 2004 and publically in 2005. Nicholas went on to join another band briefly in 2007, but most members had all outgrown the music lifestyle and went on to live regular lives.

The band decided to rerelease their debut album again in 2014 with a few extras. They supported Arcade Fire at a few of their shows in 2014 and performed some of their classics. The Unicorns then proceeded to fall off the map again after the tour and rerelease of their album. Over the course of their broken-up career, they managed to release two albums and a handful of singles. For what little amount of music they have out, their ratings are unheard of.

Personally, I really enjoy their music. It’s definitely rough and edgy, but it is great for night drives or homework. The mellow weird synths and guitars put my mind at peace. I suggest giving The Unicorns a listen but don’t expect to fall in love with the first listen. Their music is hard to appreciate but well-composed. If you ever end up liking The Unicorns, you’ll be despaired to know they only released two albums.

A conversation about weird bands wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Pixies. The Pixies may be the only band on my list so far that is recognizable. Most people know The Pixies for their popular songs: “Where is my Mind”, “Debaser”, and “Here Comes Your Man”.  These songs mildly showcase The Pixie’s weirdness, but as with most popular songs, The Pixies left out most of their experimental nature on these tracks.

To provide some context, The Pixies were formed in 1986 during the birth of experimental alternate. The band comprised of Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering. Their first album Come on Pilgrim was released in1987 and received some positive feedback. Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8.3. The album wasn’t a home run for The Pixies; this may be because of its highly experimental sound. As with most bands, The Pixies’ first album didn’t really put them on the map, but that didn’t stop them.

In the following two years, The Pixies released Surfer Rosa and Doolittle. Surfer Rosa was once again very experimental and didn’t receive the praise they had hoped it would. The album contained a lot of weird elements. At one point in a few songs, The Pixies added random talking instead of vocals. Most music fans didn’t like this. Despite this, the Pixies rallied and released a highly successful album. Doolittle was still experimental, but the audience loved it. It had a few ear-friendly tracks that made the Billboard Top 100. Tracks like “Here Comes Your Man” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven” were smash hits.

The Pixies released a few more successful albums until 1993 when the band decided to break up. Oddly enough, the band came back together in 2004 for a brief new album stint. The album was designed for Pixies fans as it contained some new experimental sounds. Although they didn’t officially break up again after that album, most members of The Pixies have retired. The Pixies were voted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2013. Most people regard them as the founding fathers of experimental music. Others just see them as one of the best rock bands ever.

If you haven’t listened to The Pixies at this point in your life, I highly recommend giving them a chance. The Pixies have a good mix of experimental and non-experimental music for your liking. If you like listening to random talking during your music, The Pixies are the band for you.

Some of their songs are lyrical masterpieces. Most of their songs are just utter gibberish. Animal Collective was technically formed in 2003 by little-known artists Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz). Before Animal Collective, Lennox and Portner met in school. The two music aficionados enjoyed creating tracks with eating other. After the creation of a few albums (which are classified as Animal Collective’s), they finally entered the music scene with Animal Collective.

The early days of Animal Collective were crazy. Most music artists/bands start out nonexperimental and safe. Animal Collective had no intentions of being a crowd pleaser with their first album Hollinndagain. If you decide to listen to this album, I wish you the best of luck. This album is almost impossible to sit through for 95% of listeners. The few tracks on the album that have words are not translatable. Portner and Lennox’s “lyrics” are mostly random whispering, screams, and vicious mumbling. The odd lyrics are magnified by the album’s instrumentals which I can only describe as one of a kind. Headphone users should beware as high-pitched synths can hurt the ears.

In the years following their first few albums, Animal Collective began to slightly change their style. The band never gave up on their experimental style, but they made their music much more listener-friendly. The release of their 2004 album Sung Tongs proved to be a breakthrough for them. This album won album of the year by Pitchfork and solidified Animal Collective’s position as a top-tier alt-band. In addition, this album also led to the widely successful Sung Tong tour which went through several major college campuses.

This success for Animal Collective was only the beginning. Their release of Strawberry Jam in 2007 was extremely well received.  This album was considered experimental pop since it was very upbeat and relatively easy to listen to (compared to their other albums). Animal Collective hit its peak popularity in 2009 with Merriweather Post Pavillion. This album was hardly experimental and consequently, was their most popular album by far. Their hit off the album “My Girls” made head waves and was accoladed the song of the year by Pitchfork media. Most people don’t know Animal Collective, but if they’ve listened to any of their songs, odds are it was this one.

In my opinion, Animal Collective is too experimental to enjoy. I really enjoy a lot of their music from their 2004-2010 albums, but their early music is too much. Critics rave about their uniqueness and songwriting ability, but I don’t see the point if they’re some of their music is difficult to listen to. I feel as though Animal Collective is too much, but that shouldn’t deter you from giving them a listen. If you are one for random mumbling and screeching synths, Animal Collective is the band for you.

The Voidz establish a musical presence like no other. Their extremely unorthodox sound challenges the socially approved wave. Faithful Voidz fans argue that they pioneer a new genre of Alternate Rock. Their unique sound isn’t for everyone, but they still have captivated a wide audience.  In my opinion, Julian Casablancas is responsible for all The Voidz success and weirdness.

For listeners familiar with the world of Alternate Rock, Julian Casablancas is Royalty. Most know Casablancas for fronting The Strokes, one of the most successful alternative bands of all time. The Voidz came together in 2013 when Casablancas collaborated with Jeramy Gritter, Amir Yaghmai, Jacob Bercovici, Alex Carapetis, and Jeff Kite on his solo album. Casablancas enjoyed working with the crew and started a separate band with the team after his project. 

Casablancas and The Voidz gained popularity as the public anticipated the release of their first album. The music industry did not know what to expect out of the band. Would they be like The Strokes? What type of music would they create? The Voidz first album Tyranny answered their questions. Tyranny came out in 2014 and made a ripple in the world of alt-rock. Rolling Stone said it was above average while Drowned in Sound (DS) gave it a 9.75/10. 

The album was composed of odd-sounding tracks that many listeners weren’t ready for. People who knew Casablancas well appreciated his new experimental sounds. Audiences looking for an ear-pleasing alt-sound were left disappointed. The Voidz next album Virtue was much more audience-friendly, utilizing fewer complex tracks with less grit. The average listener loved this album as it received four stars from most major critic sites such as Rolling Stone. Despite its praises, Virtue left long-time alt-rock fans disappointed in its lack of experimental additions. 

So, what makes The Voidz so different? Their uniqueness is solely based on their diversity of sound. Casablancas creates very high-energy songs for The Voidz. He does this by adding on an un-godly number of tracks over his basic instruments. Most of his songs off Tyanny have no identifiable chorus, bridge, verse, etc. Every part of a song may repeat once at most, so it is difficult to realize you’re listening to the same tune. He also loves to mess with his listeners by adding off-timed instrumentals and odd pauses. GQ magazine assumed Julian Casablancas was on drugs when he wrote most of his Voidz tracks.

Overall, The Voidz isn’t for every listener. I personally really enjoy listening to their music. I never really liked their music until I started learning guitar and writing music. Playing and writing music gave me a newfound appreciation for The Voidz and their masterpieces. I highly suggest giving the band a listen. You’ll either find a new favorite band or question your sanity. 

Learn More:

History and Link to New Song: https://cultrecords.com/pages/the-voidz

Rolling Stones Reviews: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/tyranny-112780/

Link to their music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nUBBtLtzqZGpdiynTJbYJ?si=JCwckjUSQCW4lopGTzr3eQ

Welcome to my Spring Semester RCL Passion Blog! My name is Andrew and my blog will feature unique bands. Some of these controversial bands were highly successful in their oddities. Others not so much. My blog will explore each band’s creative license choices and explain initial public perception.