So what are some of the more "Artsy" bands this year?

[shotglass75]

Ya know bands that kinda add another element of performance to their stage show. Last year was Goldfrapp other years were Fischerspooner, maybe Scissor Sisters. Something that is more than just a band or Dj on stage playing their instruments.

[Courtney]

From your post, I am assuming that you are defining "artsy" as electropop with high levels of stage spectacle, preferably involving glitter. Is this correct?

[Rockstarboy37]

umm im thinking ariel pink, THROBBING GRISTLE, a place to bury strangers

maybe liars if they put up any images. Shepard Fairey?

You can also expect a lot of DJ's to be putting up images behind them on a screen to keep the crowds senses enticed. I've heard good things of ghostland observatory's laser spectacle.

My Bloody Valentine, The Cure and Paul McCartney are all guaranteed to have some sort of show along with the music.

[shotglass75]

From your post, I am assuming that you are defining "artsy" as electropop with high levels of stage spectacle, preferably involving glitter. Is this correct?


No, but I an see from those examples you would think that. I couldn't think of anything else off the top of my head. You could put Blue Man Group in there too but that pretty much is their whole thing. Just bands that bring another element besides the music to their live show.

[MonsoonSeason]

cloud cult paint while they play, that's pretty artsy

[IlliniQ]

A Place to Bury Strangers (all seedy New York menance)

Gang Gang Dance - Crazy genre hopping dance band with very unorthodox yelping female lead singer whose vocal tics are not entirely unlike singer for Ponytail.

Amanda Palmer (oddball performance art style artiness...Ukalele version of Creep, etc.)

[boarderwoozel3]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Karen O is a living performance art spectacle.

[Rockstarboy37]

Cloud cult is lame, but that's cool that they paint while they play. There's another band called the red paintings that does that too.

[Courtney]

I see what you are saying: you want spectacle but it doesn't necessarily have to involve electropop or glitter.

Unfortunately, I don't know if any of the bands this year fit the bill. Fucked Up goes absolutely nuts and so does Karen O in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but it's more in the vein of Les Savy Fav than the bands you have listed. Maybe Shepard Fairey will do something artsy, but he might just be DJing too. Throbbing Gristle's set may have visual components, but from what I've seen from videos, they don't seem to have the tight, polished sort of stage aesthetics that the bands you cite do. And then Girl Talk likes to have the audience dance on stage, so I guess that's something. Maybe there are smaller bands that I don't know about which fit your question better.

I would expect a band like Gang Gang Dance to have a better and more visually interesting show, but when I saw them perform a couple months back it was just droney and super boring.

[MonsoonSeason]

Cloud cult is lame, but that's cool that they paint while they play. There's another band called the red paintings that does that too.

agree, that's why I didn't really hype 'em. lady sovereign had people paint why she rapped, too.

[sacleonard]

Aside from Shepard Fairey, who is an actual artist?
I'd second Amanda Palmer.

For those who have seen them, would you rank Ghostland Observatory or The Presets in this category?

[Rockstarboy37]

Red paintings do an incredibly strange "parody?" of a midnight oil song. The video is pretty cool though. If they sounded better they look like they'd be great live.

[MonsoonSeason]

ghostland is funny because they're expressive and one guy wears a cape on stage, but they're not really artsy.

if I'm not mistaken henry rollins has done some painting, but that's not his normal bag

[shotglass75]

Aside from Shepard Fairey, who is an actual artist?
I'd second Amanda Palmer.

For those who have seen them, would you rank Ghostland Observatory or The Presets in this category?

I saw The Presets at a small club in Chicago and there wasn't any huge visual show. it still was great though.

[Rockstarboy37]

everybody keeps raving about this cure song
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[normalone75]

How about theese guys....I put up another thread about them..

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[Xenocide]

Fucked Up (live on a bridge in Austin, TX at 2am during SXSW)
TUVLm1V0pPs

[CellarOwl]

Aside from Shepard Fairey, who is an actual artist?
I'd second Amanda Palmer.

For those who have seen them, would you rank Ghostland Observatory or The Presets in this category?

I'd agree, and say Amanda Palmer is more art than artsy. Huge difference, obv.

The Presets are fantastic live, but I'd sooner put their Aussie counterparts Cut Copy in that category. Shame they won't be putting in an appearance this year.