These are all Sam’s favorite bands so take what you want out of that. I’m not saying that I haven’t liked these Band or songs at times, they only fell out of favor for me and seem to rest on their past more so then their present. A better way to put it is like this, when artists I like release an album, I listen to it at least once the entire way through. If these guys did, I’d wait to hear their overplayed Song on the radio until I’d never want to hear it again.

Cold War Kids – Starting in 2008, the Cold War Kids have released 6 albums with 60 songs you’ve never, ever heard. They put their number 1 hit as the first track of an album and the next 10+ songs are easy to forget. I liked Hang Me Up To Dry (2007). Louder Than Ever (2011) was good. What happened next though is all of their songs sound exactly the same. Miracle Mile (2013) is forgettable.  All This Could Be Yours (2014) is tiring. First (2014) is a fine song but completely overplayed (77 million listens). Then Love Is Mystical (2017) sounds exactly the same as So Tied Up. It’s formula music and I don’t like it.

Cage The Elephant – I loved the song Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked. The sound was new and the lyrics were story telling. Next came Shake Me Down which I also liked. Then Come a Little Closer was the next hit and I wasn’t as in love with it. Next Mess Around and Cold Cold Cold which I’m not going to lie, I hardly listened to. Now Whole Wide World is playing and it’s not for me. Most of their songs have millions of listens on Spotify so they have obviously gotten major exposure, I just don’t know if they are as good as they once were.

The Lumineers – Their self titled album “The Lumineers” had absolute jams. Submarines, Ho Hey, and Stubborn Love are all worth listening to over and over. There cover of the Talking Head This Must Be The Place was great. Unfortunately they fell into a category of “too big too fail” and I don’t know how well deserved it is. I cannot listen to the song Ophelia ever again. Cleopatra’s only good line is “when I die alone”.  Angela stinks. No other song on the album have I listened to. It’s not that I think they are bad, I just don’t love them because I’m supposed to love them.

Alt-J – Robot music. “Are you afraid of it?” I don’t get this band. I can’t understand the lyrics because the lead singer sings them with a Bane mask on. Breezeblocks has 202 million listens and I can’t understand one word. I can’t see myself ever actively saying, “I want to listen to Alt-J”.

Kings Of Leon
Sex on Fire (267 million) and Use Somebody (193 million) are some of the best songs that cover bands play. Everyone knows the words, they are upbeat, and they are all around quality songs. All of their newer songs, I don’t care for. This isn’t surprising considering the band started in 2003 and didn’t produce a hit until 2008 when people started to take notice. Their 2010 album produced Pyro and Radioactive which weren’t bad. There latest album has Waste a Moment and Reverend are a step down. Plus this (not real but worth watching):

Bands I Like

It’s not fair to blast bands without writing bands that I enjoy. So in no real order:

Judah and the Lion
Young the Giant
Neon Trees
Fitz and the Tantrums
Electric Guest
JR JR
Bastille
888
Smallpools
Wild Cub
X Ambassadors
J. Roddy Walston & The Business
Capital Cities
Night Riots
Joywave
MuteMath
Barns Courtney
The Shins