[batreleaser]

what are some bands who's evolution you admire throughout their career, and likewise some bands who you think got really lame throughout their career? (not bands who you like the catalog of, bands who changed their sound and did it right)

for me, some off the top of my head:

Sonic Youth-obviously, all though i like all their different period of sound, i just think its amazing how theyve survived and remained relevant all these years.

Black Dice-I like their early years as a thrashy noisecore band, but I like them a lot better as an experimental meets post punk meets hip hop meets idm meets whatever weirdo band more. Creature Comforts could have been a disaster, but they proved they had the talent to completley change their sound and pull it off, and theyve continued to grow and evolve since then.

Flaming Lips-I dont think anyone ever could have imagined this band of acid fried hippie punks who could barely play and just played real loud would ever make a record as angelic sounding as the soft bulletin.

Boredoms-I love pretty much everything theyve ever done (except that record they put out on lame ass Vice) and think its awesome how they started out as spazzy noise punkers and then slowly evolved into the band they are on Super AE and Vision Creation Newsun, sort of psychedelic tribal i dunno, awesomenes.

Radiohead-They took kind of a backstep with In Rainbows, but prior to that every record sounded different than the one before it. I mean, within three years they released one of the best guitar records of the 90s and then did a complete 180 and made a record influenced by idm, free jazz, and even fucking ambient drone, ill while still sounding like the same band. Insane.

Neurosis-not many people know that they started off as a crust hardcore band. can you imagine if they stayed like that? wed have like 9 less of the best doom records ever.

Miles Davis-again, an obvious one. the guy made records in almost every style of jazz ever, and made classics in every single one as well.

justin k broadrick-i know he doesnt really count, but the man is a genius. creates napalm death just while playing fast crust punk with his buddies in birmingham, but plays it realllllly fucking fast and brutal, ends up being a part of the band that created grindcore. start head of david to explore his more expeirmental influences, and this carries over to godflesh, whom he arguably creates industrial metal with and made 4 or so classic records. now hes in jesu, making mbv beautiful and isis brutal shoegaze metal.

and, bands that straight blew it:

dillinger escape plan-one amazing genre defining ablum, lose thier singer, make a cool collab with patton, hire a lame steriod using singer, and lose half their band, hire some new guys, make some lame records.

mr bungle-these guys coulda gone down as one of the best ever after disco volante, but then they went and dumbed down and made california.

napalm death-some people like their stuff after scum, i dont.

modest mouse-im sorry if people disagree with me, but the lonesome crowded west and the moon and antartica were amazing records with great songwriting and great production, then they made "float on", jesus.

metalica-we all know the story there.

mogwai-i fucking love young team, and yeah theyve made decent records since then, but nothing compares to that first record for me.

nas-see above