Snow Patrol

Affable

Why do they get such a harsh deal?
Only because the music press is snobby about anyone who sounds nice and inoffensive and mainstream. They've made some good stuff.

Xavi6

You answered your own question in the second line.

To be honest they're a decent enough band but crap live. Sure Lightbody can't even sing.

Affable

Xavi6 wrote: »

You answered your own question in the second line.

Yes, I suppose you're right. Well, I think they don't deserve a slagging.
Eyes Open is an enjoyable album.

Tommy the Cat

They've hit a formula that works, boring slow songs that all sound the same. Its elevator music, thats where it belongs.

Miguel_Sanchez

Some of their early stuff was ok but then they saved up and bought 'The Coldplay Filter' for their studio and went solidly downhill (but solidly uphill in the charts????). Of course they don't care because they're all stinking rich now.

Reindeer Section are alright.

ZakAttak

I think Snow Patrol are the modern day equivalent to Enya ; nursing home music.

Driver 8

Student poetry + reptitive, dreary music= success.

Apparently

Denalihighway

I pretty much agree with you guys regarding the stuff they're churning out these days but it also sounds like none of yiz have listened to When Its all Over We Still Have to Clear Up, a majestic album way left of the radio friendly sound they have now. A real real gem I promise you with so many high points and depth. Has to be heard to be believed. It all started going mainstream on the next album - the one which spawned Run which was their first runwaway commerical success song and the one which caught the attention of the MOR crowd. I actually saw them in Temple Bar Music Centre (as it was then) with about 100 other people when they were showcasing the new stuff and after they played Run my mate said 'Thats gonna be a huge hit' - I agreed. He meant it as a compliment but as an oldschool fan I didnt share his enthusiasm.

And...in saying all that...even though they're gone shamefully MOR, I say fair f*cks to them cuz they're one of those bands that I feel have earned it through a long hard apprenticeship. They also had an album before WIAOWSHTCU - Songs for Polar Bears, another great album with an edge unrecognisable from the Snow Patrol we know today

Affable

Denalihighway wrote: »

I pretty much agree with you guys regarding the stuff they're churning out these days but it also sounds like none of yiz have listened to When Its all Over We Still Have to Clear Up, a majestic album way left of the radio friendly sound they have now. A real real gem I promise you with so many high points and depth. Has to be heard to be believed. It all started going mainstream on the next album - the one which spawned Run which was their first runwaway commerical success song and the one which caught the attention of the MOR crowd. I actually saw them in Temple Bar Music Centre (as it was then) with about 100 other people when they were showcasing the new stuff and after they played Run my mate said 'Thats gonna be a huge hit' - I agreed. He meant it as a compliment but as an oldschool fan I didnt share his enthusiasm.

And...in saying all that...even though they're gone shamefully MOR, I say fair f*cks to them cuz they're one of those bands that I feel have earned it through a long hard apprenticeship. They also had an album before WIAOWSHTCU - Songs for Polar Bears, another great album with an edge unrecognisable from the Snow Patrol we know today

Does mainstream have to equal bad? Just because something's popular doesn't mean it's ****. Also, why do they have to go through a long apprenticeship of obscurity to prove some kind of credibility?
I think MOR is bit harsh too.

KnifeWRENCH

Snow Patrol have some songs I like (Spitting Games, You're All I Have, Open Your Eyes are all really good) and some I don't (Chocolate=yawn, Chasing Cars=yawn)
I think the real hatred for them started when every radio station in Ireland and Britain decided to play "Chasing Cars" every 5 seconds. Most songs that are excessively overplayed on the radio become extremely annoying, and the artist becomes a target for the music press /general public to attack.
I think Snow Patrol are a fairly good band with some good stuff. They're not gonna set the world on fire with their music, but there's a lot worse out there. They've found a niche that's bringing them success, so I can't see them deviating too much from it. And that's ok with me.

Xavi6

square_igloo wrote: »

Snow Patrol have some songs I like (Spitting Games, You're All I Have, Open Your Eyes are all really good) and some I don't (Chocolate=yawn, Chasing Cars=yawn)
I think the real hatred for them started when every radio station in Ireland and Britain decided to play "Chasing Cars" every 5 seconds. Most songs that are excessively overplayed on the radio become extremely annoying, and the artist becomes a target for the music press /general public to attack.
I think Snow Patrol are a fairly good band with some good stuff. They're not gonna set the world on fire with their music, but there's a lot worse out there. They've found a niche that's bringing them success, so I can't see them deviating too much from it. And that's ok with me.

In fairness it's not a niche if twenty other bands got there before you. It's merely jumping on the successful bandwagon.

Tommy the Cat

I liked a few of there earlier tunes. Also caught them in Temple Bar a good few years back. They were fairly rough live, the singer was buckled.

gucci

Xavi6 wrote: »

In fairness it's not a niche if twenty other bands got there before you. It's merely jumping on the successful bandwagon.

Exact-a-mundo.

Denalihighway wrote: »

they played Run my mate said 'Thats gonna be a huge hit' - I agreed.

It had hit written all over it for me when i seen it at 3am on some of the music channels one night!

Denalihighway wrote: »

Songs for Polar Bears, another great album with an edge unrecognisable from the Snow Patrol we know today

Agreed, this is a good album and I would still listen to them today if they decided to blatently copy the material from that album.

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Some of their early stuff was ok but then they saved up and bought 'The Coldplay Filter' for their studio and went solidly downhill (but solidly uphill in the charts????). Of course they don't care because they're all stinking rich now.
Reindeer Section are alright.

Reindeer Section were muck imo.

Kold

They're not as dull as Coldplay.

RealEstateKing

Absolutely every song they do has the same pedalling 8th notes rhythm, literally as if they never learned to play anything else:

Quiet bit:

dang-dang-dang-dang-dang-dang-dang

Loud BIT

DANG-DANG-DANG-DANG-DANG-DANG-DANG-DANG

I remember the early 90s when every shoegazy indie band in Dublin played that way, cause thhey'd only learned guitar 3 weeks ago.

Snow Patrol just do a glossed-up Pro-Tooled version of the same thing. They;re not even bad enough to be good, their just boring and nice, and totally unadventurous.

Howard the Duck

I still have "star fighter pilot" on my ipod. I doubt anymore of their songs will ever make it there

aidan24326

Xavi6 wrote: »

In fairness it's not a niche if twenty other bands got there before you. It's merely jumping on the successful bandwagon.

True. But like danielhighway said they had plugged away for years without any recognition so I wouldn't begrudge them their bit of success now, even if their music has become bland. Also, just because a band decide to jump on the successful coldplay style bandwagon doesn't mean they'll be able to pull that off either. Alot of bands can't even manage that!

gucci

Howard the Duck wrote: »

I still have "star fighter pilot" on my ipod. I doubt anymore of their songs will ever make it there

That is kinda mad that you say that, cos thats the only track that i dont quickly flick off when it comes on by them! Have polar bears and final straw on my zen, but quickly skip off any tracks except the one you mention!