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I was really getting into the Decemberists (once I got passed the lead singer's voice). Then I started reading/hearing claims that they are a total rip-off of Neutral Milk Hotel.. who I had never heard of previously. Now after listening to both bands' work.... I do NOT like NMH and I do still like Decemberists.
There are other instances where I enjoy a newer band more than the band that supposedly inspired them:
Example: I love Stereolab and I do NOT like 98% of Krautrock.
Decemberists actually sound more like Fleetwood Mac than anything. Maybe if Neutral Milk Hotel had been a Fleetwood Mac cover band... we would have had the Decemberists.
I think people are just too preoccupied with labeling stuff and comparing it to past work/artists. It usually doesn't bother me too much unless (like someone already said) the act in question is a COMPLETE rip-off/homage to a previous artist.
Example: Fleetwood Mac's first year as a "blues" band does nothing for me because it sounds like every other white boy "blues" band. Not until they added Danny Kirwan in '68, and started exploring other sounds, did they really take off, imo.
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