Do you know these bands?? What do you think?

[NORTHCOAST]

I'm curious about two bands that I've heard about on various message boards:  Seven Mary Three and Old 97s. Anyone know anything about either band?  Do you like them?  What genre would you categorize them into?

[crash46]

I've only heard a couple Seven Mary Three songs, both from the mid-90's and they're about as post-grunge as anyone you'll ever find.

And Old 97's, all I remember about them is seeing them on a Triple A chart around 1999-2000. Never heard any of their stuff.

[stevie nice]

Old 97's album Fight Songs has 3 good songs on it, "Jagged" "Murder Or A Heart Attack" and "Nineteen" which I guess I would say sound like Gin Blossoms about 7 years too late. But they are good songs.

The only memorable SMT song I guess is "Cumbersome" tho they do have a few other servicable songs.

[Ragin]

Seven Mary Three has two good albums in my opinion, their first one with Cumbersome on it, but their absolute best, and to me, an excellent album is the Economy of Sound. I thought you had heard that one before if memory serves. Unfortunately their followup to Economy of Sound wasn't great. It had a couple of good songs on it, but that was about it. I'd love to tell you they are a great live band, but they just kind of play the songs. They have fairly good energy, but they aren't very engaging in my opinion. There is probably more to this band than I'm telling you, and the reason I say that, is that Cumbersome is really their only hit, yet they put out Rock Crown, and Orange Avenue, both subpar albums, and yet they stick around long enough to do the great but overlooked Economy of Sound. The fact that a label supported them that long suggests they had something going. They are now, however on an Indie label and playing the bar scenes.

I recommend picking up Economy of Sound and then lamenting why they couldn't be that great on all their albums.

[NORTHCOAST]

Ragin said:

Seven Mary Three has two good albums in my opinion, their first one with Cumbersome on it, but their absolute best, and to me, an excellent album is the Economy of Sound.  I thought you had heard that one before if memory serves.  Unfortunately their followup to Economy of Sound wasn't great.  It had a couple of good songs on it, but that was about it.  I'd love to tell you they are a great live band, but they just kind of play the songs.  They have fairly good energy, but they aren't very engaging in my opinion.  There is probably more to this band than I'm telling you, and the reason I say that, is that Cumbersome is really their only hit, yet they put out Rock Crown, and Orange Avenue, both subpar albums, and yet they stick around long enough to do the great but overlooked Economy of Sound.  The fact that a label supported them that long suggests they had something going.  They are now, however on an Indie label and playing the bar scenes.

I recommend picking up Economy of Sound and then lamenting why they couldn't be that great on all their albums.

Wow, you have a good memory!  I think I did a thread about Economy of Sound before too, now that I think of it.  I bought it for like $1.99 at a record store.  I'm listening to it a bit lately.  I like it and wondered why I haven't heard much about the band.  But since you say some of their albums are sub-par, that explains it.  I don't think I know Cumbersome.  I'm gonna have to go over to Amazon to see if there's a clip.  Hey, I was listening the "Wait" and it really reminded me of Collective Soul's sound.  His voice even sounds at times like Ed Roland to me.  

[Ragin]

NORTHCOAST said:

Wow, you have a good memory!  I think I did a thread about Economy of Sound before too, now that I think of it.  I bought it for like $1.99 at a record store.  I'm listening to it a bit lately.  I like it and wondered why I haven't heard much about the band.  But since you say some of their albums are sub-par, that explains it.  I don't think I know Cumbersome.  I'm gonna have to go over to Amazon to see if there's a clip.   Hey, I was listening the "Wait" and it really reminded me of Collective Soul's sound.  His voice even sounds at times like Ed Roland to me.  

There is, at least to me a very vague similarity between Economy of Sound and Collective Soul, which is probably why I like it so well. I wouldn't discourage you from checking out more of SM3's sound you may have a different opinion than me, but if you like Economy of Sound not a lot of their other material sounds like it. It may be worth it to you to check out their new album Dis/Location, it does have a few good songs on it, it just disappointed me after Economy...

[jaxxalude]

Seven Mary Three = Boring, boring, boring and predictable post-grunge made in the mid-90's. They only had a real mainstream hit (a small one at that, I might add) in "Cumbersome". Nickelback and their ilk should be thankful to them, Bush, Silverchair, etc, for opening up the doors to their brand of supermarket rock.

Old 97's = They were one of the first bands to be linked to the alt.country/Americana "movement" that blossomed somewhere in the underground in the mid-90's. And I write movement in brackets because the musical connection between them and acts like Wilco, Ryan Adams, Tarnation, Son Volt, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, etc, is just in the way that all of them are very tied to White American music tradition, while also relying on the country-rock tradition of The Byrds/Gram Parsons/The Band/Grateful Dead ilk (i.e., The Eagles are all but viled by these bands). The Old 97's, though, have quite a bit of cheekiness in them mixed with some pop sensibilities, which is what makes them stand out from the rest and bring them some AAA airplay.

Hope I helped ya. ;)

[Ragin]

jaxxalude said:

Seven Mary Three = Boring, boring, boring and predictable post-grunge made in the mid-90's. They only had a real mainstream hit (a small one at that, I might add) in "Cumbersome". Nickelback and their ilk should be thankful to them, Bush, Silverchair, etc, for opening up the doors to their brand of supermarket rock.

Did you read the above posts? If you did, and you have only heard Cumbersome and/or their first album, you really don't know that much about them, do you?

[irice22]

I like "Cumbersome" a lot! But that's the only song I heard by Seven Mary Three.

[jaxxalude]

Ragin said:

Did you read the above posts?  If you did, and you have only heard Cumbersome and/or their first album, you really don't know that much about them, do you?

I do know more than "Cumbersome". I think their music sounds generic, a lame (and tamed) version of rock music. To each their own, right?

[Ragin]

jaxxalude said:

I do know more than "Cumbersome". I think their music sounds generic, a lame (and tamed) version of rock music. To each their own, right?

That's fine, from your post it just sounded like you were dismissive. I mean if you don't like the band what are the odds that you've heard that much by them? Really?