For example, a band like Joy Division. Two masterpiece albums in the form of Unknown Pleasures and Closer, and the untimely death of Ian Curtis cut it all short. They were even heading into the direction that New Order eventually went in, and it would have been interesting to see what Ian Curtis would have done if they fully made the leap into electronic music while he was still alive.
I always liked the band Jellyfish.
I just took a gander over to Wikipedia to learn why they broke up. It was there where I read one of the best break up write ups ever:
“During the tour for Spilt Milk, Sturmer and Manning grew increasingly distant as friends. On their return home, the two songwriters independently wrote material for a third album, provisionally titled Nausea Trois. By then, they were drifting apart musically. Manning remembered that, prior, they would bond over albums such as Paul McCartney’s Ram or the Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle; however, “it was clear that none of that was happening anymore.” He said that he was “rediscovering my love of […] high-energy, fun melodic pop with attitude. And Andy was Leonard Cohen. That was it.” When Sturmer presented him a country ballad song, he accordingly “left in tears because I had zero interest in recording it.” Sturmer felt that Manning had outgrown the partnership, and for his part, was fearful that Manning’s new songs would likely inspire journalists to persistently compare the band to Alice Cooper.”
Really paints a picture!
They were a good band while it lasted.
Also…In 2004 or 2005, Coachella organizers invited Manning to reunite Jellyfish for a one-off performance at the festival. Manning advised the organizers to consult Sturmer first. Sturmer, through his lawyer, responded he would not accept the offer regardless of any amount of money involved.
Woah!!
Frightened Rabbit. Good body of work still but would have loved to see them keep going. Their music really hit close to home. Plus I only learned of them several months after Scott Hutchison’s suicide. What could’ve been.
+1 - I recently re-listened to all of his albums while creating karaoke versions of them all (here in case of interest: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjPVqMYwkaP4zaPCEhTfkTyRspxoOyjfY ) and it made me sad to think how much of Scott’s reality was actually coming through in his lyrics.
Power Trip. I don’t even know what happened to the guy but I’ll respect the family’s privacy.
Apparently it was Fentanyl
Power Trip :( Fuck fentanyl, man. PT so perfectly encompassed 80s thrash metal and were absolutely electric live. Lucky to have a few amazing albums from them, but I’m sad we’ll never get more.
Mad Season
Acid Bath. Their bassist died in a car accident after they released two of the best, most unique metal albums of all time imo. I still listen to them regularly. Sammy went on to do Goatwhore. The vocalist had other projects I wasn’t fond of. But still one of the best bands of all time for me.
Sugarcult.
They never got the same amount of recognition as other SoCal pop punk acts from the same era. Likely because Start Static was a phenomenal debut album, but the next (and last) two they followed it up with were kinda shit. Memory and Dead Living were the only two good songs that came out of Palm Trees And Power Lines and Lights Out respectively - and it’s no surprise they fell off the face of the planet.
Would love to see them record a new album.
I would’ve also said The Higher but they got back together recently and put out this banger.
Blind Melon
Shannon Hoon went out way too soon.
Can we include Trevor Moore in this discussion?
2 albums of music in addition to the wkuk (which had songs as well)
Story of out times
High in church
Mother Love Bone: broke up before they’d released their first album. RIP, Andrew.
Also, School of Seven Bells (RIP, Ben)
Slint. They broke up before dropping one of the greatest, most influential albums of all time.
I haven’t heard Slint, but I have caught the reference to Slint in a couple Pinback songs.
Listen to Spiderland and remember that it was recorded by college kids in the 1980’s.
Came here to say this, if I had a time machine I’d just go back and catch a Slint live show.
I don’t have any bands that just… Disappeared after releasing a banger or two, but I do lament how Kings of Leon drastically changed after their first album.
Loved the way the singer sounded on that first album. But the subsequent releases sounded like a totally different singer and band and musical style, and I don’t like them beyond their first album.
No wait… I do know of a couple bands that disappeared way too soon. Fastball, who was deemed “too ugly for music videos” when MTV was at its height making it difficult for them to go anywhere, and Blind Melon, whose frontman died at a young age and kinda destroyed the band.
The death of Mark Sandman (such a great name) on stage, 24 years ago, brought an end to Morphine. No other band can match the imagery and atmosphere of Noir as well as they could. You could also feel the evolution of their sound from their last album The Night.
Whoever performed the theme song for Sealab 2021.
That was Calamine.
These days lead performer Julie Stepanek teaches ukulele in Massachusetts.
Traveling Wilburys. I know a supergroup of old guys is kind of cheating as an answer to your question. But it’s a shame they weren’t able to record more.
They never did release volume 2, only volumes 1 and 3. So sad.
