When Blur's Damon Albarn revealed that he and Oasis's Noel Gallagher had been talking about possibly recording together, we here at Music Times didn't quite believe it was true. The two are notorious rivals, so working with one another seems like the last thing either one of them would want to do. This got me thinking about other artists who would never collaborate, but would probably make great work together if they did.
1. Morrissey & Robert Smith
The feud between Morrissey and the Cure singer Robert Smith is the stuff of legend. Smith was once quoted as saying "Morrissey's so depressing...if he doesn't kill himself soon, I probably will." Despite their bickering, the two would probably make quite an interesting album together. Morrissey's a better lyricist than Smith, and Smith writes more interesting music than Morrissey's band (his solo band, of course, not the Smiths), so they'd make a great songwriting team.
2. Flying Lotus & Beach House
Back when Beach House's fourth LP Bloom was released, Flying Lotus went on Twitter to say "feels like I heard this album before a million times already." If that's how he really feels, maybe he should team up with them and add some of his trip-hop vibes to their hazy pop songs.
3. Stephen Malkmus & Billy Corgan
After Stephen Malkmus (jokingly) dissed the Smashing Pumpkins in the Pavement classic "Range Life," Billy Corgan reacted by getting Pavement thrown off of Lollapalooza that year. Though the two seem like completely opposite personalities, (Malkmus pretty much created "slacker rock" while Corgan is a perfectionist control freak), they both have a love for psychedelic guitar rock, and Malkmus could add some much needed levity to Corgan's music. Sixteen years after their feud began, however, Corgan still hadn't forgiven Malkmus, so their future doesn't look good.
4. Ted Leo & Robert Pollard
Both Ted Leo and Guided By Voices' frontman Robert Pollard are excellent power-pop songwriters, but they'll probably never join forces due to a brawl that took place at a GBV show. Though the details of the incident are disputed, Leo and Pollard fought after the show, when Leo's band The Pharmacists played for too long, resulting in GBV (the headliners) cutting their set short. Leo has since apologized for the incident, but Pollard seems like a man who's far too busy to bother collaborating with someone who punched him in the face.
5. The Flaming Lips & Arcade Fire
The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne has, on multiple occasions, expressed his distaste for Arcade Fire, so they definitely won't be spending any time together in the studio. This is unfortunate, because Arcade Fire's grandeur within the context of Flaming Lips songs could result in another album as triumphant as Funeral or as heavenly as The Soft Bulletin.
6. Steve Albini & Odd Future
Steve Albini is absolutely no stranger to dissing other artists, even artists he's worked with in the studio, so it's no surprise that he had a few words to say about the notoriously bratty Odd Future crew after he encountered them in Barcelona. If Albini did choose to work with them, however, his abrasive music and production would fit in perfectly with the rap outfit's abrasive nature.
