10 Most Creative Rock Bands Of The 2010s
6. Diablo Swing Orchestra
Even before you hear what this Swedish octet can do, you know how imaginative they are. Aside from their awesome name, the titles and cover art of their two albums from the previous decade—Pandora's Piñata (2012) and Pacifisticuffs (2017)—clearly built upon the intricate zaniness of predecessors The Butcher’s Ballroom (2006) and Sing Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious (2009).
Thankfully, their music did as well, further developing the diabolically orchestral swing of their moniker on gloriously playful and operatic compositions like Voodoo Mon Amour and Knucklehugs (Arm Yourself with Love). Elsewhere, they tap into symphonic ballads (Kevlar Sweethearts, Exit Strategy of a Wrecking Ball), aggressive yet poppy and danceable odes (Lady Clandestine Chainbreaker), and masterful dirges that fuse virtually all of those traits with a bit of electronic manipulation (Justice for Saint Mary).
Outside of their virtuosic and sundry musicianship, the key to their brilliance is their revolving door of charmingly idiosyncratic male and female singers. While some appear across both collections, others are one-off appearances, so each sequence has its own vocal palette.
Of course, their music videos run the gamut from tastefully tongue-in-check simplicity (Black Box Messiah) to psychedelic fever dreams (Superhero Jagganath) and beyond.