I read "Hard to Handle", a book about the Black Crowes written by their drummer. Overall it was a good book, but also a depressing read about dysfunction and petty egos. According to the book, nobody in that band was happy at all, most of the time. Yet the Robinson brothers are touring again, as the Black Crowes with 3 new backing musicians.

It got me thinking about bands with brothers. Most work out, but when it doesn't the problems are deeper than other bands, and the brothers always seem to stick together at the expense of anyone else.

Van Halen - classic example
Oasis - I don't know how these guys got out if the garage.
Kings of Leon - still playing, I think.
Beach Boys - more drama than we have time for.
Greta Van Fleet - 99% of their drama is still in front of them. I think they have twins involved.
Bellamy Brothers - awesome music, but hippie country ain't rock.
Allman Brothers - time was cut way too short
Doobie Brothers - misleading band name.

I know there are many others, but I'm not sure many can match the drama of the Black Crowes.

The Everly Brothers
The Kinks
The Bee Gees
Jackson 5
Isley Brothers
Hanson (snicker)
The Osmonds (double snicker)
Pantera
Stone Temple Pilots
Scorpions (for a bit)
The Stooges (for a bit)
Blue Oyster Cult (for a bit)

I think the Kinks take the prize for the best group and possibly craziest brothers.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kinks-brothers-feud/

I think one of the reasons bands with brothers tend to become dysfunctional is that siblings quite often have an openness to be brutally honest and somewhat savage in their communications with one-another. Where unrelated band members might have disagreements, and often do, they don't necessarily have the freedom to lash out at each other like siblings do. Nor do they know each other as well as siblings do, which allows siblings to know exactly what gets to the other and to ramp up the antagonism so quickly and personally.

As anecdotal evidence, I once sat down to a game of 42 playing against two guys I'd never met before. We were maybe 60 seconds into the game when they started just brutally hurling insults at each other over how the other was playing. It seemed like every domino either of them played was immediately followed by a scathing comment from the other, and it made me really uncomfortable. First and foremost, I thought, "holy **** I'm just here to drink some beer, kill time, and have some fun playing dominoes...and these guys apparently take this game WAY more seriously than I do." Then not long after that I learned that they were brothers, and I saw the entire scene from a completely different perspective and it made complete sense. Not because anything they'd said to each other was somehow ok, but that only siblings can talk to each other like that without it resulting in a bar room brawl.

The best part of having brothers in bands - often the harmonies are stellar from growing up singing together. See Don and Phil Everly, Scott and Seth Avett, The Beach Boys, the Brothers Gibb.

The worst part - the fights. The Davies, the Gallaghers, the Robinsons.

BTW - just googled this. There are tons of sibling acts.

Brothers in Bands

Some of the highlights not mentioned above:
INXS ( I had no idea)
Crowded House
Devo
The Jacksons
The Stooges
CCR (can't believe we missed that one)
Radiohead
The Psychedelic Furs
Right Said Fred (haha)

And many more.

If you can rope sisters into the discussion, there's No Doubt and Heart.

Are siblings OK or just brothers?
No Doubt originally with Gwen and her brother Eric.
White stri(just kidding).

Can we get a 90s twins category? It would consist of 2 acts, twin brothers from Nelson and twin sisters from The Breeders.

Chevelle started with Pete, Sam and Joe Loeffler. Joe has since left and it's just Pete and Sam.
No real drama that I'm aware of.

You know a good one of more recent vintage and I guess not as universally known is the band Dawes. The Goldsmith brothers totally have that brother harmony thing going vocally and are super tight live. Of course their best stuff was before the older brother became better known as Mr. Mandy Moore.

Savatage
Brothers Osborne
The Gatlins

The Happy Wanderers - Josh and Stan Schmenge

Check out the Avett Brothers doc "May It Last" on HBO if you want to see a truly exceptional brother band story. The love and respect those guys have for each other is amazing.

KOL has had their fair share of drama I believe, but nowhere near the drama as the black crowes or oasis. I think Caleb is the common denominator usually.

Great band. Talihina Sky was a decent but not great doc.

Tobias Funke said:

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Check out the Avett Beothers doc "May It Last" on HBO if you want to see a truly exceptional brother band story. The love and respect those guys have for each other is amazing.

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I'm a massive Avett fan. They put on the most high-energy live shows I've ever seen.

Their music is really good. The harmonies are amazing. The energy is off the charts.

Dire Straits are one of my favorite bands. Knopfler brothers had huge falling out.

Does Lynyrd skynyrd count? They just weren't at the same time.

The Jonas Brothers

AgLaw said:

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BTW - just googled this. There are tons of sibling acts.

Brothers in Bands

Some of the highlights not mentioned above:

CCR (can't believe we missed that one)
.

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We didn't.

Yeah, even on his death bed Tom hated John.

Spock's Beard before Neal Morse left.

Yellerjacket said:

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Chevelle started with Pete, Sam and Joe Loeffler. Joe has since left and it's just Pete and Sam.
No real drama that I'm aware of.

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Too many posts before Chevelle was mentioned. Love those guys.

BTO

Muff Winwood was in the Spencer Davis Group w/Steve for awhile.

Would need a whole new thread for R&B Groups.

+1 for Scott and Seth Avett.

I don't think I know any music group where the sibling dynamic is more an integral part of the band's identity. Not sure I've ever seen or known of a pair of brothers as close as those two, in music or otherwise. Granted this is all from the outside looking in, but if they really aren't that tight they sure put on a show of it.

Halestorm

Ok not sure on drama and it's actually brother/sister but hey they rock and it's siblings so I'm counting it

Los Lonely Boys and Vallejo were good texas rock in the 90s early 00s.

Arcade Fire has at least one set of brothers in the band.