Criminally underrated bands

Amazotheamazing

Which bands do you just not understand how they never sold more than 15 records? Which bands ended up playing their stadium rock in the local? Which bands had everything needed for success, except the success?

I'm going to go with one international band, San Fran's finest; Love. And from Ireland, a close call between Kerbdog, Frank and Walters, the Hitchers, and Whipping Boy but Whipping Boy win out, record 2 solid class, great records that have probably only sold 12 albums outside of Ireland.

Well people, who are your "great ignored" bands?

Garret

luxembourg

despite every journalist in the UK saying how brilliant they are, they remain unsigned

http://www.myspace.com/luxembourgband

nlgbbbblth

The Grateful Dead.

Sure, they sold lots of records (particularly in the US) but are routinely ignored and written-off over here.

Others
- Felt / Denim / Go Kart Mozart
- XTC

Tomohawk

- (Backwards) Into Paradise (James Eadie's old band)
- The Stars of Heaven (like an Irish REM only with better lyrics)

Felt / Denim as the man says...

Amazotheamazing

I dunno if I consider the Grateful Dead under-rated, they are still pretty popular and American Beauty is often cited as a landmark album.

nlgbbbblth

Tomohawk wrote:

- (Backwards) Into Paradise (James Eadie's old band)
- The Stars of Heaven (like an Irish REM only with better lyrics)

Two good choices.

I remember Into Paradise's Blue Light EP getting single of the week in the NME in June 1989. Dave Fanning played I Want You and Winter a lot that summer.

The second EP Change and the debut album Under The Water were great also. Churchtown, Down All The Days and For No One all had their moments too.

Remember seeing them in McGonagles with Whipping Boy and Candy Apple Red and having an argument on stage.

Stars Of Heaven - Speak Slowly is amazing. I used to study listening to it.

nlgbbbblth

Amazotheamazing wrote:

I dunno if I consider the Grateful Dead under-rated, they are still pretty popular and American Beauty is often cited as a landmark album.

They're not popular in Ireland, never were. Look at The Grateful Dead section in a record shop and there's very little. American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are excellent albums but there's a lot more to them than just those immediate classics.

A lot of people find their live work far superior to the studio LPs. The live records [esp Dick's Picks series, 1969, 1971 and 1972 tours] are all excellent but the studio albums as collected on The Golden Road and Beyond Description box sets are very rewarding listens.

blu_sonic

Sack

Badly Drunk Boy

Stump

"Charlton Heston put his vest on..."

eoinf

nlgbbbblth wrote:

They're not popular in Ireland, never were. Look at The Grateful Dead section in a record shop and there's very little.

was in tower the other day and they only had 4 beatles albums. im sure no one is gonna try and tell me that they are underrated.

the dead are still hugely popular in the us . i was at a sold out gig of theirs in San diego in 2004 . from what little of it i can remember they were rockin.

Karl Hungus

Arcturus

They're quite possibly one of the most radically different, intelligent and original bands there are, but aside from a fairly underground following, they remain mostly unheard of.

Although in a world where a Crazy Frog 'song' would get so high in the charts, intelligent music isn't exactly going to be doing that well.

Boo-yah

I don't think Eels get the as much kudos as they deserve.

sweetie

Spoon and to a lesser extent Wilco

John

****, everything good is criminally underrated. Think about it, apart from a handful of acts, no decent artist is getting the coverage and respect they deserve.

Lunar Junkie

My choices:
The Durutti Column... kind of the forgotten band from that whole early 80s Manchester scene that produced Joy Division, The Smiths etc. Excellent dreamlike guitar soundscapes and a foreshadowing of the whole 'post rock' thing over a decade before it became popular.

Also:
The Chameleons - dark reverby rock, great tunes. Another early 1980s U.K. act.. fans of Interpol might be really into this.

Karl Hungus

John2 wrote:

****, everything good is criminally underrated. Think about it, apart from a handful of acts, no decent artist is getting the coverage and respect they deserve.

I concur with that sentiment. Look at Ulver aswell, practically unheard of.

lordgoat

Wilco definetely in this country, although you do find the odd person with great taste...

smackbunnybaby

jellyfish

Spicy Lauren

Dead Can Dance

Tomohawk

The Catchers - "Mute" was released by Setanta records in 1995, another underrated Irish band lost to the pages of history...

The Triffids

Pale Saints

Jack Frost (one of the main guys from The Church and the singer from The Go-betweens, it doesn't get much better than that in terms of aussie alternative supergroups)

Air Miami

Age of Chance - brilliant late 1980s UK sample-based white hip-hop I suppose...

Also have to agree with Sack, and especially The Durutti Column! Check out "The Guitar and other Machines" as good intro to Vini Reilly and The Durutti Column.

Garret

Hope Of The States

anyone who has heard The Lost Riots knows that no argument is needed to support this statement

nlgbbbblth

Tomohawk wrote:

Pale Saints

Great band - especially The Comforts of Madness and In Ribbons LPs. The 12"s were ace too. Their support slot to the Pixies in the National Stadium was deadly. They opened with Two Sick Sisters.

Tomohawk wrote:

Age of Chance - brilliant late 1980s UK sample-based white hip-hop I suppose...

Cool cover of Prince's Kiss!

Tomohawk wrote:

The Durutti Column! Check out "The Guitar and other Machines" as good intro to Vini Reilly and The Durutti Column.

Thirded.
Remember hearing about them around the time Viva Hate was released so decided to take a chance and bought their album entitled LC in Virgin, Aston Quay. Was blown away by The Missing Boy.

So many good albums: Return Of The Durutti Column, Without Mercy, Another Setting, Vini Reilly, Obey The Time, Amigos Em Portugal, Someone Else's Party.

The new one, Keep Breathing is fantastic too.

My favourite band are The Fall and have been since 1985. I find it really annoying when I get talking to people who ask me 'What's your favourite band?'. And then responding 'Never heard of them' when I say The Fall.

Losers.

funktastic

Ride - 'Nowhere', 'Going Blank Again' early EP's
AR Kane - '69', 'i'

John

nlgbbbblth wrote:

My favourite band are The Fall and have been since 1985. I find it really annoying when I get talking to people who ask me 'What's your favourite band?'. And then responding 'Never heard of them' when I say The Fall.

Losers.

The Fall, they're a hair metal band right?

I've started working on filling up my Fall collection as I only had Grotesque for a long time. Got the newest one and Live at the Witch Trials. Plan on getting the complete Peel Sessions next.

dimerocks

Garret wrote:

Hope Of The States

anyone who has heard The Lost Riots knows that no argument is needed to support this statement

agreed,
you should check this website out www.thehalfwayhome.com
The band donated the b-sides and demos to the site to download. Pretty cool.

nlgbbbblth

John2 wrote:

The Fall, they're a hair metal band right?

I've started working on filling up my Fall collection as I only had Grotesque for a long time. Got the newest one and Live at the Witch Trials. Plan on getting the complete Peel Sessions next.

Make sure you get the Sanctuary reissues of The Fall's albums. So far they have done

Live At The Witch Trials, Dragnet, Totale's Turns, Grotesque, Slates, Live In London, A Part Of America Therein, Hex Enduction Hour, In A Hole, Room To Live, Perverted By Language, The Infotainment Scan, Middle Class Revolt, Cerebral Caustic.

Sound has been remastered and there's good sleeve notes and bonus tracks.

The Peel Sessions box is amazing. Just £17.99 on amazon.co.uk now which is very cheap.

ruaneg

hmm tough some good ones mentioned..
always felt the Super Furry Animals deserved more acclaim..

Other bands that went under the radar; Shack, Witness, the English Beat

youcancallmeal

Garret wrote:

Hope Of The States

anyone who has heard The Lost Riots knows that no argument is needed to support this statement

So true!
Its rarely I can keep coming back to an album again and again. I think they have split up now though unfortunately, one of the band members committed suicide shortly after their album was released.

nlgbbbblth

funktastic wrote:

Ride - 'Nowhere', 'Going Blank Again' early EP's
AR Kane - '69', 'i'

69 is a fine album. Must give it a listen tomorrow.

The Ride box from a couple of years ago is cool. Best Of, Previously unreleased CD and a Reading 1992 gig [sadly missing two tracks]

Garret

youcancallme>al wrote:

So true!
Its rarely I can keep coming back to an album again and again. I think they have split up now though unfortunately, one of the band members committed suicide shortly after their album was released.

Jimi hung himself just before the album was released.

Good news though, their Blood Meridean EP was released on limited edition vinyl last week to be followed by the full-length album, Left, in early June

The new stuff is supposed to be excellent

Rubberbandits

From Ireland: Woodstar (amazing). From Brazil: Os Mutantes and from America: Smog, Randy Newman, wilco, Grandaddy and sparklehorse.

Rumour has it that Tom Waits is a nobody in the states, a disgrace if so.

Screaming Trees, Dust is possibly the best album from the whole seattle scene
Headswim
Monster Magnet
I reckon the Super Furry Animals deserve to be way bigger than they are....
Teamsleep

I agree with Lunar Junkie on the Durutti Column, dont know that much of their stuff, but well impressed, definatly very influential

twilight_singer

Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers, The Replacements, Ramones
From Ireland always thought Lir deserved more success....

dalk

From the bands that have been mentioned this thread should really be called - Criminal That They Are Not More Popular

Most of the bands mentioned are highly rated/critically acclaimed...

youcancallmeal

Garret wrote:

Good news though, their Blood Meridean EP was released on limited edition vinyl last week to be followed by the full-length album, Left, in early June

The new stuff is supposed to be excellent

Nice one, thats great news

zeptar

just have to put my vote in for kerbdog. they were great. the whole reforming thing was wierd considering they didn't write any new songs or have any intention of doing anything after those gigs. but i'm glad i got to see them a few times all the same.

funktastic

Galaxie 500 - 'This is Our Music', 'On Fire' and the recently released 'Peel Sessions'.

Sgt. Politeness

funktastic wrote:

Galaxie 500 - 'This is Our Music', 'On Fire' and the recently released 'Peel Sessions'.

Defintiely. 'When will you come home' is still one of my favourite songs, absolutely brilliant band.

Garret

twilight_singer wrote:

Ramones

the ramones aren't under-rated. Their influence on the UK punk scene and NY New Wave scene is recognized

remember just because a band doesn't get #1 albums doesnt meen they are under-rated

meditraitor

Pavement,
"Crooked rain,crooked rain" and "slanted and enchanted" were amazing..

dohboy

Following on from Galaxie 500, dean wareham's next band Luna, also released some brilliant records that no one listened to. split up now after inumerable years as critic's darlings but never crossing over.

nlgbbbblth

dohboy wrote:

Following on from Galaxie 500, dean wareham's next band Luna, also released some brilliant records that no one listened to. split up now after inumerable years as critic's darlings but never crossing over.

Really loved Galaxie 500. Caught them live in London in 1989 and 1990.

Only Luna record I own is the Hedgehog 7". What albums are worth getting?

dohboy

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Really loved Galaxie 500. Caught them live in London in 1989 and 1990.

Only Luna record I own is the Hedgehog 7". What albums are worth getting?

Bewitched from 1994 is probably thier best - dreamy, shimmering, VU-inspired, guitar pop. Sterling Morrison guests. one of my favourite records of the nineties, no doubt. after that go for pup tent, then romantica.

Trufax: Much of Galaxie 500's recordings were done using talk show host Conan O Brien's drum kit. He roomed with Damon from the band at college.

Boo-yah

meditraitor wrote:

Pavement,
"Crooked rain,crooked rain" and "slanted and enchanted" were amazing..

Their whole back catalogue is great. I'd choose Wowee Zowee over Slanted And Enchanted though.

twilight_singer

Garret wrote:

the ramones aren't under-rated. Their influence on the UK punk scene and NY New Wave scene is recognized

remember just because a band doesn't get #1 albums doesnt meen they are under-rated

Maybe not under-rated, but they split due to lack of recognition in the states, where they mainly played club venues...

Hippo

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Stars Of Heaven - Speak Slowly is amazing. I used to study listening to it.

Thanks for the compliment, though we always had pretty mixed feelings about it, which is probably partly why it wasn't a commercial success.
Underrated bands: Eels, the Replacements and Microdisney.

DerekD Goldfish

Rumour has it that Tom Waits is a nobody in the states, a disgrace if so.

he was on celebrity deathmatch how much more famous can you get??

i agree with a number of those already mentioned and would also add
McLusky
Life Without Buildings
Cabaret Voltaire
Kitchens of Distinction
The Last Post
Fatima Mansions
Teenage Fanclub

Nay Connor

Though old and depressing at times, I still think Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots never received the credit they truly deserved.
And now AIC are "reforming" and Weiland's...well, the less said of Velvet Revolver, the better.

blastman

Northern Uproar - Great guitar-driven music from the mid-nineties. As I've raved elsewhere, their first album is a stormer but the second disappeared and so did they soon afterwards.

Marillion - The best-kept secret in the music business. If their last album had the name Radiohead on the cover, no-one would have batted an eye and it would have sold shedloads.

Jellyfish - Utterly infectious cross between the Beatles, Queen and the Beach Boys. A real pop group.

nlgbbbblth

blastman wrote:

Marillion - The best-kept secret in the music business. If their last album had the name Radiohead on the cover, no-one would have batted an eye and it would have sold shedloads.

Agree with you there.

So many people judge Marillion on Kayleigh and Lavender and ignore everything that has gone before and after. They must have done ten albums with Steve Hogarth? Not heard all of them but what I know has been excellent.

funktastic

Kitchens of Distinction definitely. That band are never written about in the music press. Capsule is a great compilation. The intro to Sand On Fire is unreal.
I've given up buying Uncut, Mojo etc as it's just a routine of the same old articles/covers on Led Zeppelin/Smiths/u2/dylan/lennon, people must be getting tired of it at this stage and you can get all the information you need on the internet anyway.