Criminally underrated bands

Dudess

Just thought of a band who released some really great tunes but, sadly, didn't get very far - Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Despite the "hilarious" and wacky name, they were a genuinely great band. The singles Kill Your Television and Happy were fantastic!

roundcrisis

how about
Cranes,
I do like Lush, i haven't hear it in a good while now, so my memory can be better than reality
The swans ( particularly White light from the mouth of infinity, incredible opening track)

Calexico, all of their albums

Richard Hawley - you can listen to any of his albums no matter what age you are

Woodstar is the best Irish band I heard after My Bloody Valentine ("...is the last sad verse of a dumb punk song....I feel like...")
and I love Nowhere from Ride the other albums are not even close to this one.

I think Howl is the best album from BRMC, i like the first one a lot, and the second is also pretty cool.
Arab Strap, i don't know anyone in Ireland who listen to them and they are really good, if you like edgy lyrics
the Czars, the ugly people vs the beautiful people
....

Cocteau Twins

the solo album by Beth Gibbons

I m sure I m forgetting stuff.
I don't think Sonic Youth is underrated at all, i just think people don't listen to it properly, most people i know that heard sonic youth approaches the band thinking, they will make noise, that's not a good idea.

Thindersticks are really good. i love curtains and simple pleasures, which by soem weird reason i link with Magnetic Fields, 69 love songs was just such a great album, sometimes hard to stomach, but nevertheless great.

oh yeah, a really underrated band, Mojave 3, this is Rachel goswel and Neil Halstead, the same guys from slowdive those three albums are just great. so many great songs....

and a bit newer, Mike Ladd, that 2004 record is really cool.

Dudess

Yeah, Cranes were class. Not sure if Nowhere would be my fave album by Ride. Going Blank Again is equally good, but very different I suppose.
Tbh, I thought Slowdive sucked arse, but Mojave 3 seem good. Must investigate them further.
I think the Cocteaus have received a fair amount of (deserved) recognition and they certainly lasted the pace (they formed in '83). Although maybe not enough recognition though.
Calexico are wicked!

Karlusss

Sunset Rubdown

Maccattack

The bulk of my record collection would fall into this catagory but my two favourite bands are shoe ins for the award of most criminally ignored acts in the world

The Go-Betweens - finally getting some recognition

and a band whos image is somewhat tainted by their one hit outside of Austrlalia. When people ask 'who's you favourite band?' and i answer. I usually get bemused looks til i say you might know the song 'Beds are burning..' Then they go 'oh yeah...one hit wonders'.

The sad thing is thatsong is probably a low point for what i consider to be the greatest band there ever was and ever will be. Bar none.

Midnight Oil

Giblet

BRMC's Howl is a great album, I didn't like the first one much beyond one or two songs. The more folky/bluesy (even a bit of gospel!) aspects of the new songs is pretty fresh sounding for a band who were a bit samey and boring before this album came out. Ain't no easy way is a stand out song, produced really well too for a relatively simple song and his voice suits it perfectly. I'd say a lot of their fans might have been turned off but that's probably because the more focused theme of the album.

Lets see, I don't hear much about Explosions in the Sky beyond messageboards/mates and some of their albums are really well done. Really "airy" expansive sounding production and the songs come together to make something well beyond their musical ability. A lot of imagination went behind some of their songs although that would be on specific albums. I don't listen to much instrumental stuff so it's a testament to the songs that I can actually listen to them The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place is a good album, The Rescue is ok too. Other bands like The Six Parts Seven do similar stuff. The Mercury Program aswell, although they are a bit tighter with their production and are probably better musicians but can't hold your interest that well across an album. Worth a listen.

I liked some Kitchens of Distinction stuff although I haven't had much time to listen to it. Some of the guitar lines are interesting.


Pandora is where it's at

Dudess

Maccattack wrote:

The Go-Betweens - finally getting some recognition

Amazing band. Grant McLennan RIP. 48 years of age. Too early.

Bixmoo

Richard Hawley - you can listen to any of his albums no matter what age you are

hear, hear! how can this man not be selling millions of records.

Eels, The Hidden Cameras, Ben Kweller, Nada Surf and Stereolab

Dudess

Bixmoo wrote:

Stereolab

Fantastic band.

Bixmoo

I love Stereolab so much. The most fascinating back catalogue and the best album titles ever. That music is like nothing else.

loyatemu

Bixmoo wrote:

I love Stereolab so much. The most fascinating back catalogue and the best album titles ever. That music is like nothing else.

well, it's very like itself - i like Stereolab but you probably don't need more than one of their albums (Emperor Tomato Ketchup probably)

milod

The Beta Band
King Biscuit Time (Mason's beta band offshoot - new album out now!)
Aqualung
Death in Vegas
Ron Sexsmith
Giant Sand (Howe Gelb)
Fonda 500
Caribou (formerly Manitoba)
Four Tet
Golden Horde (Simon Carmody et al - best ever Irish band!)
King Creosote
Magnetic Fields
Elbow - should be bigger than Doves/Coldplay/Keane
The Cooper Temple Clause
The Mars Volta
The Von Bondies

I'll second the Grandaddy recommendation too - sad to see them go, but the final album is a fitting adieu...

nlgbbbblth

roundcrisis wrote:

how about
Cranes,

Wings Of Joy is a good album. Plus their EP Collection.

roundcrisis wrote:

Arab Strap, i don't know anyone in Ireland who listen to them and they are really good, if you like edgy lyrics

First heard them when John Peel was caning The First Big Weekend in 1996. Managed to get the 7" and was hooked.
They're playing here again later this month. Saw them in the Mean Fiddler in 1998 touring their second LP Philophobia. 2005's The Last Romance was a return to form and a lot better than the three albums [Elephant Shoe, The Red Thread, Monday At The Hug And Pint] that came before it.

roundcrisis wrote:

oh yeah, a really underrated band, Mojave 3, this is Rachel goswel and Neil Halstead, the same guys from slowdive those three albums are just great. so many great songs....

Great band. Album #4 Spoon And Rafter is excellent. Their new album Puzzles For You is due on 19 June.

Monster Movie are worth checking too. Christian Savill (ex-Slowdive) is in them. Debut album Last Night Something Happened is gorgeous. They have two more since then but I haven't got them.

DerekD Goldfish

They're playing here again later this month.

when and where are Arab Strap playing?

John

DerekD Goldfish wrote:

when and where are Arab Strap playing?

16th June, TBMC apparently

iFight

milod wrote:

Elbow - should be bigger than Doves/Coldplay/Keane

True, i got a few tracks off of Leaders of The Free World on their Myspace, havent seen their album in the shops though, love their sound. Although I don't rate them as much as Coldplay--based on the three tracks I have heard

karen_jewels

the go betweens, what a great band!
i really like their albums, I was so sad to hear Grant McLennan died. I was listening to the radio, dave faning was on, he said something, i couldnt believe it, they must be devastated.
Oceans apart is impressive, i m sure they could have done some more records.

MrJones

grandaddy defintely underrated. and they are splitting up now as well.
tom waits has a big underground following in the states and here in europe id say.

Rubberbandits wrote:

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.

lucernarian

Luscious Jackson anyone? Fever In Fever Out has some great tunes: Naked Eye, Under My Skin and Electric are my favourites off it.

milod

iFight wrote:

True, i got a few tracks off of Leaders of The Free World on their Myspace, havent seen their album in the shops though, love their sound. Although I don't rate them as much as Coldplay--based on the three tracks I have heard

Try the 2nd album 'Cast of Thousands' - what I like about them is the strong lyrical qualites in most of their songs (some of it reads like poetry...) along with unusual or complex arrangements.

Was it Tony Wilson of Factory records fame who said that Coldplay/Keane etc was "music for bedwetters" ?

Hippo

milod wrote:

Was it Tony Wilson of Factory records fame who said that Coldplay/Keane etc was "music for bedwetters" ?

Noel Gallagher I think

Tomohawk

Pretty sure it was Alan McGee of Creation records describing Coldplay

Hippo

I stand corrected, you're right.

boomshackala

For some very strange reason no-one has mentioned 'the Feelies' - THE underrated band of the century

delta_bravo

placebo

bottlerocket

Pony Club.

Not exactly reinventing the wheel but great lyrics and good tunes. Don't understand why they don't get airplay here, they're much better than any of those singer-songwriter whelans regulars.

Punchbowl

Agreed about Pony Club.. They have the bass player from A House too so it's all good. Check em out http://www.myspace.com/ponyclub

Anyway what about the Prayer Boat too?