Underrated bands/singers

[Badly Drawn Girl]

The other day I was thinking about all the bands that I listen to, and that some never attained the popularity that I feel they deserve(d). So I thought I'd start a new thread. Underrated bands can be bands few people have heard of, bands that maybe only put an album or two and broke up before they became famous, or they can be bands that are well known but perhaps aren't given the credit you feel they deserve. (Solo artists are also eligible)

For example, one of my underrated bands would be Crowded House. They were popular for awhile, many people have heard of them, but I feel that they didn't get the critical accolades they deserved.

Other underrated bands/performers:

Blinker the Star
Failure
The Allies (local Seattle band that had one song played on MTV for a short time)
Blue Scholars (Seattle hip-hop group)
Built to Spill
Fiona Apple

[newjerseysfinest]

City and Colour

old The Agony Scene.... from the Darkest Red album....

i think Papoose is the most underrated rapper from New York...

and I'm not in tune with high school emo kids, but i always figured Scary Kids Scaring Kids would be a lot bigger than they are. maybe they are but I'm just not in tune with those kinda people anymore/

[longduckdong]

Ironic as it is, because they were hugely influential, but I STRONGLY believe that Joe STrummer is/was VERY VERY VERY underrated.

Also, if anyone is familiar with the large psychobilly scene going on these days in Los Angeles and ELA, that has a lot to do with Mike Ness.

And I can't forget ANVIL.

Brian Wilson is underrated these days. it may seem silly because he has sold millions upon millions of records, BUT, the large hip/hop/pop audiences out there have absolutely no idea how important he was to modern music.

Elvis Costello is also underrated, along with Neil Young.

1. Joe Strummer (The Clash)
2. Elvis Costello
3. Joe Strummer
4. Brian Wilson (In today's music) same with Uncle Neil

[StackBundles]

Underrated bands??

The Number 12 Looks Like You
Saosin/Circa Survive
Glass Jaw/Head Automatica
Folly
The Blood Brothers
TheJonBenet
Black Eyes
Death From Above 1979
RaceBannon
Mortal Treason
Fall of Troy
Hip-Hop M.C.'s

Gore-Tex
Cage
R.A. The Rugged Man
Yak Ballz
Sage Francis
Aesop Rock
Ill Bill
The Cool Kidz
Cadence Weapon
Jedi Mind Tricks
Prodigy/Mobb Deep

I could go on and on. This is just more recent music that's been slept on.

Female singers/bands...???

Hope Sandoval/Mazzy Star
Otep
iwrestledabearonce
Walls of Jericho

[PrisonHer]

Thamusemeant
The Slip
Surprise me mr.davis
Libby Kirkpatrick
Goshen
Hundred Year Flood

actually any of the musicians from frogville records. Best Indy Folk Rock in america!!

[Uncle Wiggly]

Robyn Hitchcock and any of the bands he's been in: The Soft Boys, The Egyptians and as a solo artist. If any of you get the Sundance channel, and are remotely interested, there's a documentary titled "Robyn". Good stuff.

Roy Clark: One of the best multi-instrumentalists I've seen. Hell of a good guitarist.
Glen Campbell: Another great guitarist.

I'll have to look through the collection to find more. It's been a bad month. (past thirty days)

[Oakleyskier]

everything NJF said because that was me, but i would also like to add

Mad Season.... from what i understand alice and chains and Pearl Jam made a baby and Voila... (might be wrong but I'm pretty sure thats the troof)

[InfectedMushroom]

I absolutely love Glassjaw/Head Automatica. SKSK are very talented and I don't care if people call me an emo bitch for listening to them lol.

Innerpartysystem is finally getting some credit, and I can't wait to see them again in a couple weks, and again in July. They have THE BEST live show, if you are in a dark place because the effects they use are out of this world.

[Oakleyskier]

yeah I'm getting a SKSK tat, same with as i lay dying and City and Colour.... but there music inspired tats, you wouldnt kno it was music tats unless you were super in tune with the band and ablum art....


but underrated is Chris Batten and The Woods.

[OxyBlowBall2]

yes! GLASSJAW! that was probably the best show ever went to when they played in worcester a few years back. i got my favorite hoodie at that show!

[RxQueen]

i can think of lots and lots of these... here's a few that pop instantly to mind:

jerry joseph (& any of his bands over the years)
chris whitley (RIP)
ryan adams
townes van zandt (RIP)
eric mcfadden (and any of his bands)

and i gotta agree w/ UW about robyn hitchcock, and w/ LDD on elvis costello and joe strummer. there's tons more, but this was all i could come up with quick-like, off the top of my head.

[HydroApe]

I think it's a crime that the Kinks are not mentioned in the same breath as
The Beatles, Stones, and the Who.

Their output was more consistent and staggeringly original.
Ray Davies is a songwriter on par with the best.

I also agree strongly with Elvis Costello.

[longduckdong]

I think it's a crime that the Kinks are not mentioned in the same breath as
The Beatles, Stones, and the Who.

Their output was more consistent and staggeringly original.
Ray Davies is a songwriter on par with the best.

I also agree strongly with Elvis Costello.

The Kinks were definately a band that needs to be mentioned as grand fathers too. Great call.

[longduckdong]

I'm gonna go with a genere of underrated music. GFunk.
Im not a big rap fan, except for that gangsta shit that comes outta the west coast, cuz to me it's real, and political, and means something.
And "Summertime in the LBC" is probably one of the most underrated "hiphop" type songs out there. f

Im not a dancer or anything. But you really cant get a grove on to NY rap and especially the shit from the south. Juveinille, and stuff like that is straight GARBAGE. But shit from the WC gets a nice little grove head bob going on like no other.

I will mention though, some underrated groups from out of CA that I like:
Bone for sure. Getoboyz and Scarface. Outkast
AND CAN"T FORGET THE OG
Naughty by Nature.

[longduckdong]

Im pissed at myself for not thinking of this right AWAY!!!

Violent Femmes. VERY UNDERRATED BAND!

[HydroApe]

OK, I know we're congratulating each other and all,
but yes on the Violent Femmes.
The other forum's discussion on Curt Cobain can easily relate to Gordon Gano.
His writing was raw. The lyrics sometimes meaningless but the music powerful with great riffs for an acoustic power trio. Garage Grunge Folk if you will.
They faded though .....and later albums were very sporadic & even poor.
But that first self titled album was Ground Breaking. It's unfortunate that they kind of ended up as the preppy "punk" band it was ok to like by the frat dicks and sorority bitches.

Hallowed Ground had some pretty interesting stuff on it too.
Gano was kind of hard to peg . . . . You were never really sure what to make of the religious overtones in a lot of his songs.

[faster36]

Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes is one for me. Guy puts on one hell of a live show and their work goes far deeper then hard to handle .:)

[nycjrt]

velvet underground- get a lot of credit, but not enough
bad brains.
happy mondays, stone roses, the farm - maybe not great bands, but some great, innovative music-

[ryan]

glassjaw were amazing..i really wish they would tour again
but their new album should be out soon (not sure if it's out yet on torrents or any of the tracks have been leaked)
HA not so much imho..didn't like them too much, but daryl is still an amazing singer.

sublime i think is underrated just cause mass media only picked up TWO of their songs...
and most people if you ask them they haven't heard anything other than what i got or santeria..yet still say they like sublime, but whatever.

[StackBundles]

I will mention though, some underrated groups from out of CA that I like:
Bone for sure. Getoboyz and Scarface. Outkast
AND CAN"T FORGET THE OG
Naughty by Nature.

LDD...I give you +1 on the "G-Funk" proppers. If you give G-Funk props though, you gotta recognize Rick James, George Clinton, Parliament, Ohio Players, Earth, Wind , and Fire, Curtis Mayfield, and Bootsy Collins, amongst others.

Not trying to argue but I gotta' point out that...

Geto Boys = Houston
Scarface = Houston
Bone = Cleveland
Outkast = Atlanta
Naughty By Nature = East Orange. Dirty Jersey

None of them dudes/groups is from Cali at all.

[Badly Drawn Girl]

ryan adams

Good one! I should have listed him as well. I've seen him live a couple of times and was duly impressed. He's a bit of a loose cannon but I appreciate that in an artist. There is nothing worse than paying money to hear a virtual replay of an artist's cd(s). In other words, you could have just stayed home and put on some earphones. I would also add Wilco to my list. They are so great live.

Im pissed at myself for not thinking of this right AWAY!!!

Violent Femmes. VERY UNDERRATED BAND!

The Violent Femmes represent my middle school years. They were very popular at my school (all girl's catholic) no doubt because they had "dirty" lyrics. I actually still wear a Violent Femmes t-shirt.

[longduckdong]

Not trying to argue but I gotta' point out that...

Geto Boys = Houston
Scarface = Houston
Bone = Cleveland
Outkast = Atlanta
Naughty By Nature = East Orange. Dirty Jersey

None of them dudes/groups is from Cali at all.

Of course. I wasnt clear. When I wrote "out of Cali", I meant guys who came from OUTSIDE of Cali.... My bad, I shoulda been more clear.

[PdoubleE]

I think OAR is one of the most Underrated bands I have ever heard. They are really awesome and noone really knows who they are.

[resorcinol]

The Dresden Dolls.

Most people have no idea who they even are but they're fucking AWESOME!

[wisegal]

I like this band from Austin, TX called the impossibles, not a lot of people seem to know who they are. Its kinda ska a bit, and puts me in a good mood

[Ickyuck]

The Golden Palominos.

If anyone knows what I'm talking about anywayz, this band is proof how d0rky I really am...

[hydrocronik]

Z-Ro.

[losangeleslifer]

Long Beach Dub All Stars

[Badfish]

This is my first post... I've been reading for years without much to say... I just read a lot. This seems like a good thread to finally break my cherry, but I'll have to go with Sublime here. Bradley Nowell was (rip) a musical genius. 40oz to freedom is one of the best albums ever in my opinion, but all of their albums are great. I'll be listening to sublime religiously until the day I die.

[Tmac5150]

I think TESLA is far underrated... Most bands put out cd's that usually have 2 or 3 good songs on them. In my opinion, about every disc Tesla puts out is good, maybe 2 or 3 songs, at the most, might not be as good....

[Euphoricgirl]

Actually Jeremy Greene. He is a punk ass kid ( I met him at work a couple of weeks ago and we talked for a while-talk about adhd, and to see him you would think...punk...but jesus, can that kid sing. He was the one of the Allie/lindsay lohan show (hes also a music producer)...but I see talent.

[libertine]

iggy pop without the stooges


ariel pink


trail of dead

deerhunter

[Rent]

I like this band from Austin, TX called the impossibles, not a lot of people seem to know who they are. Its kinda ska a bit, and puts me in a good mood

Speaking of SKA under rated bands - The Specials

I have to agree with the Stone Roses. Great band.

[longduckdong]

This is my first post... I've been reading for years without much to say... I just read a lot. This seems like a good thread to finally break my cherry, but I'll have to go with Sublime here. Bradley Nowell was (rip) a musical genius. 40oz to freedom is one of the best albums ever in my opinion, but all of their albums are great. I'll be listening to sublime religiously until the day I die.

Im in love with ska/punk.reggae, etc.

Yet, I hate Sublime with a passion. They were posers in my book. They were more like Limp Bizkit than the punk rockers they tried to portray.

Everyone has their own preference for sure. And everyone has that right. I just don't dig em. I consider them more of a pop band.

[longduckdong]

Speaking of SKA under rated bands - The Specials

I have to agree with the Stone Roses. Great band.

I agree Rent.

All the 2-tone ska bands were WAY underrated in my book. Specials and The Beat for sure.

[Method]

I'm gonna go with a genere of underrated music. GFunk.
Im not a big rap fan, except for that gangsta shit that comes outta the west coast, cuz to me it's real, and political, and means something.
And "Summertime in the LBC" is probably one of the most underrated "hiphop" type songs out there. f

Im not a dancer or anything. But you really cant get a grove on to NY rap and especially the shit from the south. Juveinille, and stuff like that is straight GARBAGE. But shit from the WC gets a nice little grove head bob going on like no other.

I will mention though, some underrated groups from out of CA that I like:
Bone for sure. Getoboyz and Scarface. Outkast
AND CAN"T FORGET THE OG
Naughty by Nature.


differnt areas are diffent , im born an bread durtty south. outkast is ATL , east point , dont get me started, we hold it down.

peoples tase differ , when i was in the midwest/south the rap, hip hop was differnt and the shit that came from ATL was a month behind, dont think that just because you dont like the south that it is garbage.

[nycjrt]

I agree Rent.
All the 2-tone ska bands were WAY underrated in my book. Specials and The Beat for sure.
i love the specials and the english beat - most of the '2nd wave'/2 tone bands in fact - i had a compilation called 'this are two-tone' - i need to find that again - it was funny elvis costello was really involved in that scene, produced a lot of the bands (also the pogues' 'rum sodomy and the lash') ...after dub, my favorite reggae is original jamaican ska, i never really got into any of the 90s ska bands though...
another criminally underrated band was from nyc in the late 80s- early 90s - ALICE DONUT - in the psychedelic-ish punk vein of butthole surfers...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EohssoAde10

[SHELLEY]

union underground



sublime i think is underrated just cause mass media only picked up TWO of their songs...
and most people if you ask them they haven't heard anything other than what i got or santeria..yet still say they like sublime, but whatever.

the problem with sublime is that all their songs sound like those two radio songs
there's one or two exceptions (the song about the LA riots springs to mind)
but it's mostly the same beat, the same music, the same everything on every CD

[longduckdong]

peoples tase differ , when i was in the midwest/south the rap, hip hop was differnt and the shit that came from ATL was a month behind, dont think that just because you dont like the south that it is garbage.

Of course people's tastes differ..... I think I have said that several times in this thread alone. No need to try and throw something at me that I already have said.

But in my book, the south is crap. T-Pain, Lil Jon, Juvenille, all that cash money horseshit, MasterP........ That shit is straight garbage cuz. Outkast and Geto Boys are the only ones that have done anything respectful from down there cuz. All that mix master voice changers, making up words that dont exsist, and worst of all, ALL THAT STUPID ASS GRUNTING..... They'll fucking grunt a whole verse.

Shit's lame cuz. Period. But be my guest. "people's tatstes differ". Like I said before.

Either way dogg, what do you care what I think about your taste in music? Your life isnt going to change in anyway because of it.

[The Paregoric Man]

Magazine, one of my favorite bands very underrated and unknown. They sound kind of like if Radiohead had a child with Bowie :p

Real Life - debut album and my favorite, listen to the songs Definitive Gaze and Shot By Both Sides and The Light Pours Out Of Me.

Secondhand Daylight - they go a new direction, very cold and austere sound. Almost like proto EBM or goth.

The Correct Use Of Soap - once again a totally new sound, very upbeat and pop oriented a lot of fun, almost the polar opposite of SD.

Magic Murder And The Weather - don't really bother, nothing really stands out here. Its clear they had just run out of steam.

If you like post punk or that late 70s British style at all check out Magazine.