Who are your personal ignored/underrated favorites?

[nobody]

We all have our personal favorites that maybe didn't get the critical accolades, or didn't sell that many records, or both. So, go ahead and list a couple groups or artists that you think deserved to get more attention from somebody. Here's a couple of mine...

<b>Duane Eddy</b>
Duane's "twangy" guitar was behind a string of hits, including Rebel Rouser, Ramrod and more, but somehow it seems like his name seldom comes up. He was making great instrumental, guitar based records in the 50s, and his 1958 debut LP was full of hits and near misses and free of much of the filler that often populated LPs of the day. Maybe his reputation suffers as he never really did much to add variety to his sound, outside of adding more commercial backgrounds, but sometimes something that just plain sounds good is good, and Duane's guitar always sounded damn good, finding a mellow groove mixed with rockabilly style.

Well, I was gonna list a couple more, but my phone's ringing...maybe I'll be back later...

You guys go ahead...

[Duds]

Monster Magnet - these guys just flat out rock yet don't get a whole lot of credit or recognition. Space Lord was basically their 15 minutes of fame.

Clutch - another band that rocks. granted, they have a dedicated following, but will probably play the same, smaller sized venues the rest of their careers. they are a great live band.

Fu Manchu - anybody ever heard of them? great stoner rock/california rock/skate rock, whatever you want to call it. I think they are known more on the West Coast.


I'll probably have a few more later

[BarryL]

We all have our personal favorites that maybe didn't get the critical accolades, or didn't sell that many records, or both. So, go ahead and list a couple groups or artists that you think deserved to get more attention from somebody.



David Mead. I love this singer/songwriter. He's got a voice that falls between Paul McCartney and David Gates, and writes great four minute pop tunes that are a bit on the sappy side.

The late great Harry Chapin, dead now for 23 years!

A great unusual voice is Mary Fahl of The October Project. Her latest solo effort is pretty good, but you should check out The October Project.

On the jazz side, I can't get enough of Claire Martin. She put out two CDs in 2004 on Linn Records out of the U.K. Well worth the mail-order. Both are SACD.

[-Jar-]

That's crazy, I've seen Clutch open for Monster Magnet,

I've seen Fu Manchu open for Clutch..

but I'm pretty sure I've not seen Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu together. But I feel like I have.

I even saw Clutch open for Voivod once.. this was back on Voivod's OUTER LIMITS tour. Imagine that. I think the first band was Damn the Machine. Man did they suck. Clutch rocked, but back then they were more of a Helmet-influenced hardcore band. Then Neil started letting his hair grow and he wrote "Space Grass".... I think I saw Cluch open for Korn. No, maybe it was just that they played the CLUTCH album on the PA before Korn's set. It was pretty amazing how all the kids were singing along with EVERY WORD. But they weren't destined for nu-rock stardom.

Another great band from that era is Nebula. Basically 2/3rds of Fu Manchu left to form their own band, which is Nebula. They're a bit more psychedelic than Fu Manchu, but just as rocking.

-jar

[Mr MidFi]

Guadalcanal Diary. Their first two albums evoke a time and a place for me like no one else. They typified that hard jangle-pop sound of the 80s, blending an REM-like sense of melody with solid songcraft, witty lyrics and wickedly dark humor. "Watusi Rodeo" might just be my favorite single, ever.

[Duds]

I'm very familiar with Nebula, glad to see someone else is as well!!!

sounds like you have seen some nice shows. I saw all of the bands you mentioned, just not together.

Speaking of Helmet, they could make this thread....

[Davey]

Guadalcanal Diary. Their first two albums evoke a time and a place for me like no one else. They typified that hard jangle-pop sound of the 80s, blending an REM-like sense of melody with solid songcraft, witty lyrics and wickedly dark humor. "Watusi Rodeo" might just be my favorite single, ever.
Did you ever report around here on the Rhino reissues? Just curious how good a job they did.

[Dave_G]

Split Enz.

[Mr MidFi]

Did you ever report around here on the Rhino reissues? Just curious how good a job they did.

Before the Rhino reissues came out, some indie label put out Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man and Jamboree on a single disc. That was the first time Jamboree was ever offered on ceedee, so I had to snap it up. Since then, Rhino put out major reissue packages of WITSOTBM and 2X4, but... a) they're expensive, and b) I still don't think they've done anything with Jamboree.

Anyway, I can't tell you anything about the Rhino discs. The two-albums-on-one-disc release is not a sonic improvement over anything...certainly not compared to my recollections of long-lost vinyl...but it's a terrific collection of songs and well worth checking out. "Why Do the Heathen Rage?", "Michael Rockefeller" and "Dead Eyes" alone are worth the $15 price tag.

[Hawkeye]

Ignored and underrated? For me the answer would be Toy Matinee. Pop/rock sound to it, with shades of Toto, Steely Dan, and even Pink Floyd (on the title song). They released one cd around 1990, excellent musicianship, great hooks, and intelligent and at times biting lyrics make this a regular in my rotation. How did this not top the charts? Highly recommended.

[unleasHell]

Wild Swans: Bringing Home the Ashes,
This out-of-print CD fetches $70+ all the time on eBay. ......Reason: it's worth it!
Take the political awareness of the Smiths (minus the cynical side), add a touch of REM's melodies and consider such influences as Joy Division, Chemeleons and U2 and you have one of my Top 10 favorite CD's of the (late) 80's..

Far East Family Band: Nipponjin
Anyone who likes Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals should have this CD. Simply stunning Japanese band (mostly sung in English) with instruments that easily rival anything PF ever did...

[dean_martin]

For me it would have to be Young American Primitive's self-titled debut and apparently only release. I've heard of a second album getting pulled immediatley after release, but have not confirmed this.

YAP is from a genre that I know next to nothing about. It's on the trance side of electronica, but it's one of those albums I can put in late at night or especially during a long night drive and it takes me somewhere from start to finish. I've come across a couple of DJ compilations like Sasha & Digweed's Northern Exposure Vol. 1 that have cuts from YAP, but it's really an album that needs to be listened to all the way through. I've also run across covers of a couple of tracks by a duo called something like Dorfmeister and somebody - like I said, I'm not a big fan of the genre as a whole, just the YAP album.

Anyhow, it's worth looking for online or in used bins. I don't think it's still in print.

[Slosh]

Even by indie standards Richard Davies is known by few and it's a damn shame because Telegraph is such an amazing album. Frodus is another one that seems to have flew under the IHE radar. And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea is every bit as good as, say, Red Medicine or Autolux's debute (which is now getting some well-deserved attention, at least in my area).

[shokhead]

Grand Funk
Kansas

[Hawkeye]

Grand Funk
Kansas
Ignored, underrated? Those were two of the more popular bands of their day.

[shokhead]

Nobody talks about them now i they are some of my personnal fav's. LOL
I might add in there time they were headliners but not "The Group"

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Edith Frost - both albums I have are great but I never hear her mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Neko Case etc...
Flaming Stars - As per usual Davey was right on the button with these guys again I have 2 albums, both are great. Where's the love?
The Glands - OK only one album released, but what an album.
The Members - British punk-pub rockers circa 1977, pretty typical for the time. They say that they were among the first to fuse reggae w/punk. Not sure if that's true or not, but it makes a nice story. Either way, "at the Chelsea Nightclub" is a fine album, that few know about.

[Finch Platte]

Wild Swans: Bringing Home the Ashes,
This out-of-print CD fetches $70+ all the time on eBay. ......Reason: it's worth it!
Take the political awareness of the Smiths (minus the cynical side), add a touch of REM's melodies and consider such influences as Joy Division, Chemeleons and U2 and you have one of my Top 10 favorite CD's of the (late) 80's..

You're kidding, right? I just checked, and I still have my copy.

$70? In a heartbeat.

fp

[Davey]

<img src=http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd100/d123/d12386wls9p.jpg align=left hspace=5>Yeah, we all got a million of them. The ones you can't figure why they never made it big. Seems better than most bands and albums that did make it. The year was something like 1975 for this one, and the band was Dr. Feelgood, and the album was Malpractice, and the verdict was guilty...of making a damn f</>ucking good ass kicking collection of working class rock and roll. Love this album. Their first in the US and my introduction, and I bought a bunch of LPs after that, but none as good as this. The real deal. Right up there with the best of Graham Parker and Brinsley Schwarz and al the rest of the English pub rockers. Very cool stuff and pretty nice sound too on the wax. Real dynamic and ballsy. Don't know what the CD sounds like, although I do vaguely recall a track from it making it onto one of those Uncut Magazine samplers a couple years ago, so it must've been remastered and punched up to make it sound like a modern piece of dog s</>hit. My opinion? They don't crank these kind of albums out anymore, so......you shouldn't call the Doctor (if you can't afford the bills).

BTW, some pretty fine albums mentioned in this thread. Some of you got some damn fine taste :)

[Dusty Chalk]

Matt Elliott. This guy should be huge. There's just something that totally draws me in. He ventures from post-rock to drum-n-bass to ... I don't even know what to call it. His last album is called Drinking Songs, and that's pretty much what it is (except for the last track)...and yet, that totally underdescribes what it's all about. You can get mp3's of most of his old stuff off of the thirdeyefoundation.com website.

[Mike]

Steve Khan, unfortunately he often gets put with the 'smooth jazz' crowd but he's a master guitarist who has covered lots of styles. One of my favourites is from the early 80s called Eyewitness fortunately I managed to pick up a copy on CD years ago and I've never seen it available since. It's a great recording with a fantastic dynamic range and features just 3 musicians in a sort of free but structured jam session.

Another from the 80's is Helen Watson, Blue Slipper an unknown who managed to get members of the Little Feat to record an album with her and then get Glynn Johns to produce it.

Somebody mentioned The Glands self titled album and I have to agree it's a damm fine album, it's a shame they haven't done anything else.

ps Dr Feelgood the original 70s pub rockers, my favourite album was Down By The Jetty I can still see Wilko struttting round the stage with his moptop haircut.

Cheers
Mike

[tentoze]

Even by indie standards Richard Davies is known by few and it's a damn shame because Telegraph is such an amazing album.
I picked that up for $5 a couple of weeks ago, listened to it once (distractedly), and put it on the go-away stack. I guess I should give it another shot.

[20to20K]

I'm a huge Steve Khan fan and his Eyewitness CD with Badrena/Jorden/Jackson is a classic. Another Khan great is Public Access with the same band but substitute Dave
Weckl (who usually annoys me) on drums. Khan has had an interesting career...being the son of a famous singer is probably what got him into music...then being Billy Joels guitarist and then being in the original David Letterman Band show the guy had a pretty diverse career.

Back to underrateds...Was (Not Was) in the 80's. "Tell me that I'm dreaming" is one of the best dance tracks ever. And the "Born to Laugh at Tornados" album is a classic with cameos from everyone from Frank Zappa to Branford Marsalis to Mel Torme!

If you like R&B, there's a group called Mint Condition that was awesome in the 90's.
They recieved little airplay or widespread attention because they had no "angle" or
gimmick. They were just outstanding musicians who wrote, played and arranged
all their own music. They were the Earth, Wind and Fire that no one ever heard of.

[Slosh]

I picked that up for $5 a couple of weeks ago, listened to it once (distractedly), and put it on the go-away stack. I guess I should give it another shot.

You should give it several more shots, unless you think Sweet Baby James fused with Beggars Banquet is a bad combo and may make you wretch :)

[BinFrog]

The now defunct grunge-era band Pond deserves WAY more recognition than they got. Their first 2 albums are incredible, and they fell apart after their 3rd album which was a little lackluster. If you like that kind of music (anything from Nirvana to Modest Mouse to Sonic Youth to The Pixies), do yourself a favor and get either "Pond" or "The Practice Of Joy Before Death". You'll thank me.

[-Jar-]

someone mentioned WAS NOT WAS here at work just a few days ago.

I just remember "Open the Door get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur" :)

I remember I bought WHAT UP DOG? based on a review in Stereo Review. Didn't really make a long term connection with me, but it's a nice record.

-jar

[SlumpBuster]

Wow, we're spread all over a bunch of decades here. This is my list as of today. I would consider and underated list to be organic and change as you hear new stuff.

1980s:
Naked Raygun: One of the best punk bands ever. 5 or 6 studio records. Each one a gem.

Hanoi Rock: Infectious trashy glam rock. "All those wasted years" is one of the best live albums of all time. Right up their with "Live Bullet"

Men Without Hats: "Pop Goes the World" Goofy goofy 80's synth pop concept record that I just can't stop listening to.

Present artists:

The Dandy Warhols: What can I say that hasn't already? Apparently huge in the rest of the world, not so much in the States.

Ash: Huge in UK, but they can't get arrested in the States.

Hanson: These guys quietly made the best pop rock album of 2004 that was promptly ignored.

[bpsychotic]

i once read a review in a hi-fi mag about the masters of reality - i've been a fan ever since - i'd never have heard of them otherwise.

i've also wondered why micheal stanley wasn't more popular.

[Pat D]

We all have our personal favorites that maybe didn't get the critical accolades, or didn't sell that many records, or both. So, go ahead and list a couple groups or artists that you think deserved to get more attention from somebody. ...
Well, Angèle Arsenault has received a certain amount of recognition, not only in Canada but in the francophone world, but not nearly as much as she should have. I'm sure most of you don't know of her though I mention her occasionally. Lise Aubut wrote of her "astonishing originality." Poet, composer, singer, comedienne, satirist, performer, social critic and philosopher. Her songs are often concerned with various things of everyday life such as eating, losing weight, shopping, but gets down to basic life attitudes: do you want to really live or not? Unlike many artists, she seems to be a happy person. She has been a natural blond and a natural brunette. Only one of her records is in English, the rest are in French.

Here's a biographie on her fan site:

http://www.admirateurangelearsenault.freeservers.com/catalog.html

[-Jar-]

i once read a review in a hi-fi mag about the masters of reality - i've been a fan ever since - i'd never have heard of them otherwise.

i've also wondered why micheal stanley wasn't more popular.

Yea, I dig the Masters of Reality too, have you picked up LIVE AT THE VIPER ROOM? Definately worth checking out. Great sound on that one.

Are you from Ohio? I didn't think anyone outside of Ohio know who Michael Stanley is.
He's sort of a local hero. A rock star of sorts here in Cleveland. Kind of like, Donny Iris is to Pittsburgh. Except, I'm not sure if Donny Iris is doing commercials for cars and hair-replacement clinics.

-jar

[bpsychotic]

Yea, I dig the Masters of Reality too, have you picked up LIVE AT THE VIPER ROOM? Definately worth checking out. Great sound on that one.

Are you from Ohio? I didn't think anyone outside of Ohio know who Michael Stanley is.
He's sort of a local hero. A rock star of sorts here in Cleveland. Kind of like, Donny Iris is to Pittsburgh. Except, I'm not sure if Donny Iris is doing commercials for cars and hair-replacement clinics.

-jar

yeah, i have the viper room cd - it's awesome.

no, not from ohio. msb used to play alot on the radio in the early 80's. 'in the heartland' and 'my town' were the hits that got me listening to them. i remember their tune 'take the time' was played for a while on mtv.

haha! that would be funny to see him doing a commercial :p

[Chip_B]

The Hoax. Their Sound Like This release is one of the finest Blues-Rock albums I've ever heard. Great guitar interplay, solid vocals and killer tunes...absolutely NO filler whatsoever. It's damned frustrating that they never released another CD.

Pale Divine. This would be the first band to use that moniker, not the hardcore band that came later. On their only album, Straight to Goodbye, Pale Divine did cool pop/rock that ranged from dreamy and atmospheric (Freedom in a Cage; The Fog; Anything) to rockin' (My Addiction; Something About Me) to a whirly sorta Middle Eastern thing (Universe). Divine's guitarist, Richard Portis, also played with the Psych Furs, Love Spit Love, and GnR.

Indio (Gordon Peterson). His Big Harvest album is a seamlessly blended mix of Eastern rhythms, folk, and pop. Excellent.

Jimmie Spheeris. Great singer/songwriter from the 70s; his tune I Am the Mercury is truly beautiful. Died way too young.

The Blue Nile. Superb, ultra-cool 80s pop. My favorite album is A Walk Across the Rooftops.

Monti Amundson. I've posted about Big Monti several times. He is undoubtedly the most talented Blues-Rocker to ever toil in obscurity. Whether it's slow Blues, rockabilly, or full throttle rockin', Monti is superb.

Storyville. After Arc Angels broke up, Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton (Double Trouble) hooked up with Malford Milligan (vocals) to form Storyville. Milligan can flat out sing and the Storyville albums rock in a bluesy, soulful way.

Danny Gatton. Danny was a helluva guitarist and not like anyone else you've heard. His playing was tasteful, original, and altogether brilliant. I've heard that his frustration over never 'breaking out' was the reason he committed suicide. What a terrible loss.

There's other stuff discussed in this thread that I like too. I was a Duane Eddy fan back in the 60s and even had his version of Apache on a 45. I also have that Dr. Feelgood LP, Malpractice (and their Club Alibi album). I like Guadalcanal Diary (I have 2x4) and especially Split Enz (got all of 'em, I think). I've even got a couple of Michael Stanley Band LPs (Cabin Fever and Heartland), though I don't think I've played either one of 'em in probably 20 years.

[tentoze]

Jimmie Spheeris. Great singer/songwriter from the 70s; his tune I Am the Mercury is truly beautiful. Died way too young.
Found a clean copy of The Original Tap Dancing Kid" for fitty cent yesterday, Chip.......

;)

[3-LockBox]

Porky Tree of course, Built To Spill is high on my list of underappreciated, underrated acts, as well as World Party. Most recently, I'd add Hot Hot Heat to that list.

But the all-time underappreciated, misunderstood, under rated and maligned act of all time has to be King Crimson.

[Chip_B]

Found a clean copy of The Original Tap Dancing Kid" for fitty cent yesterday, Chip.......

;)
I remember buying OTDK back around '73. I severely damaged the cover when I was hitching down I-75 that summer with a handful of my records and got caught in one of those good ol' fasioned gully washers. Man, was I bummed!

[audiobill]

Won Ton Ton is a group that had a one album output in 1991, but what an album!!
The disc is entitled "Home" and it is pure New-wavish pop rock from Belgium.....in English, of course. The female vocalist, Bea Van de Maat still sends sensual shrills up my spine a decade and a half later.

Hayden is his name & he is one of Canada's most talented, yet underappreciated young artists playing today. He has become my Sunday morning listening pleasure; in fact, he competes for Sunday a.m., with non-other than Nick Drake -- he's that good, imho!!
"Skyskraper National Park" is the album of his I return to time and time again. However, his live album recorded at University of Toronto's Convocation Hall is outstanding.

My 2,

Bill

[Dusty Chalk]

Oh, and Crack the Sky. Inventive songwriting, sarcastic lyrics, hooky music, virtuosic playing -- it's great.

[KEXPMF]

#1 / the winner : GOMEZ

runners up:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Getaway People
Orbit
The Dandy Warhols
Swervedriver
The Happy Mondays
Black Grape
Fun Lovin Criminals
Consolidated
Delinquent Habits

[Olivertmc]

There was a great band from the mid- to late 90's called "The Origin". They had two albums, both are great (imo), the first was self-titled, the second was called "Bend." I believe the lead singer went on to play guitar in a funk/groove band called Grayboy Allstars. While I like the Grayboy stuff, it is totally different than the Origin. The original Origin records are still played pretty often, especially when hanging out with my friends that were pretty into them at the time.

[-Jar-]

KEXPMF:
I bet you'll dig Bailter Space.. they have the same kind of thick, dense guitar as Swervedriver. If you like the toonz on the comps I sent then there exists a Bailter Space comp that was put together by a fine fellow who no longer lurks in these parts. I'd be happy to send a copy your way on my next shipment. A great band from New Zealand that sort of bumped up against the shoegazer movement from the other side of the world.. NZ had a lot of great overlooked bands..among them Straitjacket Fits, The Clean, the 3-D's and more recently, the Renderers.

[Stone]

Men Without Hats: "Pop Goes the World" Goofy goofy 80's synth pop concept record that I just can't stop listening to.


Cool. I had no idea more than about 6 people liked this album (including me), but apparently more people do than I thought (or maybe they just all found their way to this board).

Two bands that I tend to name as underrated/unknown are:

Close Lobsters
For Against

[KEXPMF]

KEXPMF:
I bet you'll dig Bailter Space.. they have the same kind of thick, dense guitar as Swervedriver. If you like the toonz on the comps I sent then there exists a Bailter Space comp that was put together by a fine fellow who no longer lurks in these parts. I'd be happy to send a copy your way on my next shipment. A great band from New Zealand that sort of bumped up against the shoegazer movement from the other side of the world.. NZ had a lot of great overlooked bands..among them Straitjacket Fits, The Clean, the 3-D's and more recently, the Renderers.

Yes, I noticed that on the comp and they sound good. Swervedriver is still by far my favorite in that style. I also very much like the Catherine Wheel song on there "Harder Than I Am".
And the MBV, AR Kane, Boo Radleys, House of Love, Hum and of course Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins.