Euro – Member

I’m resisting the temptation to make up a list of unsavoury words/phrases and pretend they are real bands.

We used to hang out in the cas rock cafe and tap o lauriston a lot and everyone in there was in a band. So we invented Millstone. They were pretty heavy (if grindcore had been a thing back then, we’d definitely not have been grindcore, too obvious)

Little Angels

Thunder

In a similar vein,

Gun.

Electric Boys.

I Am Kloot, John Bramwell is one of this countries finest songwriters.

Also Shack (and any Head brothers band).

I’m struggling to think of most of the bands or artists mentioned as being ‘underrated’, possibly because I’m a huge music fan, and have been for most of my life; doesn’t mean there aren’t loads of artists/bands I don’t know about, mainly because there’re genres I’m just not really interested in, but I’ve always thought of the Wildhearts/Ginger Wildheart as being pretty highly rated, for example.
From my own point of view, there’s loads of artists whose music I’ve loved for years, been to concerts whenever possible, but they still only play pretty small venues, Aimee Mann being a classic example. She started off in a band called ‘Til Tuesday, who had a fairly big US hit with a single off their first album. Trouble was, the record companies wanted more of the same, Aimee didn’t, and thus the label refused to promote the next two albums, saying they ‘couldn’t hear a hit single’; well, how the hell do you know if you don’t promote them!
Aimee went solo, and the same thing happened, A&R people liked what she was doing, signed her, label gets a change of owner, new A&R people can’t ‘hear anything commercial’, and refuse to promote her album, but also refuse to release her from her contract. For five years. Then the same thing happens again.
Eventually she sets up her own label, and actually starts to earn more money than any time previously.
She even has a film director friend see a story running through an album she was writing and recording, and promptly went and made a very successful movie, starring Tom Cruise, based on that album, Batchelor #9, the film is Magnolia.
Aimee misses out on an Oscar for best song in a movie soundtrack, which, IIRC, was won by Elton John for the Lion King.
Aimee still records and tours, after over thirty years recording and touring, since 1982, in fact, and the last time I saw her she was playing the Union Chapel in London! I have seen her play Indigo 2 in London twice, the only UK date on two Eurpean tours.
That’s what underrated bloody well means in my book!
There are plenty of other, more recent bands/artists, as well as older bands who’ve sadly disappeared due to overwhelming indifference, like Thea Gilmore, Paper Aeroplanes, The Drink, The Stills, Asobi Seksu, Calexico, Curve, Dark Star (90’s alt.rock trio, not current dance/electro outfit), Tiger, Thrum, Dubstar, Gemma Hayes, Howling Bells, Inara George, Mechanical Bride…
The flip side is still being able to see artists you cherish playing small intimate venues instead of soulless enormodomes and barns like the NEC in Birmingham, so it’s not all bad.
I saw Gemma Hays three times last tour, in London at Oslo, Hackney, The Louisiana in Bristol, and Pound Arts in Corsham, about five miles from where I live! None of those venues are more than around 350-400 capacity, yet Gemma had been recording and touring for nineteen years, and released six albums, is a superb singer and songwriter, yet seems barely able to get arrested! She was approached by the Lois Walsh, from X-Factor, who thought she had huge potential; of course, she’d have to stop writing and singing her own songs, she’d have to be seen to be having a relationship with another big celebrity, and basically be something she clearly isn’t, so she told him exactly what he could do with his ideas. This is fact, she’s told this story several times.
Shows the vacuous heart of modern music promotion, where real talent is ignored in favour of short-term money grabbing.

Murry the Hump – the best Welsh band you’ve probably never heard of.

Named after a Welsh mobster. Immaculate indy pop. Had a song with the opening line: “My dealer drives a three wheeler, lives in a house by the side of the sea”.

They did a Peel session and recorded one album but it just never happened for them.

[video]https://youtu.be/_QGZedOLRx0[/video]

countzero, hit enter twice every now and again! 😆

I saw Gun in some sweaty dive in Southend, before they released Swagger. Mid way through the set, a huge riff started a new track and Rankin began…

Yo, pretty ladies around the world
Got a weird thing to show you so tell all the boys and girls
Tell your brother, your sister and your mama too
‘Cause we’re about to throw down and you’ll know just what to do

The place erupted.

The Reads

Nobody seems to have heard of them…

I saw Gun in some sweaty dive in Southend, before they released Swagger. Mid way through the set, a huge riff started a new track and Rankin began…

I’m not surprised. Back in my clubbing days I’d get to the second “E” of the opening guitar “EEEeeeeeeee……” riff before I was on the floor, and I still take extreme pleasure in telling my mate that the Korn version is the second best cover of that track ever.

To my eternal chagrin I never saw them whilst Mark was fronting. I’ve seen them subsequently though with Toby Jepson (Little Angels) as frontman, and a few times later still where Dante’s stepped up to the plate. He’s really found his groove now, they’re well worth a revisit if you get chance. Properly good fun.

Magnum. Currently touring and have a new album which got into the top ten rock albums. Also features the drummer Harry James from Thunder.

Oh, that’s interesting. I thought GaryHarry had retired.

Magnum are good fun, once you get past Bob Whatsisface’s ego.

That’s what underrated bloody well means in my book!

I’d say that she’s pretty well known really, just not a huge live draw. 10 million plays for the top five songs on Spotify would arguably agree. 🙂

For anyone who hasn’t come across it already, the Twisted Sister doc on Netflix is a great story of a band be underrated / underapreciated whether you like them or not!

Catatonia, thinking about it.
Musically, they were genuinely tight with great ear for a hook.
Lyrically way ahead of most of thier peers, with a nice line in self depreciating honesty.
Saw them supporting the Manics in Blackburn, excellent live too.

And The Beautiful South.
One of the most misunderstood bands going.
Absolute genius.

I still take extreme pleasure in telling my mate that the Korn version is the second best cover of that track ever.

Third best version. One behind Cameo.

I know they had success early on, but since the demise of emi We Are Scientists have been very overlooked. Saw them a couple of times in the last 12 months and they’ve been fantastic, made all the better by the fact they were in sweaty dive clubs. We met them last month too and they are also genuinely nice guys.

Even more overlooked were Aereogramme, and another fantastic Scottish band called Stapleton.

I need to properly check out Paws on WAS recommendation, they’re Scottish too. There’s a theme here…

Blue Aeroplanes. Saw them live many times in the 80’s and later, always brilliant. Not everyone’s cup of tea though…

And come to that, The Beat. Successful but not sure they got the recognition they deserved, and the later stuff when career crashed was brilliant (LP Special Beat Service full of great songwriting – one of my favourite forgotten LPs).

Forgetting about The Creepshow

Bit of classic phsycobilly…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXHyuuR8dpQ&list=PL-n2f_4aX54y3xMq-N5PGjXJnKXid6MgO[/video]

And with the current singer…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwEgUKMRX5w[/video]

Hot inking action…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd56lSjpo_I&list=PL-n2f_4aX54y3xMq-N5PGjXJnKXid6MgO&index=7[/video]

Suuns dEUS Subtle the Uncluded Sisyphus Breton La Shark Liars Blonde Redhead Forest Swords Dalek Culprate Teengirl Fantasy Pudge The Shoes Ringo Deathstarr The Oscillation Viet Cong We Have Band All We Are Young the Giant The Busy Signals Louis XIV Jaguar Ma

Best.Bandname.Ever 🙂

That Petrol Emotion should have been HUGE!!!
A bit of me’s glad they weren’t though.

She even has a film director friend see a story running through an album she was writing and recording, and promptly went and made a very successful movie, starring Tom Cruise, based on that album, Batchelor #9, the film is Magnolia

Wise Up from that film soundtrack is a favourite song of mine.

Shawn Smith.

When I’m feeling sh1t his stuff lifts me. Always loved his output for years. Songs that feel alive and full of positive meaning. Yeah, he’s underrated!

I’m always surprised how few people know of Efterklang, even though they have really passionate fans and are without doubt the most fantastic live band I’ve ever seen. And powerfuly moustached

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0x6cxLoPmg[/video]
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SlSkzTgyiM[/video]

Not a band, but DJ scotch egg.
He’s a bloody genius.
see?

Also not a band, but Current Value never seems to get enough appreciation.
still can’t do videos

Finally, a real band. Atheist.
nuff said

choppersquad – Member
That Petrol Emotion should have been HUGE!!!
A bit of me’s glad they weren’t though.

Agreed, but The Everlasting Yeah are doing a damn good job of carrying the flame.

Chemicrazy is an amazingly good pop album.

Second cokie with The Cat Empire. Seen them more times than I can count, get shivers down my spine reach and every time.

See also The Tallest Man on Earth.

@bigjim They are glorious!! I have never heard of them before and boy do I likey.

Not a band
oh, if we’re going there I’ve got an even bigger list for that.

+1 for the Guillemots and Shack.

Also Malcolm Middleton and Arab Strap.

Another Blyth Power fan here. Better to Bat is played most weeks….what a tune

New Model Army. Obviously. Keeping it real for 35 years, and still packing out massive venues like the Robin in Bilston.

Yo La Tengo

Love them, but I thought they were a US indie institution and rated very highly. They were even in The Simpsons IIRC.

My nominations…

Almost the definition of an underrated musical genius…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIez7lGxKps[/video]

Think these guys had some success but should have been much bigger IMO…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKdspWe-KdQ[/video]

Have a decent following but could have been huge (not just on footy highlights) if the world was a better place…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lT2Tq2rC9I[/video]

@bigjim They are glorious!! I have never heard of them before and boy do I likey.

Excellent! Their albums are fantastic but they’re just so much better live, especially with an orchestra. They’ve also done a film which is quite good fun called The ghost of piramida

Unfortunately I don’t know if you’ll ever get to see them live as efterklang, they are currently touring as Liima with a percussionist but although some of their songs are excellent I prefer their efterklang stuff.

As Aerogramme rightly got a mention I have to add in The Unwinding Hours. Great that Some of the people from the Aerogramme day have achieved some notability with Chuvches but it’s amazing how The Unwinding Hours slipped by almost totally unnoticed, even less so even than Aerogramme.

seen no mention of my two favourite bands yet, hence they either must be vastly underrated or er….. sh1t 😀

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYT1o6T0BkI[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbTRGuP6XeU[/video]

Howlin’ Rain.

seen no mention of my two favourite bands yet, hence they either must be vastly underrated or er….. sh1t

I’m sorry, Trail of Dead are certainly not underrated. 10/10 for source tags on Pitchfork. So, so good. 😆

I’m sorry, Trail of Dead are certainly not underrated. 10/10 for source tags on Pitchfork. So, so good.

youre right, theyre good, but i never come across anyone thats heard of them, hence why i think theyre underrated 🙂 superb live!
maybe mix in the wrong circles 🙂

Did they used to be called …and You Will Know Us by The Trail of Dead? I quite liked em back then, but it was ages ago.

Did they used to be called …and You Will Know Us by The Trail of Dead? I quite liked em back then, but it was ages ago.

still are…..just lazy youtube titling i think.

Led Zeppelin.

So good, no matter how exalted their status becomes, they’ll still be underrated.

Same goes for Enya.