I was talking to someone who’s father hails from Cork and had visited Cork many times. He claims to be a rock fan and had never heard of Rory Gallagher ….

Incredible String Band?

Trembling Bells?

I was very into The Almighty for a while. Superb live. Never had the success they deserved I thought.

I also quite like The Primitives, The Darling Buds and Salad..in a poptastic retro kind of way.
Menswear were pretty good too.

The all-***in mighty! Weird career, just always that one step away from getting succesful, just always that slightly adjacent but not quite what’s selling.

MSP
Full Member

These are tracks that did pretty well on release, but I never hear any more other than my own playlists.

reef, place your hands

Reef are doing pretty well just now- saw them a few nights back at an absolutely rammed QMU in Glasgow with a rapturous crowd. New album I think comes out this week? Much swampier/rock and rollier than they were.

Also, unexpectedly Jack Bessant now looks like this- he’s only just turned 50!

https://scontent-lcy1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/263990988_3030453573839727_7769514828653949932_n.jpg?stp=cp0_dst-jpg_e15_fr_q65&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=8024bb&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_ohc=lNj-iEu3gfQAX9OFlKr&_nc_ht=scontent-lcy1-1.xx&oh=00_AT8-NU4I2aeL6CIP8XSpRqnjMzaIBZFmGzTaAxhBKfKk5Q&oe=625CF44A

Underneath What – What is it. Rock goodness

Be Bop Deluxe – Ships in the Night
From the Sunburst Finish Album
Forgotten by lots but still gets a spin on my turntable now and again ( found a copy at a record sale a few years https://youtu.be/-4tqrOtYiC4

Anyone remember Therapy?
I think I was at this. Got given a guest pass to Sonisphere and they were the best band I sort of remember seeing.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9tDzzkxnn5M

Bomb the Bass – Clear

Dag – Righteous

Malfunkshun – Return to Olympus

I brought them up on the “only known for one track” thread. The Wannadies. Such clever and funny songs. That scandi sense of irony, sometimes sharper than our own. And I nominate “Stars” or “Combat Honey” as the tracks to try if you’re sick of the bloody “You And Me Song.”

EDIT: ZoMfG, they’re touring in October!!!!!! @Northwind, I think maybe you’re a fan – they’re doing dates in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Wilt: My Medicine. Heard a track on a free Kerrang compilation CD and love it.
Gonna have a browse through this thread later as a lot of totally unknown stuff.

jamesoz
Full Member

Anyone remember Therapy?

I should do, I saw them live in Glasgow last night!

deadlydarcy
Free Member

I brought them up on the “only known for one track” thread. The Wannadies. Such clever and funny songs

Hit is miles better than You and Me Song! And thanks for the headsup about the gigs, I’d no idea!

Hit is miles better than You and Me Song! And thanks for the headsup about the gigs, I’d no idea!

Yeah, I went on a bit of a Spotify trip through their songs after posting. To be fair, I hadn’t listened properly in ages. So many good tracks just on Bagsy Me. Looks like there’s a new album due in June. I had no idea either. I thought they’d packed up for good. Something to look forward to later in the year anyway – they’re doing a date in Brizzle as well.

I saw the Cosmic Rough Riders supporting The Black Crowes at the Barras about 20 years ago

I saw the Cosmic Rough Riders a few times. Upstairs at the Varsity in Wolverhampton, Ronnie Scott’s in Brum and another venue I forget.

The Black Crowes I count as my first proper gig at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre in ‘92, supported by (The) Verve.

I was very into The Almighty for a while. Superb live. Never had the success they deserved I thought.

That image was painted about 4” tall on on of our 6th form common room walls.

I remember one of their albums (Maybe their debut…?) having a bonus live disc, that started with the memorable line to the audience: “Are you **** ready?”.

I wasn’t a fan, but there was a small group of people I knew, devoted to them at the time.

Becket! Got that on C90! Similar vein, Back Street Crawler. Leather face and Aaron Dull 11. Also Jeff Beck Truth with Rod Stewart on vocals. Cripes .Groundhogs Wishbone Ash and Taste.
Sorry, bit pissed .

All About Eve

My contribution is Live Wire – started off as a pub band in late 1970s and issued 3 albums before disbanding in early 1980s. They had a brilliant bassist,Jeremy Meek, who really stands out on tracks like Paid in Smiles from their album pick it up.

It’s strange how so many bands can be really talented but for who knows what reason they just never make it.

Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the wall.
I remember them getting quite a bit of recognition and a Mercury nomination for this debut album, the second album The American Adventure flopped commercially, but was actually really good.

Buffalo Tom – let me come on over. One of the more underrated American alternative rock bands.

JJ72 – JJ72. Had an interesting sound and vocal style, but only made two albums.

Silverchair – Diorama
They were massive in Australia, but I think seen as a teenage Nirvana tribute act over hear. All of their albums have a different sound and are favourites of mine.

Live – Throwing copper. This has been mentioned several times and is a fantastic alternative rock album. I enjoyed all their other albums to.

I’d forgotten how much I loved Swervedriver

I saw them play about three years ago, I’d forgotten how much I hated that dull drone

Ha! I love a dull drone, me. 😂

Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the wall

I remember playing that album non stop for quite a while. My gf at the time thought it was well depressing.

Yet more evidence that depressing music makes me happy 😀

Pale Fountains / Shack

Felt

Grant Lee Buffalo

Catherine Wheel

Gene

Lemon Jelly

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Inspiral Carpets

I don’t know if they’re forgotten because they’re regularly on my playlist, but

Dinosaur Jr

St Etienne

the latter was on almost continual loop in my house in the 90’s. And as it happens, I saw a van from this firm yesterday!

http://www.hobartpaving.co.uk

Some that I still listen to:

Faith no more – Angel Dust
Senseless things – First of too many
Sugar – Copper Blue
KLF
Leftfield
Anything by EMF

A recent one that I think was overlooked but is a truly brilliant album:

Editors – In Dream.

More forgotten than many of the above-mentioned records.

Is it allowed to like artists/music not that are not massively popular, or is that too ‘niche’ and therefore automatically ‘pretentious’?

TLDR

I wonder at at times like these what and why are the ‘rules’ of liking music? I like making music and learning about music. I love to listen to music and have since a young child (about 8 yrs old I had my first tape player), but most of all I only like music that I like.
I also played in bands for half of my adult life. Love music. Etc.

I like music that makes me feel good I like music that makes me want to dance I like music that speaks to me I like music that relaxes me I like music that is meticulously conducted, I like music that is exuberant and spontaneous and naive, I like music from this country or that country I like rock music electronic music I like classical music I like dance music I like fusion music I like pop music I like world music I like experimental music, ‘old’ music, ‘new’ music, music with lyrics music without lyrics, music with singers, music without singers, ambient music, etc etc it all depends on whether I like hearing this or that piece of music (or not)

This entirely open approach (not one I’ve chosen) has long made me think that I’m somewhere on the ‘spectrum’ because popularity of a musician or piece plays such a small part in whether or not I like listening to something. OTOH any notion that I should or should not like this or that music confuses me to the core. Music is far more complex to my taste than say, sprouts, yet nobody thinks I’m being pretentious because I like parsnips instead of sprouts (I actually like both but you get the point)

So in real life I learned not to discuss specific artists/music I like because I will most often be judged by strange subjective metrics which AFAICS bear no relation to why I like this music or that music.

Yet in threads such as these (and other forums) I read (and from listening to people) it seems that popularity/fame of an artist or popularity of a certain type of ‘brand’ of music holds a very big place in the hearts and esteem of many (most?) and popularity seems to some large degree to inform others as to whether music is listenable and/or likeable and/or socially acceptable?

If I do like something popular (ie played a lot and known by everyone) it’s usually just because its been made available to my ears and I like the tone, words, rhythm, meter, instrumentation, even ‘message’, and not because of any celebrity status of the artist – because essentially I’m listening to music – not listening to a product or brand.

back to the present – I just laughed out really loud because Kae Tempest is on the radio and I love this song but can hear Mrs P in the background shouting

“Cockney trollop”

and that she ‘only like the guest vocals’ which for some reason made me laugh so hard I can’t even drink my coffee.

Long live music. Even the 9/10ths of it which is ‘hidden’!

Oh yes, OP – my vote today is ‘Inbetweenies’ by Ian Dury And the Blockheads

Pale Fountains / Shack

Another vote for the above.

Turin Brakes.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – especially Howl.

Another vote for

Brian Jonestown Massacre too.

This is a great thread!

Gene – where are they now

Often ask myself that. Not of Gene, I know what happened to them, but of former ‘friends’.

Where are they now is a great track, good call

My vote is The Cooper Temple Clause – See this through and leave (debut album). Late 90’s noughties. Saw them live quite a few times, good rocky electro indie noise. Look up song ‘who needs enemies’.

Others of note

The horrors – primary colours
Von bondies – lack of communication
The vines – highly evolved (check out their cover of outkasts ms jackson on one of their singles).

Pigface – Satellite
Skinny Puppy – Killing Game
Plug – Drum and bass For Papa.
Cat Rapes Dog – Moosehair Underwear!

Good shout re. Bomb The Bass’s Clear album above. I was thinking of Empire as I was scrolling through.

Was going to say Grant Lee Buffalo (beaten to it)…so, Grand Drive had a few good songs out about 20 years ago but never heard since.

Some menories being dredged up here of so many long forgotten bands, great thread!

I’d like to add “Galashiels gift to the world” Dawn Of The Replicants debut album, One Head, Two Arms, Two legs. As for being forgotten, I’m not sure they were well known enough to even be forgotten about but that album is indeed a gem.

Grand Drive were a fantastic band, and Danny (Wilson) is still recording and touring. Saw them supporting the Jayhawks in Bristol many years ago and before the Jayhawks came on we realised that that Danny & Julian (Danny’s brother) were standing next to us; had a good chat and they were clearly big Jayhawks fans.
Saw Danny a few years ago at our local arts centre. It’s a small venue so at the end of gigs you can normally have a chat to the artists. My wife was a big fan so I embarrassed her by introducing her to Danny. She said how much she loved a particular Grand Drive track, at which point Danny disappears and returns with an acoustic guitar and proceeds to serenade my wife with her beloved track. Just brilliant.

Not completely obscure, but like joy division there’s an absence of duff tracks:

6music did a feature on this bloke a few years ago.
Worth exploring his solo work…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jody_Porter

In the middle of ripping my CD collection, so this thread is a dangerous place for me to be…

Everything by The Go! Team, but Thunder, Lightning, Strike if you only want one album (and its an obvious cut, but Ladyflash is the go to track).

Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant by Belle And Sebastian. The Model is an amazing thing.

Skunk Anansie. Twisted (Everyday Hurts).

McAlmont & Butler. Yes. Always in my top 5 pop singles ever. Stunning vocals.

Ride. Seagull. Best. Album. Opening. Track. Ever.

That Petrol Emotion. Sensitize. Brilliant, slightly skewed pop.

Purity. Bullets For Words.

I’ll throw in the Blue Aeroplanes, the Bristol based band with the crazy Polish dancer Wotjec. Never quite hit the heights they deserved.