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[Son of Godzilla]

The correct answer is Of Montreal. It is disgusting how, while the band has a fair amount of awareness, they get dismissed time and time again and are genuinely underrated. Satanic Panic in the Attic is the best release of 2004, by far. They've got as strong a catalog as any band mentioned so far, including SFA.



And if we're all of a sudden ranking SFA albums, I've got

1. mwng=Radiator
2. PP
3. Rings
4. Guerilla

I actually got into em around Guerilla, but it doesn't particularly hold up very well. Radiator and mwng are so awesome. I don't think SFA qualifies in any way for underrated either. Universally praised (By people who aren't idiots) = underrated?

 

[enjoy bell woods]

They're loved by critics, but their albums don't do well, and I haven't run into many fans. Their official forum gets like two posts a day.

To me, they're the sort of band that could be as big as Blur, but never will be.

 

[Jim Bowie]

Whenever I hear Of Montreal, I get the distinct impression that they like The Beatles way too much and try to imitate their sound. Of course, they don't get it down, and in my opinion fail worse than the other band that likes The Beatles way too much and tries to imitate their sound, Oasis.

 

[Dilbert]

unfortunately i havent delved too much into pulp, one of those bands thats on my perpetual "to check out" list.

Their two best albums -- in a virtual tie for #1 -- are Different Class and This Is Hardcore. You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[marsomega]

Oh, and that fight because Tool is loot backwartds, just classic. :lol :lol


Awesome, I'm really interested in checking out more of their stuff. I loved Spin Spin Sugar. Unfortunately, thats the only song I ever got to hear from them.

SNEAKER PIMPS : Truly awesome electronic/acoustic group.

OLD SP

 

[enjoy bell woods]

Oh, and thanks for the recommendation, nitewulf. I forgot to respond sooner!

 

[GG-Duo]

The correct answer is Of Montreal. It is disgusting how, while the band has a fair amount of awareness, they get dismissed time and time again and are genuinely underrated. Satanic Panic in the Attic is the best release of 2004, by far. They've got as strong a catalog as any band mentioned so far, including SFA.

FUCK. YES.

Every person that likes pop needs to listen to Gay Parade and Satanic Panic.

Whenever I hear Of Montreal, I get the distinct impression that they like The Beatles way too much and try to imitate their sound. Of course, they don't get it down, and in my opinion fail worse than the other band that likes The Beatles way too much and tries to imitate their sound, Oasis.

I think this is where people underrate them.
"Oh, they try too hard to be the Beatles... moving on..."

 

[norinrad21]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Prince and the New Power Generation, Prince alone is worthless without the power generation

 

[Jim Bowie]

I think this is where people underrate them.
"Oh, they try too hard to be the Beatles... moving on..."

Sorry, but when I heard maybe 6 songs by them, I wasn't impressed at all. Perhaps I should give a longer listen?

 

[Cosmic Bus]

I'll second the mentions of Okkervil River and Catherine Wheel, particularly the pre-Happy Days portion, even though Adam & Eve is my all-time favorite album.

Blackalicious is the only other somewhat underrated group I can think of at the moment. Granted, their last disc was on a lot of year-end lists, but there really aren't enough people listening to 'em.

 

[GG-Duo]

Sorry, but when I heard maybe 6 songs by them, I wasn't impressed at all. Perhaps I should give a longer listen?

I'm not sure. Judging from the reviews that I have read, it's hard for someone to remove that opinion about Of Montreal.

However... Get "Nickee Coco" from their website. It's pretty outlandish and fun.

 

[enjoy bell woods]

I don't like Of Montreal either. Not that it matters.

 

[scorcho]

Definitely, Guzim. They're a really brilliant band some people would like to blow off as generic britpop. What they don't realize is that Blur is the greatest band that ever did britpop, and that they're still brilliant. Even without Coxon they're making great music.

I love The Great Escape, Modern Life is Rubbish, Parklife, and 13 (maybe to a lesser extent, although this was my favorite album of all time at one point in my life) equally, and consider them to be some of the catchiest and greatest albums I've ever heard.

How could anyone deny the greatness of songs like "To the End" or "Starshaped"? HOW?

Britpop existed long before Blur or London Suede came on the scene. i called it The Kinks, who created the whole 'Hey! let's sing about how england rocks and how we almost bungled WWII!' with phantabulous harmonies.

the three album run of Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society and especially the OMGWTF god that is Authur beat anything from any moden 'Britpop' catalogue.

oh, and modern underrated, if by this you mean mainstream media exposure and not critical darlings, i'd have to rank the Shins and Spoon right up there, fuck the commercial and occasional movie soundtrack. Spoon has consistently put out amazing work, and 'Series of Sneaks' ranks up as my favorite post-Nirvana rock album. difficult, esoteric but catchy as shit.

 

[Alucard]

Do we all know what "underrated" means? Because I don't think that Tool fits the bill. Even those who may not listen to their music can still respect them and appreciate them. That's what I do. The only reason I don't totally get into them is because of the rest of the depressed Tool fanbase and the fact that the music just doesn't really appeal to me. But underrated? Come on now. That's just being ridiculous. Tool gets a SHITLOAD of credit from all corners of music.

When I think of "underrated" I think of bands like The Flaming Lips and maybe even a little bit of Doves...although Doves are probably more overlooked than underrated. A lot of people just view the Lips as a "funny" band and pass them off as a gimmick. But if you talk to Lips fans or take the time to really try and understand what their music aims to do, then you find something that is actually pretty damn brilliant. But I may be biased there. There really is almost no way to be objective when talking about music.

 

[element]

doves are great, as is elbow

 

[enjoy bell woods]

I agree with The Flaming Lips. Definitely. Although someone's going to come in and challenge that opinion because of Yoshimi's success. Big deal. How many albums in their catalog, 12-13? How many people have heard Hit to Death in the Future Head? Huh?

 

[Quadrophenic]

Arthur (or the decline...) is godly.

 

[tt_deeb]

I wish Dean Friedman, a folk artist during 70s/80s (I think) got more recognition. I really love he's recently reissued self-titled. Heartfelt lyrics that are both clever and honest. Nothing groundbreaking or anything but a damn fine artist based on his debut album. Some of you might recognize his hit "Ariel," try that out and "Company" if you have the chance.

 

[Manabanana]

We're four pages in and not one of you godless hooligans has mentioned the Wrens! They're absolutely my favorite band ever. This was just re-affirmed this evening when I found that Greg Whelan (vocals) personally responded to my e-mail. It wasn't some generic response, either. He asked "Where are you from?" after answering my question and expounding upon the answer. So fucking cool. This might mean a Wrens show in Minneapolis :rock

 

[Jak140]

I think a lot of people are confusing underappreciated with underrated, either way, here are some bands that both apply to:

Enon are from Ohio. This CD is so good it almost makes me forgive Ohio for giving the election to Bush. Almost.

Will Sheff from Okkervil River writes some of the best lyrics ever. Anyone who denies it needs to hear "The War Criminal Rises and Speaks": http://www.bwscd.com/mp3/jag/warcriminal.mp3

I also second the recommendations for Of Montreal, the Wrens, Trail of the Dead, Super Furry Animals, and the Flaming Lips though I wouldn't consider the latter four underrated.

 

[enjoy bell woods]

I like Enon a lot, but more their first two CDs than Hocus Pocus. Anyway, they're good!

 

[Mermandala]

the three album run of Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society and especially the OMGWTF god that is Authur beat anything from any moden 'Britpop' catalogue.

This is the truth. The Kinks were underrated then and even more so now. People think they know them but it's just a handful of songs from the early/late periods. It's all about the middle. I have to throw in Muswell Hillbillies as it's my favourite Kinks record. Picture Book is in that HP digital photography ad so there is hope.

 

[Lambtron]

We're four pages in and not one of you godless hooligans has mentioned the Wrens! They're absolutely my favorite band ever. This was just re-affirmed this evening when I found that Greg Whelan (vocals) personally responded to my e-mail. It wasn't some generic response, either. He asked "Where are you from?" after answering my question and expounding upon the answer. So fucking cool. This might mean a Wrens show in Minneapolis :rock

They played in Minneapolis in March. I went, the entire band signed my CD, dedicated a song to me (it was my birthday), and they fucking tore the place down, they're so good. GW & Charles came up and shook my hand after the show, and before the show, Jer (the drummer) talked to me for a long time, and before Bottom of the Hudson came on, came up to me before he went back stage and said "have a good time!" Great guys. If they come back, I guarantee I'll be up against the fucking stage. It was at the 7th St Entry (which is looking like it's going to reopen, thank christ), so it was tiny. Only bummer is that they don't play much from Secaucus or Silver. I'd give my left nut to hear "Hats Off to Marriage, Baby" live. They didn't know how to play it when I saw them (I requested it!), maybe they know now? Charles played a solo accoustic show a couple months back at the Entry. Their tour dates are sparse, but as soon as something is announced for Minneapolis, I'll be there. I promise.

I think that Of Montreal are very good, but Apples in Stereo & especially Dressy Bessy are FAR better bands. I've been listening to the shit out of Fun Trick Noisemaker by the Apples as of late, and it's just a killer record. I'm excited to hear the new Dressy Bessy album next year, but I'm a bit scared because they have a new drummer. You should be listening to Sound Go Round right now goddammit.

I'm not going to bother reading the whole thread, I'll just chime in with my usual post: Ween. Ween. Ween. Ween. Ween. Ween. Ween. Their records are all fantastic. They're fucking amazing live. They're extremely giving to their fans. Fuck. Go buy The Mollusk, or download a bootleg of a show (which are pretty much all available for free via the infernet), or go see them. They're incredible. I think bell woods would enjoy them a fair bit. (LOLLERS GET IT ROFL)

BTW: After flipping through the thread, yeah, more bands definitely need to emulate Big Black. And yeah, Patton sucks it long and hard. Rob Crow works way harder and rocks harder. Goblin Cock & Optiganally Yours in ought-five!!!!!!!!

 

[Quadrophenic]

Is there a difference between underrated and underappreciated?

Underrated band to me means that the particular band is pretty much universally panned by critics. A band could be universally loved by millions of people, but amongst the circle of music critics, they are not held to highly.

An underappreciated band, on the other hand, could be universally hailed as the best thing ever, while the mass consumer/public ignore them. I think the Kinks kinda fall in this pot, since Something Else, Village Green Perservation, and Arthur (or the Decline) are all highly rated by critics, but mostly ignored by everyone else. A lot of the other bands in this thread (except Tool, and other obvious ones, which are definately not underappricated) fall into this catagory.

Of course, I might just be making a distinction where there really shouldn't be one.

I can't think of any truly underrated bands at the moment, but I do think that Pixies' Trompe Le Monde is a very underrated album. And Califone being an underappreciated band....

 

[karasu]

I've been checking out the bands listed so far, and the vast majority of them suck. :| List good songs too or something.

 

[Lambtron]

Is there a difference between underrated and underappreciated?

Underrated band to me means that the particular band is pretty much universally panned by critics. A band could be universally loved by millions of people, but amongst the circle of music critics, they are not held to highly.

Ween would count for both. Their albums get mediocre reviews (though the two-word Rolling Stone review of Pure Guava ["Pure guano."] is pretty memorable), and people tend to think I'm talking about Weezer when I say their name. Sigh. I think it's all pretty much fucking genius. I mean, their latest album got some pretty weird reviews. Rolling Stone said it wasn't "funny enough." And PFM went on and on about doing drugs and listening to the record, and basically summed it up with "If you like Ween, you'll like this record." They're fucking great songwriters and extremely skilled musicians. But, whatever, people can't handle the idea that a band can write songs that aren't ultra serious but are at the same time very well done musically. So that means more Ween for me, in smaller venues, more often. Ahahahahaha, you guys fucking lose.

BTW, songs to check out by Ween? Everything would be fine, basically, but...

Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)
Buckingham Green
The Mollusk
Falling Out
The Argus
Tried & True
Transdermal Celebration
It's Gonna Be a Long Night
Bananas & Blow
Doctor Rock
Powder Blue
You Were the Fool
Japanese Cowboy

etc. etc. etc.

 

[Meatpuppet]

On the Ween front I'd put in a shout for Ocean Man. QUite possibly one of my favorite songs by any band.

Can I put Hot Snakes down as an under-rated band? They get critical acclaim to some extent, but zip by way of commercial success. I've been meaning to get a hold of Audit In Progress for a month or so: finally picked it up yesterday, and on early impressions its definitely a frontrunner for AOTY.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

Are you sure SFA sells like crap? I have no idea of exact numbers, but I'm pretty certain they've been cracking top ten in UK Charts with every release for a while now. And the SFA Yahoo group list thing was absolutely huge when I was on it.

I don't think there needs to be a distinction between underrated and underappreciated. I don't really give weight to a reviewer's opinion over someone I know or vice versa, and I doubt many people do.

I didn't really expect many people to like Of Montreal, they are underrated. However, if all you've heard from them is Gay Parade/Coquelicot and previous, do give them another try. I can kinda sorta see how the Beatles influence could be smothering, especially on the first half of Gay Parade.

If you want songs, try:
Climb the Ladder
The Blank Husband Epidemic
The Kid Without Claws
Rapture Rapes the Muses
Tulip Baroo
An Introduction for Isabell
Spoonful of Sugar
My Favorite Boxer

Eh, there's plenty more, but if you don't like these you prolly won't like whatever. Also, I really think these songs lose alot if taken away from their albums.

Also, I think Ween fits perfectly.

 

[Jak140]

Since everyone's pimping Elephant 6 bands, I'd also say that Beulah is pretty underrated:

One of the best pop albums of the last decade. "If We Can Land a Man on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart" is one of my favorite songs:
http://mp3.insound.com/download.cfm?mp3id=63

Also check out the Olivia Tremor Control.

 

[Manabanana]

Hey Lamb, I just got another e-mail from Greg talking about upcoming releases. (Note: we were also talking about the Pixies.)

We are all going to see the Pixies in a few weeks - should be a blast. We intend to re-release our Abbott 1135 EP with a few added tunes from that time period and we intend to start the next record in Jan and hope for a summer/fall release...no 7 [year] gap...we would all be dead from old age...again, thanks bro & have fun.* Cheers G

I'm so jealous you got to see them. I wasn't here when they were. Too bad they didn't play much from Secaucus. That album fuckin' rocks. Did they at least play "Rest Your Head" or "Built in Girls"?

 

[enjoy bell woods]

Are you sure SFA sells like crap? I have no idea of exact numbers, but I'm pretty certain they've been cracking top ten in UK Charts with every release for a while now. And the SFA Yahoo group list thing was absolutely huge when I was on it.

I don't think there needs to be a distinction between underrated and underappreciated. I don't really give weight to a reviewer's opinion over someone I know or vice versa, and I doubt many people do.

I didn't really expect many people to like Of Montreal, they are underrated. However, if all you've heard from them is Gay Parade/Coquelicot and previous, do give them another try. I can kinda sorta see how the Beatles influence could be smothering, especially on the first half of Gay Parade.

If you want songs, try:
Climb the Ladder
The Blank Husband Epidemic
The Kid Without Claws
Rapture Rapes the Muses
Tulip Baroo
An Introduction for Isabell
Spoonful of Sugar
My Favorite Boxer

Eh, there's plenty more, but if you don't like these you prolly won't like whatever. Also, I really think these songs lose alot if taken away from their albums.

Also, I think Ween fits perfectly.

I think they've hit like #4 or #5 on the charts in the UK, but they're not huge by any means. I think in Wales they sell out arena shows, but of course, they're from Wales -- and I think the Welsh are sort of nationalistic.

I felt like sharing this with you guys.


John Peel Session - SFA Demons

Demons is definitely one of my favorite songs, and here it is being performed on the second to last John Peel session ever. I think they did a particularly special job on this session.

---

I listened to one Of Montreal CD that had some spoken word song on it or something, and that really turned my off immensely. It was something about a spider. Of course that's not very good grounds for judging a band, so I'll check them out some more.

 

[Lambtron]

On the Ween front I'd put in a shout for Ocean Man. QUite possibly one of my favorite songs by any band.

Can I put Hot Snakes down as an under-rated band? They get critical acclaim to some extent, but zip by way of commercial success. I've been meaning to get a hold of Audit In Progress for a month or so: finally picked it up yesterday, and on early impressions its definitely a frontrunner for AOTY.

I think you're my new best friend. I love the shit out of Ocean Man. I was just listing a ton of stuff-- I didn't want to go completely overboard!

And Hot Snakes are fucking incredible. I think that Audit in Progress is their best album, and is my AOTY. It's got some glowing reviews, so I'm not sure if they're underrated (I mean, in my eyes, I suppose they are) but they're definitely underappreciated. I'm so sad they're skipping Minneapolis on tour this fall. They fucking better play in the spring!

I'm so jealous you got to see them. I wasn't here when they were. Too bad they didn't play much from Secaucus. That album fuckin' rocks. Did they at least play "Rest Your Head" or "Built in Girls"?

They played "Built in Girls" for sure (I distinctly remember singing it at the top of my lungs , I don't think they played "Rest Your Head." They also playyyyed "Indie 500" and "Won't Get Too Far." I'm kind of fuzzy on the other song(s) they played from it. I'm excited that there's a solid release period for the Abbott 1135 reissue. I want it really badly (I also really want an original copy of the EP on Ten23 to sort of complete my Wrens collection, dammit!). The fact that they're going to put out new material next year makes my fucking morning. Seriously. That's incredible. Next year is going to be, like, the best year ever. New records by Ween, The Wrens, Dressy Bessy, and Optiganally Yours! I'm going to be in fucking heaven.

 

[Meatpuppet]

Plus new records by QOTSA, Frank Black (screw the haters), and And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (since I'm refraining from swashbucklery).

 

[Lambtron]

The new Low album is really fuckin' good too. That's next year... Oh sweet jesus, it's going to be awesome.

The only way it could be better is if The Exploding Hearts rose from the dead and recorded a new album. Get on it guys. Power pop by zombies would sell fucking millions.

 

[Meatpuppet]

Another band to chuck in under the underappreciated label is Drive By Truckers.

They play a mean form of hard rock with country overtones. Basically, think Lynerd Skynerd but with more grit. Do yourselves a favour and check out at least one of the following albums by them:

The Dirty South
Decoration Day
Southern Rock Opera

 

[Mr. Spinnington]

The Veils