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[Jackie Blue]

Ever since downloading the one My Dad Is Dead album from the Mediafire thread, I have been amazed at how overlooked he/they apparently are/were.  Last.fm is telling me there are just over 30,000 plays total for all his recorded output.  That's shocking because Jesus Christ, he's awesome.  In my whole life I can only think of maybe a dozen times I've ever heard anyone mention him.  It boggles the mind, especially considering the year that album came out - 1989!  A near-perfect blend of Joy Division, Fugazi and a splash of Husker Du.  So, so good.

Not nearly as overlooked but still seemingly pretty unknown to the younger generation: Camper Van Beethoven.  Yeah, OK, a lot of people know "Take the Skinheads Bowling" but what most seem to not know is that is nowhere near the level of quality they eventually achieved on their later albums.  If it's still in print, I highly recommend the incredibly-cheap 5-CD box set Cigarettes and Carrot Juice, which compiles their first 3 albums, a CD of rarities, and a live CD that is absolutely phenomenal.  And if you like those, you'll probably fucking adore their last two albums, Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart and Key Lime Pie.  The latter of those two is in my top 5 of the 80s, no contest.  Every song on it is 100% gold, from the haunting Southern gothic "Jack Ruby" to the RAWKKKKKKING cover of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" to the shoegazy "June" and don't even get me started on "All Her Favorite Fruit", and the jagged garage punch of "(I Was Born in a) Laundromat" and the perfect closing anthem "Come On Darkness"... I'll stop now.

[Funk Thompson]

Camper von Beethoven is freaking awesome.  I guess he got some 'acclaim' via Cracker, but I like the Camper stuff soooo much better.

Madahoochi is my favorite "Who?" band.  Been around for 11 years now, and just haven't really gotten the reception I think their talent deserves.  Scott Rockwood is a phenomenal songwriter, very intricate lyrics, and very dark for a "jam band" (though I hate that label.)  They pull from many different genres, and remind me in that regard of Wilco or Ween - no two songs sound alike, yet they manage to have a "distinctive sound" that ties them all together.  "Nuclear Man" starts off with bluegrass rhythm and then builds into an excellent electronica song.  "Cycle of Creation" sounds like a Zeppelin tune.  "Consequence" has more of a prog-rock sound.  "Johnny Walker" is almost country.

[Lummer]

The Wildhearts!!

They're fairly well known in the UK, but pretty obscure anywhere. This band should have been huge, but never were. Thankfully they still have plenty of fight left in 'em, frontman Ginger in particular.
Good ol' Ginge has gone through troubles that would've killed lesser men years ago, but he's still here, writing fucking brilliant songs and being an all-round fucking hero.


Also, it's a shame that Jason And The Scorchers are relegated to minor one-hit-wonder status, since they are really, really good. The rockinest country band, or shitkickinest rock band ever. I'm not sure which. Nevertheless, they're amazing.

[PassiveTheory]

Elbow.

Seriously, those guys should be huge.

[Broken_Drum]

Have A Nice Life. Those guys have got to be one of the most interesting bands I've heard, it's a shame they've stopped producing physical copies of their 'Deathconsciousness' album. I recommend them to anyone who likes Shoegaze/ Industrial/ Metal. http://www.myspace.com/haveanicelife

[MrSteevo]

I think Radical Face is fairly ingored.
They're a great band, but you can't even find someone who's heard of them at the music stores.(I'm not talking about HMV places, but the Indie stores)

[np96]

Definately agree with Elbow. Also the Bees seem to be quite overlooked as do the Flaming Lips, in the UK anyway. Quite a few of my friends have never heard of them and they don't seem to get the TV exposure over here as they seem to in America. Maybe thats a good thing, stopping them from being overplayed and subsequently hated.

[sean]

Also the Bees seem to be quite overlooked as do the Flaming Lips, in the UK anyway.

I really don't know about the Flaming Lips status in the UK, but I can pretty much guarantee that they are not under heard. They are one of the biggest names in the indie scene, so just cause your friends don't know them doesn't mean nobody else listens to them.

[Jackie Blue]

Uhhh... the Flaming Lips are huge in the UK, aren't they?  Didn't NME and all the other rags go batshit over The Soft Bulletin, moreso than their American counterparts?

[Liz]

I think Radical Face is fairly ingored.
They're a great band, but you can't even find someone who's heard of them at the music stores.(I'm not talking about HMV places, but the Indie stores)

Seconded.

[Thrillho]

Barenaked Ladies. Remembered for some comedy hits, but their last two or three albums have been works of beautiful, classic pop melancholia.

[Johnny C]

WAX MANNEQUIN

[Sox]

Uhhh... the Flaming Lips are huge in the UK, aren't they?  Didn't NME and all the other rags go batshit over The Soft Bulletin, moreso than their American counterparts?

Yeah, I remember them being all over the TV when I was about nine or something. Similarly, Elbow have TV ads overhere. I don't think Elbow are criminally ignored. If anything, I think they're overhyped. You're right about MDID though.

[TheFuriousWombat]

Almost no one listens to or even knows about The Appleseed Cast. This makes me sad b/c they're pretty great. I'd say that within their genre/style, they're one of the most underrated bands I listen to.

[imapiratearg]

I do!  They are fantastic, indeed!  I've been contemplating uploading both albums I have by them for the mediafire thread.  Shall I?

WAX MANNEQUIN

Him too.

[sean]

Please do, I have not heard them yet.

[imapiratearg]

I will when I get home from work and from testing out the most brutal of all distortion pedals.

EDIT - They are up now.

[Broken_Drum]

I'd like to add The Pax Cecilia also, I'm sure Objects inside Clouds will agree.

[Trollstormur]

Absu. it's got a bunch of core fans but this is one of the best american metal bands since slayer and i'm tired of shouting Absu at everyone wanting some metal.

[Johnny C]

Talking on Gabbly right now, I feel this thread will nicely illustrate the dichotomy between the North American music-listening public and those in Great Britain.

[Sox]

What JC is saying is that in the UK, we're way fucking indier than you guys in North America.

[sean]

I'd like to add The Pax Cecilia also, I'm sure Objects inside Clouds will agree.

This man knows whats up.

These guys released what I thought was one of the best albums of 2007, if not the best. They are rather unnoticed, still being unsigned, but they did make a few top lists of 2007. They are still rather new as well, only starting in 2003. I wouldn't say they are criminally ignored, but more people should listen to them. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.

[Christophe]

Vitreous fucking Humor.

[Tom]

Hank Pine and Liliy Fawn

[suitupletsgo]

I've found that no one really know Self at all. he's definitely one of my favourite bands and one of the first cd's I ever picked up as a kid. came out in 94.

[Broken_Drum]

This man knows whats up.

These guys released what I thought was one of the best albums of 2007, if not the best. They are rather unnoticed, still being unsigned, but they did make a few top lists of 2007. They are still rather new as well, only starting in 2003. I wouldn't say they are criminally ignored, but more people should listen to them. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.

I agree, but oh how I wish I had knew about them before they stopped selling the physical copy of 'Blessed...' from their website. Also have you heard 'Nouveau'? I was quite surprised at how good it was after reading some quite bad reviews of it, not nearly as good as BATB but still very listenable.

[sean]

No, I haven't. If you could upload Nouveau to the mediafire thread I would love you forever.

[squawk]

The 1900s

Yes.

Also, Earlimart.

[KharBevNor]

I never see anyone giving love to Raped! By Dolphins. Possibly the best band with random punctuation in their name. I suggest everyone who likes music try and track down their second full-length 'Rottwangler' for an idea of what they were trying to accomplish.

[Sox]

They're poppier than I thought they'd be. I didn't think I'd like them. I played them for my friends after you mailed me the album, but they just started laughing when they saw the album cover and refused to take them seriously.

[Oli]

I used to have a copy of "Rottwangler" but I seem to have lost it in the process of moving flat. Hopefully it's at my parents house.

If anyone does find a copy of it on the internet a PM informing me would be absolutely wonderful, it's incredibly difficult to track down, the only copy I've ever seen is my 2nd hand copy that I bought in a wee record shop in London. I bought it based pretty much solely on the name.

[Sox]

I'll rip my copy and put it in the mediafire thread. Later. It's 1am and I'm going to bed.

[PassiveTheory]

Also, adding to Elbow:

Spiritualized (they should be as big as Radiohead)
Why?
Junior Boys
Hercules and Love Affair

[michaelicious]

I am also going to say that Raped! By Dolphins may well be the great unknown band of our era.

Edit: And by Raped! By Dolphins I mean Silkworm.

[RedLion]

If everyone listened to and loved Gogol Bordello, there would massive Gypsy Punk dance parties in the streets, in schools, at parties, at work. It would change the world.

[imapiratearg]

If everyone listened to Gogol Bordello, the world would be a better place.

THINK LOCALLY

FUCK GLOBALLY.

[sean]

If everyone listened to Raped! By Dolphins, the world would be a better place.

[IronOxide]

Although I do love R!BD, I cannot accept the straight-up brutal apparent lack of love for Big Star that I seem to see. It seems that the kindest words anyone ever hears about them is "oh yeah, I've heard of those guys", despite them being the most talented Power-Pop band from the 70s.

[imagist42]

I don't know about "criminally ignored" but some of my favorite bands I suspect are moderately underrated, if not here then generally

Eulogies
Immaculate Machine
Lola Ray
Moving Units
Scissors for Lefty
The Paperbacks

[KickThatBathProf]

If everyone listened to Gogol Bordello, the world would start wearing purple.

[karl gambolputty...]

The Minutemen, Bedhead, Sugar and the Experimental Aircraft should all be household names.

[Johnny C]

The Paperbacks

THIS

[jimbunny]

It's understandable, considering they're more of a local presence than anything else, but Breathe Owl Breathe really should be influencing more people. Idiosyncratic, minimalistic folk music.

[Spluff]

Pagan Altar, guys.

Absu. it's got a bunch of core fans but this is one of the best american metal bands since slayer and i'm tired of shouting Absu at everyone wanting some metal.

Best album?

[squawk]

Also, Middle Distance Runner.

[KvP]

Buck 65.

[np96]

Uhhh... the Flaming Lips are huge in the UK, aren't they?  Didn't NME and all the other rags go batshit over The Soft Bulletin, moreso than their American counterparts?

I don't really read the NME, maybe thats why I think they aren't getting the attention they deserve.

[David_Dovey]

I thought Buck 65 was fairly popular, as far as "Indie" rappers go?

The Minutemen

Fuck yeah this.

P.S; cos of this thread I finally downloaded "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" and holy crap it is so good.

[KvP]

Hmmm, outside the US, probably.

[KharBevNor]

If everyone listened to and loved Gogol Bordello, there would massive Gypsy Punk dance parties in the streets, in schools, at parties, at work. It would change the world.

I dunno if things are different in the states, but Gogol Bordello are pretty big in the UK. They've played loads of major festivals (Glastonbury, Bestival, Reading, Leeds) and are a pretty firm favourite of the NME crowd, and of many other folk. I like Gogol Bordello. My girlfriend likes Gogol Bordello. My little sister likes Gogol Bordello. My MUM likes Gogol Bordello.