Your favorite, underrated band?

I like to listen to a wide variety of music, and my favorite bands are the ones that really haven't made the billboard 200 or got any wide claim to fame. And since these underrated bands are hard to find (for me anyway) I was wondering what underdogs you folks like to listen to and throw them out there to see if others would enjoy them. So a few of my favorite underdogs are...

Orgy: A Nu metal band with a really bad ass remix of Blue Monday.

Dry Cell: I cannot recommend these guys enough. They have only one album out to my knowledge but it is FANTASTIC. Seriously, a new sound that I am sure everyone will enjoy.

Bile: I'm not sure if any of you remember the Mortal Kombat soundtrack, but these guys had a single on it that was amazing. They are industrial metal which not many are into, but if that's your cup o' tea check these guys out!

David Migden and The Dirty Words.
These guys are fucking awesome, a combination of blues, rock, jazz and country styles.
Been to see them at the jazz rooms at my local Pizza Express 3 times now, been amazing each time.

They've only got one album out, but it's incredible.

Also, the singer teaches at a local college, the drummer is my best friends ex-drum teacher, and the pianist is my other best friends lecturer!

Pretty much every band I like that isn't mainstream. I like them so much I wish they are popular and made millions. Especially Godspeed You Black Emperor!

The Twilight Singers. Music you have to be in the right mood for definitely, but amazing nevertheless.

Yo La Tengo are fantastic but hugely unknown all things considered.
Joanna Newsom should be far more popular than she is.
Paloma Faith - most Brits will have heard her music on an anti-drinking advert but she's VERY unknown (but she hasn't released an album yet so fair enough...)
Jeffrey Lewis is a fantastic, amazing anti-folk artist.
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip are a great hip-hop outfit, as is M.I.A. (though she's somewhat more popular now that Paper Planes - one of her worse songs - is a bit of a hit)
Will Oldham, Willy Mason, Ani DiFranco, Boards Of Canada, Howling Bells etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by no_brains_no_worries

Dry Cell: I cannot recommend these guys enough. They have only one album out to my knowledge but it is FANTASTIC. Seriously, a new sound that I am sure everyone will enjoy.

---

Wow, just listened to them and I have to say, you could not be more wrong.
Sure everyone will enjoy? Pretty sure only fans of awful early 2000s nu-metal will remotely enjoy what I hesitate to call their 'music'.

Also, new sound? Yeah, if you've been living under a rock for 8 years.

You clearly have a terrible taste in music.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

Wow, just listened to them and I have to say, you could not be more wrong.
Sure everyone will enjoy? Pretty sure only fans of awful early 2000s nu-metal will remotely enjoy what I hesitate to call their 'music'.

Also, new sound? Yeah, if you've been living under a rock for 8 years.

You clearly have a terrible taste in music.

---

Dude eat a dick. You just posted anit-folk and anti-alcoholic singers, so can you really enjoy metal? Like, at all? I think they are great, but to each their own.

Enjoy your non folksy hip hop sorbriety douche.

Kyuss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhpPorKGZDA

As Josh Homme's main group Queens of the Stone Age continues to stray farther and farther away from their awesome roots, his first band will always kick ass. Birthed from the barren southwest, these desert punks continue to fill my speakers with their psychedelic brand of Sabbath-esque stoner rock.

Wellwater Conspiracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy2iUK63xiw

What was initially a sideproject of a sideproject, Matt Cameron (Soundgarden) and John McBain (Monster Magnet) (and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden for the first album) continued this neo-psychedelic band for over ten years. Album guests included Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Josh Homme (as mentioned above).

Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppGKynT2MBU

Earth was initially a drugged out, minimalistic drone doom band headed by Dylan Carlson, who most famously was a friend of Kurt Cobain and gave him the shotgun he used to commit suicide. After being absent for nearly a decade from the music scene, Carlson cleaned up and reformed Earth; still minimalistic as ever, but this time as a post rock (perhaps even "post country") outfit.

(double post sorry)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by no_brains_no_worries

Dude eat a dick. You just posted anit-folk and anti-alcoholic singers, so can you really enjoy metal? Like, at all? I think they are great, but to each their own.

Enjoy your non folksy hip hop sorbriety douche.

---

Anti-alcoholic? Don't think so. Their music was used in a government ad but from what I know about the singer that would be a false statement.

Also, Yo La Tengo: Alternative Rock. In fact, most of their stuff is very noisy, heavily guitar based.

Also, Dry Cell: Pop band. In the same way Linkin park, Limp Bizkit and all the other bands who suck Interscope's cock are all pop bands.

Can I like metal? Yes, and I do. Probably a lot heavier stuff than you do. Y'know, stuff that's actually metal (not 'nu-metal' i.e. 'fag-metal').

Put aside Tool, Alice In Chains, Faith No More, Audioslave, Motorhead, Pantera, early Metallica etc. A band I forgot to mention before is SikTh (mostly because they've been consistently worse each time I've seen them live). As an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BzWuc16GE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARTvoqqn8U8
Then there's other heavy bands like Converge, Lightning Bolt, Yourcodenameis:Milo etc. who are all among my favourite 'underground' bands. I just picked a few of the things I'd been listening to heavily at the moment.

Bad bands are just bad bands.

Since when was tool metal? And heavier stuff? Name one band heavier then Cannibal Corpse. I mean "I Cum Blood" has got to be some of the craziest shit ever. Didn't care much for the first video (second didn't work), sounded like a garage band who pooled their allowances together to make a track.

Oh and on another note, never knock Pantera or Motorhead. You go to ANY metal rally and ask people their favs, they'll always lost those two as gods.

When I said 'Put aside Tool, Alice In Chains etc.' I meant I regularly listen to all those bands so don't tell me not to knock bands I like. I've seen Motorhead live, their fans were actually one of the friendliest crowds I've ever seen. And yes, Tool are an offshoot of Metal.
Yes, there are heavier bands than Cannibal Corpse. Anal Cunt etc. But whatever, the main point was you were just very wrong about Dry Cell. The Nu-metal thing passed before it even started.

Tool is more of a progressive metal jam band than anything these days. They also get my vote for my favorite underrated band.

Jandek. He's one of the great "Outsider" musicians. Nobody knows very much about him, with only two known interviews since 1978, and only one known live performance (2004?). His music is loosely like Country and Blues, with some variations of Folk inspired from Eastern Texas. Nobody knows where he lives, and there are no verified sources of his actual name. He does claim to have been born in the 60s though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

Yes, there are heavier bands than Cannibal Corpse. Anal Cunt etc.

---

Don't forget about Poopfist.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by djwolford

Tool is more of a progressive metal jam band than anything these days. They also get my vote for my favorite underrated band.

---

If you've ever met any tool fans then you'd know that Tool are, if anything, slightly overrated. They just can't do any wrong, and if you tell any of them that you like another band more or that another band is more experimental or that another band are more intelligent then they will stab you in the eyes (I'm typing this using voice-recognition software...)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BzWuc16GE

---

Holy shit that was awful.

Also thanks to whoever mentioned Cannibal Corpse. I never heard them prior to this thread, and your reply sparked my interest. I youtubed I Cum Blood and, needless to say, that's the last time I will ever listen to Cannibal Corpse.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ozzy

Holy shit that was awful.

---

I can honestly say that is probably some of the worst music Ive heard in my life. Next to this local band called Destroyed by Fire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BzWuc16GE

---

I don't care for this song, but I support it. It's better than the shit MTV plays (or should I say doesn't play) these days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

If you've ever met any tool fans then you'd know that Tool are, if anything, slightly overrated. They just can't do any wrong, and if you tell any of them that you like another band more or that another band is more experimental or that another band are more intelligent then they will stab you in the eyes (I'm typing this using voice-recognition software...)

---

Yeah, I've met a few tool fans in my day. We're not talking about who's overrated within the band's fan base though, or any given band would be overrated. Among the general population they're not given nearly enough credit because they're not very listenable. Dick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BzWuc16GE

---

That was god awful terrible fucking wow

EVergreen Terrace
Interpol(that cologne commercial pisses me off)
Immortal Technique
Bayside
Plaid

wow i just named an emo band as underrated goodly

Edguy, videos explain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-hG4l2gs-A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYFFAbyOSXY

Tunng:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI1NgFYJCN4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy4RWR0zl20

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nick2.1

Edguy, videos explain.
videos

---

I couldn't take it. They remind me of so many older rock bands, but talent aside, I couldn't listen to them unless they had some catchy tune.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by solecistic

Tunng:
videos

---

Bought this album based on these two videos: Tunng - Good Arrows.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mad Pino Rage

Bought this album based on these two videos: Tunng - Good Arrows.

---

:pphug:

Aren't they wonderful?

I really like Tunng but when I saw them live they were just plain boring. My friend (who's seen them like 5 times) said that it was the worst he'd seen them, like they were just having an off day of something but I dunno. I was also quite drunk and fairly near the back.

A lot of the crowd seemed like pretentious cunts as well.

Well only pretentious cunts would listen to a genre that calls itself folktronica, so yeah. I've watched a lot of live clips and they seem like they'd be awesome live. They add a lot more harmony parts to their songs and it's amazing. You probably just caught a bad show.

Fastball
Rockapella
Tower of Power

I reckon. Most of the stuff I listen to is pretty respected among those who have heard it (I do listen to some obscure stuff though).

Pavement
Apples in Stereo
Ween

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jared

Pavement
Apples in Stereo
Ween

---

I wouldn't call Ween underrated. Most of the people I know think they are pretty good.

The Mollusk is arguably the single greatest album released in the 1990s.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr. E

I wouldn't call Ween underrated. Most of the people I know think they are pretty good.

---

I'd never even heard of them until now. But they have legos in one of their music videos.

Fuck yeah. I love em.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr. E

I wouldn't call Ween underrated. Most of the people I know think they are pretty good.

---

I think I've only met two people who know who they are, and most people who hear them instantly shoot them down without really giving them a chance

Maybe I'm not hanging out with the right people

http://www.nwmusicblog.com/blog/wp-c...0/boognish.gif

Cross Canadian Ragweed and Reckless Kelly.

Also Orgy isn't unknown or underrated unless you are 16. Also hello meatspin soundtrack.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simonj

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BzWuc16GE

---

Jesus Simonj what the fuck did I just watch
that was so goddamn fucking awful

Neutral Milk Hotel
Converge
Beirut
Defiance Ohio
Bomb the Music Industry
Baroness
Botch
Murder by Death
O'Death
Skinny Puppy
Tom Waits
Wilco
William Elliott Whitmore
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Mastodon

Katy Perry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maliathone

Neutral Milk Hotel

---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BYbmckk9mU

Also, while their albums haven't sold much, every reviewer who has heard of the band has praised their records up and down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jkyuT8unw

Electric Light Orchestra

yeah they do have more than two songs

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maliathone

Neutral Milk Hotel
Converge
Beirut
Defiance Ohio
Bomb the Music Industry
Baroness
Botch
Murder by Death
O'Death
Skinny Puppy
Tom Waits
Wilco
William Elliott Whitmore
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Mastodon

---

I almost crapped myself when I saw Tom Waits on your underrated list. I mean, the man is a god! But your right. With the younger generation, I doubt many know who he is.

BTW I am listening to Heart Attack and Vine as of right now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jared

Electric Light Orchestra

yeah they do have more than two songs

---

ELO is freaking awesome. The little music school I went to was all about them. You're right though, most people don't even know they exist.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Janglez

Katy Perry.

---

I actually do like a few Katy Perry songs, she's very catchy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr. E

ELO is freaking awesome. The little music school I went to was all about them. You're right though, most people don't even know they exist.

---

One thing I notice though is that around the holidays tons of companies use their songs for commercials... it's ridiculous, there have been times where I sat through a set of commercials and three of them used different ELO songs.

But yes, my mom actually told me about them when I really got in to older progressive stuff five or six years ago, and they are amazing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jared

One thing I notice though is that around the holidays tons of companies use their songs for commercials... it's ridiculous, there have been times where I sat through a set of commercials and three of them used different ELO songs.

But yes, my mom actually told me about them when I really got in to older progressive stuff five or six years ago, and they are amazing.

---

I purchased the The Best of ELO and was surprised to hear so many familiar songs. I just want to drop a name in case anyone else is interested in listening.

MGMT
Grandaddy
TV on the Radio
The Dandy Warhols
Of Montreal
Neutral Milk Hotel
The Arcade Fire
Girl Talk
The Avalanches
Jurassic 5

Rofl at people thinking that The Arcade Fire and Interpol are underrated bands. Every so-called indie kid and his/her dog crap on about them incessantly (not to mention TAF were a headline act at Big Day Out this year).

Not that I dislike either of them...but really, I do get sick of 'indie' bands thinking that including a violin in their sound makes them experimental.

Third Eye Blind

Sure everyone has heard of them but I don't think they've received due credit. The lyrics are enthralling and very revealing.

"Just give me a call when you feel better
but you never do and I’m just another debtor
to some palm reader
whose got her hands mixed up
Palm readers breath
smells of brandy and cigarettes
As she sells me and sweet forgets,
she needs something to get her through
she runs a scam like me and you"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pepè Silvia

The Avalanches

---

The video for frontier psychiatrist never, EVER gets old.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by no_brains_no_worries

The video for frontier psychiatrist never, EVER gets old.

---

No shit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8BWBn26bX0

Two Words: Powerman 5000

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KT_

Third Eye Blind

Sure everyone has heard of them but I don't think they've received due credit. The lyrics are enthralling and very revealing.

"Just give me a call when you feel better
but you never do and I’m just another debtor
to some palm reader
whose got her hands mixed up
Palm readers breath
smells of brandy and cigarettes
As she sells me and sweet forgets,
she needs something to get her through
she runs a scam like me and you"

---

I didn't really care for Out of the Vein.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by solecistic

The Mollusk is arguably the single greatest album released in the 1990s.

---

Oh, arguably? Glad you mentioned that or I would have for sure thought it was absolute fact.


Tonedeff is definitely my favorite artist, and he is RIDICULOUSLY underrated. He only has one actual music video unfortunately, but there are tons of live performances on Youtube where he will AMAZE you. I had the great opportunity of seeing him in concert in New York City, and I have serious doubts that anyone puts on a better show than Tonedeff and PackFM.

His Move In, Ride Out music video (beat from Kid Icarus ftw :D):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebVnIBpGLuc

Him as a younger fellow on the Arsenio Hall show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcK2xDn8VqI

Time for some crazy, acoustic fingerstyle guitar music.

Personally, I am obsessed with the guitar, and its entirely due to artists like these. I had almost given up on the acoustic as being an instrument capable of something other than bad country or shitty slow versions of songs or just straight up emo homosexuality. And then I came across a video of Andy McKee playing "Drifting."

I'll go off on a little tangent - "Drifting" is a pretty lameass song. It sounds pretty, and it's neither easy to play or write, I just have this bias against hitting your guitar as a percussive instrument. It's something that has to be done tastefully and with great skill, or else it's just refined douchebaggery. Get a drummer. I am being mildly hypocritical at this point, but bear with me.

I have a bunch of songs by fingerstyle artists whose dicks i would suck in a heartbeat if it meant I could play like them at all.

Ebon Coast - Andy McKee
Fun fact: this song is recorded on a baritone guitar. Baritones are like a 7-string, without the high e. Acoustic bass sounds rock my world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSnWhsmlGec

Thin Air - Don Ross
The hard part was picking just two Don Ross songs, because he has many that are really good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZx_ckGDa64

Michael, Michael, Michael - Don Ross
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkidVP0AcQ8

Reality - Antoine Dufour
Antoine also has quite a few good ones, but this is my favourite. His [video=youtube;-dIAZV_22y4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4BYMvVvMgo]four-hands guitar[/url] and [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dIAZV_22y4[/video] with a fiddler are impressive as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1GZC0GQKOA

Stages of Obsession - Craig D'Andrea
He was, I believe, about 20 or so when he recorded this and his first album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shV9iEwkaN0

Airtap! - Erik Mongrain
It's possible that you saw this well before now. It's a pretty impressive video, and I like his song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dXBZHehxAs as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbndgwfG22k

Grooveyard - Thomas Leeb
This guy does the percussive stuff that I purportedly hate, but generally does it well enough that I can enjoy it. His http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz5mMHJMr7s is pretty good, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwb1lc0XStc

Spanish Gentleman - Andrew White
If you check out his other songs, you find out they all use the same chord progression, but whatever. He is still a talented musician. (edit: not the progression in this song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROcPFDeNz_M

Enjoy!

I really enjoyed Andy McKee. When I have more time to check out the others, I'll give them a shot, too.

On another note:

The Human Abstract made a really good album called Nocturne, that I really, really liked.

Then they choked on each other's testicles in the process of recording their second album. Damn.

Are they speed-metal? I'm really bad at putting metal bands into the myriad sub-genres.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr. E

Fastball
Rockapella
Tower of Power

I reckon. Most of the stuff I listen to is pretty respected among those who have heard it (I do listen to some obscure stuff though).

---

tower of power is pretty big, I don't know how you think they're underrated or anything.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maliathone

Neutral Milk Hotel
Converge
Beirut
Defiance Ohio
Bomb the Music Industry
Baroness
Botch
Murder by Death
O'Death
Skinny Puppy
Tom Waits
Wilco
William Elliott Whitmore
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Mastodon

---

Half of the bands on this list are jocked by kids everywhere.

Figure I will toss another in The Refused