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OT: Bands that you really like/love but never attained commercial

recruitsreadtheseboards said:
or mainstream attention or success.

I can think of 5 right off the bat, 5 that I would consider probably in my top 10-15 of all time favorites.

1) Afghan Whigs
2) Pavement
3) Modest Mouse
4) Husker Du
5) At The Drive In

All obviously the same genre
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Locals.. Billie Price and Stormin Norman ....
 
Dr. von Yinzer said:
I agree, I'm not sure that they are underappreciated? They are certainly not under appreciated in my circle. However, when I talk about them to other friends or colleagues, they usually look at me like I have three heads.

That is why I said upfront that I never understand threads like this. I think who is unknown and who is underappreciated all depends on your audience. To many people reading this board, those bands are extremely well-known. To others, they are completely unknown.

I have no idea who I'm talking to here? I can certainly get more obscure if you'd like? However, what would be the point?

I also don't know what a hipster is – at least in this context?

Because my idea of a hipster is some young single dude with funky facial hair and thick glasses who wears goofy hats and blogs about craft beers and lives in Brooklyn – or something along those lines. None of those things remotely apply to me. Hell, I think people who wear visors are by and large douche bags.

I'm just a family guy from Pittsburgh with two little boys who happens to love sports and who is also lucky enough to have been exposed to a lot of excellent music over the years and who was smart and open-minded enough to embrace that opportunity.
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Here's the point of this thread. After the close on full out recruiting this past month, and 330 days away from the next LOI day, I am worn out on recruiting. Nothing going on football wise. Completely worn out on James Franklin based threads. Don't want to talk about PSU. Or any more Priest scandals. And driving around yesterday listening to Sirius XMU's Old School show and hearing a Pavement song then an Afghan Whigs song, this thought popped into my mind. That's all. I mean those two are really my fav groups of all time along with U2 and Pearl Jam, but everyone knows those two, do they know Greg Dulli and Stephen Malkmus?

And am I a hipster? No way, I am a dork, okay, maybe not a dork, but I am too old on conforming to some sort of style but damn I think my musical tastes is/was pretty damn good.

Wait until tomorrow's OT thread, it gets better. Then after that, it will be "What would be on your Mt. Rushmore of Obscure Music Threads?" post. Of which I am gunning for at least 2 of the 4 spots.
 
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There was this little band from seattle called pearl jam. Liked them. Never even made a record. Thought they might catch on. Guess it didnt happen.
 
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Weezer
Killers
The Weeks
Dave Matthews Band
Metallica

Also, have these - but I bought tickets to see them this spring/summer:
Pearl Jam
Kings of Leon
Mumford
 
SoufOaklin4Life said:
Big head Todd and the monsters
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I think I saw them open for DMB at the Palumbo Center in like '94. One of the first concerts I ever attended.

H2P-2007 said:
Weezer
Killers
The Weeks
Dave Matthews Band
Metallica

Also, have these - but I bought tickets to see them this spring/summer:
Pearl Jam
Kings of Leon
Mumford
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Um, most of these bands did quite well commercially.

SoufOaklin4Life said:
Weezer annoys me
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I like their Blue album, but that's about it.
 
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H2P-2007 said:
Weezer
Killers
The Weeks
Dave Matthews Band
Metallica

Also, have these - but I bought tickets to see them this spring/summer:
Pearl Jam
Kings of Leon
Mumford[/QUOT

Going to pj in philly 4/28...given to.fly
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Aztec Two Step
Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks
Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys
 
Garage Hangover ( you can see why they never made it)
King Bees
Myddle Class
Fugs
Jimmy and the Boat Drunks
Homemade Wine
 
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recruitsreadtheseboards said:
I have seen the Alarm back in the day. I liked them, but thought they had some decent commercial success. Great concert too. The Alarm, and George Clinton and the PFunk All Stars.
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I guess it depends on your definition of "decent commercial success". They were popular at some colleges (put on a huge concert at USC that was televised on MTV). But other than that, they never had a album higher than 39 on the billboard US chart.
 
SoufOaklin4Life said:
Big head Todd and the monsters
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There's a lot of great calls on this list, and this is one of them. Great live band, I've seen BHT several times including just last August--they were with another one of my favorite under appreciated bands, G Love & Special Sauce.

A few of my other faves in the under the radar category, many of which have already been listed:

Wilco-the best live band I've ever seen, I see them at least once a year
Jayhawks
Replacements
Pavement/Steven Malkmus
Pogues
Pernice Brothers
Radiohead--not sure they qualify for the category
The Verve--not sure they qualify for the category
Luna
Steve Earle
The Pixies
Ben Folds 5
Billy Bragg
Blue Rodeo
Social Distortion
Tragically Hip
Nick Lowe
Nick Drake
Whiskeytown
Ryan Adams
Bob Mould/Husker Du
Dandy Warhols
Flaming Lips
Grant Lee Buffalo
Freedy Johnston
Guster
Lloyd Cole with and without the Commotions
Modern Lovers
The Shins
Sebadoh

To name but few..........
 
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Dr. von Yinzer said:
I'm not sure what this thread even means? Most of the bands listed above have enjoyed some commercial success for their genre. Let me approach it this way. Bands of eras that probably weren't quite as revered as they should have been.

60s - The Kinks - Too smart and cheeky for their time. Really, REALLY excellent band that never fully got its due. Who else in that epoch was writing songs about trannys and "fashion designers" (wink, wink)?

70s - Steely Dan - I have no idea why they aren't as revered as bands like Pink Floyd, Eagles, Led Zepplin, etc.? Phenomenal talents. Don't Take Me Alive = unbelievable song.

80s - The Smiths - Lots of great British bands in this era but the Smiths were the smartest writers and most diverse, IMHO. Morrissey and Marr were the best song writing duo to come out of England since Lennon and McCartney. Morrissey in particular had/has a very dry sense of humor that went over most peoples' heads.

90s - Jane's Addiction - The primary band that transitioned American rock music from 80s glam to what became known as Grunge. For that act alone I consider them to be great American patriots. Perry Farrell may be the best lyricist I've ever heard and he puts on an amazing show - kind of a cross between Dylan and Jagger with some punk themes thrown in, IMHO.

Aughts - I would say Radiohead but I think everyone accepts that they were the cheese so I'll say Interpol - Highly underrated band. I'd also give a nod to the Strokes for kind of rejuvenating modern indie music when they first launched.

Teens - Arctic Monkeys - They are putting together a PHENOMENAL body of work. They are on track to be one of the greats of all-time, IMHO. Whatever People Say I Am Is Exactly What I am Not is one of my all-time favorite albums and I own a zillion of them.
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Great list, but those first 5 bands are HUGELY commercially successful, generally accepted legends.

That said, every one of these bands is on my playlist. The Smiths were at one time my favorite band, The Kinks are just tremendous, I listen to them all the time to this day, Radiohead is one of the best bands of all time, and I have seen Steely Dan at least a dozen times with my dad, who was always a Jazz/Fusion guy, and loves smart, sophisticated music, which SD is a primary purveyor of.

Matter of fact, I'm going to Spotify some Steely and Kinks right now, get this day started right.
 
Seems like everyone named just about every Nick's Fat City playing Pittsburgh band, but I'm shocked that no one has mentioned The Cynics.
 
thebadby2 said:
There's a lot of great calls on this list, and this is one of them. Great live band, I've seen BHT several times including just last August--they were with another one of my favorite under appreciated bands, G Love & Special Sauce.

A few of my other faves in the under the radar category, many of which have already been listed:

Wilco-the best live band I've ever seen, I see them at least once a year
Jayhawks
Replacements
Pavement/Steven Malkmus
Pogues
Pernice Brothers
Radiohead--not sure they qualify for the category
The Verve--not sure they qualify for the category
Luna
Steve Earle
The Pixies
Ben Folds 5
Billy Bragg
Blue Rodeo
Social Distortion
Tragically Hip
Nick Lowe
Nick Drake
Whiskeytown
Ryan Adams
Bob Mould/Husker Du
Dandy Warhols
Flaming Lips
Grant Lee Buffalo
Freedy Johnston
Guster
Lloyd Cole with and without the Commotions
Modern Lovers
The Shins
Sebadoh

To name but few..........
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Great list! Especially Nick Drake

Let's add Animal Collective, the xx, Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, Badly Drawn Boy and Madder Rose.
 
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I wonder what the members ( the ones still alive) of defunked bar bands are doing today!
It was usually a fun filled short duration lifetime!
 
OH Pete said:
Seems like everyone named just about every Nick's Fat City playing Pittsburgh band, but I'm shocked that no one has mentioned The Cynics.
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Saw the Affordable Floors perhaps 40 times between 88-93.
 
As far as commercial success Phoenix doesn't have that but they are awesome.

I like 1975, though the lead singer is annoying.

Vampire weekend.
 
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