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

This is a hipster thread, but something virtually EVERYONE would want to talk about.

I am actually good friends with a guy named Joshua Radin, good dude and talented lyricist, but definitely more for the ladies I'd say.

also:
Black Violin
Alexi Murdoch
Flypside
Jose Gonzalez
A Firm Handshake
Air Traffic Controllers
 
Got a newsflash for ya. Real Hipsters aren't on pantherlair.

We are older guys that think we are cooler than we are. Or maybe we are cool and being an hipster isn't. It's all relative
 
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bobfree said:
Got a newsflash for ya. Real Hipsters aren't on pantherlair.

We are older guys that think we are cooler than we are. Or maybe we are cool and being an hipster isn't. It's all relative
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Speak for yourself. :)
 
Poussette Dart Band

Sanford Townsend Band

Little Feat is one of my favorites, but I don't know if they had too much commercial success to qualify.
 
I find it amazing that I mentioned Built To Spill and no response. One of the all time great 90's Indie Rock bands.
 
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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I grew-up with Greg Kostelich from "The Cynics". He's a good guy...really down to earth. He's got a vinyl record collection that has to be seen to be believed.
 
Not obscure but nirvana covering bowie the man that sold the world is the best cover ever in my opinion
 
SoufOaklin4Life said:
That title always goes to Hendrix covering "all along the wAtchtower"
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It would be hard to disagree with that. A good cover stands out when a performer not only covers a song, but they make it theirs.

I'd add these two songs, "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash's version being the cover; and "Brown-eyed Girl" - as covered by Jimmy Buffett. (Unfortunately, Buffett's concerts have morphed into a Concert of Covers, but that's what the people wanna hear, I guess.)
 
DT_PITT said:
I've always considered Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower and Aretha Frankin's Respect as the 1 and 1A or greatest covers ever.
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My fav is "Eleanor Rigby" by Richie Havens.
 
ratking17 said:
Not obscure but nirvana covering bowie the man that sold the world is the best cover ever in my opinion
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Not even in the top ten.

Here's the top ten:

1. All Along the Watchtower (Hendrix-Dylan)
1A. - Respect (Franklin-Redding)
3. Hurt (Cash - NIN)
4. Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley-Cohen)
5. Take Me to the River (Talking Heads/Al Green)
6. I Will Survive (Cake-Gloria Gaynor)
7. Proud Mary (Tina Turner - CCR)
8. Bitches Ain't Shit (Ben Folds -- NWA)
9. Higher Ground (RHCP - Stevie Wonder)
10. Love the One You're With (Steven Stills - Isley Brothers)
 
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SoufOaklin4Life said:
Add
Killing me softly ( Fugees -Roberta flack)

I may swap cakes cover of War Pigs
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Here's why you've got to go with I Will Survive.

I Will Survive is such a trite, lame piece of commercial cheese that simple minded whacks think of some sort of call to arms anthem. But somehow, Cake makes that song likeable.

War Pigs was already cool to begin with.

Can't agree with the Fugees. I like Lauryn Hill, but in no way does her version change, improve or add to Roberta Flack.
 
Panther Parrothead said:
It would be hard to disagree with that. A good cover stands out when a performer not only covers a song, but they make it theirs.

I'd add these two songs, "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash's version being the cover; and "Brown-eyed Girl" - as covered by Jimmy Buffett. (Unfortunately, Buffett's concerts have morphed into a Concert of Covers, but that's what the people wanna hear, I guess.)
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Cash's Ring of Fire could be a good call.
 
DT_PITT said:
Here's why you've got to go with I Will Survive.

I Will Survive is such a trite, lame piece of commercial cheese that simple minded whacks think of some sort of call to arms anthem. But somehow, Cake makes that song likeable.

War Pigs was already cool to begin with.

Can't agree with the Fugees. I like Lauryn Hill, but in no way does her version change, improve or add to Roberta Flack.
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Fair enough
 
Original hurt better than cash's cover in my opinion. But I am a huge nin fan so I am biased
 
DT_PITT said:
Not even in the top ten.

Here's the top ten:

1. All Along the Watchtower (Hendrix-Dylan)
1A. - Respect (Franklin-Redding)
3. Hurt (Cash - NIN)
4. Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley-Cohen)
5. Take Me to the River (Talking Heads/Al Green)
6. I Will Survive (Cake-Gloria Gaynor)
7. Proud Mary (Tina Turner - CCR)
8. Bitches Ain't Shit (Ben Folds -- NWA)
9. Higher Ground (RHCP - Stevie Wonder)
10. Love the One You're With (Steven Stills - Isley Brothers)
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I was in the crowd when Ike & Tina Turner played "Proud Mary" in......The Pitt Fieldhouse.

A great concert, but no one knew the drama that was going-on behind the scenes. But there were rumors that ol' Ike was "doing the nasty" with The Ikettes, their back-up singers.
 
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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Good list, and Nick Drake, fantastic artist, horrible life story there, but would argue he, Ryan Adams, Trag. Hip, ben folds 5 and the Shins all have had some decent success, especially the TH, since they are like the Beatles in Canada.

Also, Cash's version of Hurt is unlistenable to me, just a horrendous version.

And Pearl Jam... closest thing to modern day Beatles/Led Zep. Just a work of art over time, evolving and putting out good stuff. Saw them in Trieste, Italy last year, great show
 
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DT_PITT said:
Not even in the top ten.

Here's the top ten:

1. All Along the Watchtower (Hendrix-Dylan)
1A. - Respect (Franklin-Redding)
3. Hurt (Cash - NIN)
4. Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley-Cohen)
5. Take Me to the River (Talking Heads/Al Green)
6. I Will Survive (Cake-Gloria Gaynor)
7. Proud Mary (Tina Turner - CCR)
8. Bitches Ain't Shit (Ben Folds -- NWA)
9. Higher Ground (RHCP - Stevie Wonder)
10. Love the One You're With (Steven Stills - Isley Brothers)
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Awesome list DT. I didn't know you were so "cool" LOL. But loved the list, especiallyu 3.4, 6 and 9. I remember seeing Cake when they first came out in some little club in Greenville, SC, there were only like 100 or so of us.
 
Reading these posts remind me of the Psychedelic Sixty's, when Vanilla Fudge did their cover of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On". It was a classic for the era:

 
My parents loved Aztec Two Step and while they are very talented I never got into them like some of the other bands they listened to. Aztec Two Step is what happens when you drink the water in Mexico and when I was a boy my mom told me that... There was also a band in the 90s called Mercury that was really good.
 
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