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Unappreciated bands.


Lyndy
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[size="3"][color="#556B2F"][font="Times New Roman"]When listening to a band, do you ever think, "Why aren't these guys on the radio and mainstream when Justin Bieber and Ke$ha are?"
No, I have nothing against those two people, but they were first two names that came to mind. But I've been listening to Pandora a lot lately and they play a lot of songs by bands I have never even heard of. They even play songs that aren't even on Youtube, which disappoints me because I can't listen to the song whenever I want to.

Anyways, I thought I would make this thread about unappreciated bands since I know there are a lot of bands like that out there.
The first unappreciated bands that I learned about are Celldweller and Blue Stahli. Blue Stahli is so unknown that even Pandora doesn't even have any of their songs. Their music is a mix between rock and industrial. Great party music. Celldweller is more rock than industrial and has a lot of soundtrack songs that are great for making AMVs.

A band that Pandora introduced to me is Kidneythieves. Their music has a really good beat. Always love those drums (at least in some songs it's like that). I think another one might be Stabbing Westward. I never really heard of the band before or anywhere else besides on Pandora. And KMFDM, and.. well.. those are the only bands that I remembered. :I That's how unappreciated some bands are. I can't even remember their names, and they aren't even on youtube. But I would have to say that Blue Stahli is probably the most unappreciated band that I know of. And it is probably my favorite band. :V

So, what are some unappreciated bands that you know of?[/font][/color][/size]
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Sadly it's all about business. Ke$ha and Beiber can afford the popularity. They had the money or someone gave them the money. I know so many underground bands that bust their butts to get out there, and really, if you lack the funds to take yourself to the top, that's the only other way you'll get there. I listen to mainly indie music, so obscure is my specialty, in which case I know so many unappreciated bands.

But they're still appreciated by their following. I mean, these bands have huge fanbases, and a lot of the time they are secretly inserted into the soundtracks of shows like House, Scrubs, and One Tree Hill. People are just too lazy to listen past the radio to find anything new. Or maybe they're scared of what's different from mainstream. Either way, I can list a bazillion... no, I'll give you a real number... a Flippy-Flagillion bands that seem to go under the radar despite my--and many others'--opinion(s).

A few to start would be:
[list]
[*][b]Sleeping At Last[/b] - Never have I heard music so incredibly beautiful that it appears as if it is the score to someone's movie-like life but at the same time it comes across as something you could listen to like every day music. They are the masters of weaving intricate melodies and soundtrack-esque instrumentals with modern day music.
[*][b]Margot and the Nuclear So And So's[/b] - These guys are just now coming out from the underground, but I'm surprised it didn't happen with their first album. They're an odd-sounding indie band, but at the same time easily sound like something you'd hear on a radio, in films, or off someone's iPod. I'm sure they'll make it sooner or later.
[*][b]The Long Winters[/b] - I guess these guys are a bit of a legend in the indie world, but they still don't get any recognition outside of that despite their status in the music world. Most people don't know 'em, and I understand that... they're well hidden. But when there are bands that exist popularly with the same sound as The Long Winters like The Black Keys, The Lemonheads, or the Pixies (granted the Long Winters still have a unique sound), I can't imagine why they never got out there.[/list]

On another note, I'm also glad these bands aren't huge. In a way, they're kind of mine then, and that's special. I take great pride in introducing music to people, especially stuff this golden. Edited by Dragon Warrior
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[size="3"][font="Times New Roman"][color="#556B2F"]Sleeping at Last does have some pretty beautiful music, but a little too...mellodramatic, I guess is what I would call it, for me. But it would be something I would listen to when I'm feeling calm. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's was pretty good. Liked the bass in some of the songs. But I really like The Long Winters. One of their songs reminds me of OK Go. Definitely something different and I like it. The song that reminded me of OK Go was Fire Islands. Probably my favorite song by them.

I finally remembered some other bands that I know of that aren't that well known. There's [b]AmneZia[/b]. It's a rock/hard rock band. I really love the vocals. Some of the unappreciated bands that I know of were introduced to me by games like Need for Speed, which is what introduced Celldweller to me. But another band that it introduced to me is [b]Styles of Beyond[/b]. Their style is rap/rock but it's not like that crummy rap you have today where you can't hear a single word they are saying. And [b]Birthday Massacre[/b] is one of the few rock bands that has a female singer and sounds successful. Kind of reminds me of Evanescence. I don't know how well known [b]A Perfect Circle[/b] is, but I don't think it's too well known. All of their songs are different from each other. Some of them are hard rock/industrial and some of them are soft rock. And then there is [b]Dioxyde[/b]. I think it's German, but I'm not entirely sure. But it's mostly...industrial I think. I never really knew the difference between industrial and techno. But it's not something that would really be played on the radio. heh

And Blue Stahli is actually featured in a few movies/shows, but it's still not that well known. It was apparently in the movies Race to Witch Mountain, Shorts, From Paris With Love and some other movies. I don't even remember hearing them in those movies. Which could be why they still aren't that known. One of their songs were even used in a Jonah Hex trailer.

Hee. I didn't expect to type this much up. :I [/color][/font][/size]
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Hah, the second you said a song reminded you of OK Go, I thought to myself "It's probably Fire Island, AK." I think it's the guitar 'cause that catches me that way too. Margot definitely has some amazing songs, though. I hope you caught "Skeleton Key" and "Vampires In Blue Dresses." Or if you like harder stuff, "Barfight Revolution, Power Violence."
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I find [b]Margot and the Nuclear So and So's [/b]just absolutely boring, tbh. I've never seen what people see in them. It's all such bland indierock fare to me.

Anywho:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOoHAbnhxNI[/media]

[b]Japandroids:[/b] No God Only JPNDRDS. A two-piece from around Vancouver, they make an incredible amount of noise. They've got this sorta post-teenage-angst, nostalgic vibe to them, which I can relate too because you can tell they grew up on the same steady diet of shitty pop-punk that I did. Mostly though, they just ******* rock. One of the best concerts you'll ever go to, aswell.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfiCqYuC4W8[/media]

[b]Fang Island[/b]: Formed out of the ashes of grindcore legends [b]Daughters[/b], these guys are basically the sound of everyone high fiving everyone else in the room. Just lots of love for them.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFlBJ1xZK10[/media]

[b]Dan Deacon[/b]: Just makes me wanna dance, man. Dance all ******* night. I dunno what you call it. Post rave? New Rave? It all sounds like a good time to me.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z70pm71Xuv4[/media]

[b]Man... or Astro-Man?[/b]: ******* astro surf, yes thanks. They are seriously amazing. I wish this reunion tour would swing through Canada a little more because man. Everything they do makes me happy. Especially their cover the MST3k theme. IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE etc

There's some **** for you.
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Well Lyndy, this might be a generalization but I think 90% of Industrial bands are german. :P

Anyways, I dunno about american radio but around here, radio really sucks. They do play stuff like Foo Fighters or Arctic Monkeys but anything beyond that in the alternative scene isn't really played on the POPULAR stations.

Some bands I know that really lack appreciation are:

[b]Smoking Popes[/b] - Really old school grunge-ish band. Noone's heard of them around here which is sad.

[b]Bush[/b] - Nice, a bit Nirvana-ish. This band is really popular but still it's not played at all. Dunno if it is in the states.

Also, just to throw that in there, I don't think Industrial is RADIO music. Neither is death metal or I dunno, hardcore punk so I didn't count bands like that.

[b]Franz Ferdinand[/b] - Now that THIS band isn't played really amazes me. They're almost as popular as the Foo Fighters and basically all my friends know them. Radio just sucks around here I guess... Oh well.
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[quote name='Felix the Cat' timestamp='1295933917' post='704284'][b]Franz Ferdinand[/b] - Now that THIS band isn't played really amazes me. They're almost as popular as the Foo Fighters and basically all my friends know them. Radio just sucks around here I guess... Oh well.
[/quote]
FRANZ FERDINAND ARE ONLY MY FAVOURITE BAND EVER. They're way underappreciated in especially the USA. They had to play the support act for freaking Green Day around their last tour. EH?!

[b]Silversun Pickups[/b] aren't barely famous enough on this side of the globe either, and [b]the Kills[/b] need more fans too. [b]Primal Scream[/b] is one of my favourite bands and they hardly get any appreciation for their contribution to the evolution of music apart from pretentious underground peeps.

And I still wanted to add that [b]Simon & Garfunkel[/b] are so much cooler than most people think. They're like my heroes.

Also, the band [url="http://www.myspace.com/alleseigentlich"]Eigentlich Alles[/url] is way underappreciated, and that awesome artist Sangome doesn't get enough attention either. Edited by Boo
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Haha, but [b]Simon and Garfunkel[/b] easily got their recognition, as they are still played on the radio today and in films, and are well known as one of the greatest weavers of folk rock to this day. As for [b]Silversun Pickups,[/b] they're breaking the mold over in the US. They're played on the radio and in films here, anyway. It took them a few or so after "Swoon" to get there, but I'm also pleased to finally see them get some popularity going. It makes me long for a new album now...
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[quote name='Dragon Warrior' timestamp='1295972511' post='704312']
Haha, but [b]Simon and Garfunkel[/b] easily got their recognition, as they are still played on the radio today and in films, and are well known as one of the greatest weavers of folk rock to this day. As for [b]Silversun Pickups,[/b] they're breaking the mold over in the US. They're played on the radio and in films here, anyway. It took them a few or so after "Swoon" to get there, but I'm also pleased to finally see them get some popularity going. It makes me long for a new album now...
[/quote]
S&G are almost only appreciated by old folks, and then also pretty much only the greatest hits stuff.

Silversun Pickups are starting to break through in Germany, so maybe the Netherlands will be next. I'd like to see them arena status, so they can pull out all the awesome effects and everything, but I like how cheap their tickets are now. :^D
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Hey, c'mon, they're making a comeback :D Obviously you and me like them, and whenever I bring them up to other kids they appreciate them. There was even a section in one of my music theory classes just on them. The only time I don't like them is when someone says I'm like Garfunkel just because we both happen to have curly hair. Geez.

I've missed my chances to see Silversun a lot, but that's because it was before I really started appreciating them. I didn't like "Swoon" when it came out and I actually gave it to my friend who lived me. I only really liked "Lazy Eye" and "Well Thought-Out Twinkles". Then songs from "Swoon" started playing on the radio and I started liking that stuff more. And considering that friend did nothing but say they were theeee WORST band to ever exist and they couldn't write music worth a damn, I stole my CD back and listen to it a lot now. Mmm... screw him. He doesn't know :3
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[color="#696969"][font="Tahoma"]Oh man, one very underrated/unappreciated band I know of is [b]Gong[/b]. They've been around since [size="4"]1967[/size][i]!![/i] They're best described as... space rock...[size="1"] or stoner rock (don't shoot meh).[/size] These guys have some amazing music too, truly an unappreciated band. I've got two totally different kinds of songs by them, one old and one new.

First is "How to Stay Alive" from their most recent album "2032."
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw8ZESzpL3M[/media]

And this, from a much older album, is "Master Builder."
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKfTKNp_yUI[/media]

If you like either of these songs I strongly suggest you check out more of their stuff. There is A LOT.[/font][/color] Edited by White
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[size="3"][color="#556B2F"][font="Times New Roman"]I like how Bush sounds. And I also like Simon and Garfunkel. The first song I played by them (without knowing it) was Scarborough Fair and I was like "I KNOW THIS SONG" and I was happy. I love that song. :3
But I like Gong the most. They play my type of music. I like How to Stay Alive better than the other one. And now I have some other songs/bands to share.
I don't think these guys are that well known, but Blue Stahli did a remake of this song, but I like this version better. It's more...full, where the Blue Stahli version is a little more quiet in their version.
This Will Make You Love Again by IAMX
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dzi3roEjn4[/media]

And I like this song, very different from any other song I have listened to.
Broccoli Wars by Noisy Stylus.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFeKIIuiteI[/media]
I haven't listened to their other songs though yet.
[/font][/color][/size]
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  • 6 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
For a while there, [b]Bush[/b] was a fairly popular band back in the ye olden days of North American modern rock radio in the mid 90's (In other words, since that genre was quite big, almost every station wanted a slice of the modern rock pie, so it wasn't unusual to hear [b]Bush[/b] on commercial radio over here. Well, in Canada, at least). They went more experimental as they went on, even recruiting indie producer-god Steve Albini to do their second album.

To add another noisy German band to the mix, I'd have to nominate [b]Atari Teenage Riot[/b] ([i]go! go! go! go! go!, ATA-RI! TEEN-AGE! RI-OT![/i]). This is what happens when you let anarchists express themselves through music, and it's often as chaotic as an actual riot. With titles like "Start The Riot", "Destroy 2000 Years of Culture", and "Revolution Action" you know you're not gonna get afternoon tea music. Musically, they're like a mad cross between industrial, techno, and late 80's speed metal.

Way on the other end of the spectrum is one of my favorites, [b]Eluvium[/b]. As I write, I'm listening to their 17 minute drone "Taken", which repeats a very simple scale over and over and over. But man oh man, if you like ambient drones with no vocals - austere soundscapes - then this is your music. I had seen someone mention this, and I agree with that person: If I was certain I had only 17 minutes left to live, then I'd spend it listening to "Taken". Think of it this way: Atari Teenage Riot is how the end of the world would sound if it were destroyed by nuclear war. Eluvium is the sound of the end of [i]existence[/i] itself, but you're content with that fact.

Finally, one band that the whole Brit-pop scene from the late 90's passed over was[b] Primal Scream[/b][i]. [/i]While Oasis and Radiohead were getting most of the love at that time (and quite deservedly so, I think) Primal Scream didn't get that much attention, and that never made much sense. When they first broke onto the music scene, they had the rock sensibilities of The Rolling Stones, with a touch of Madchester Rave (e.g. "Higher Than The Sun"). In 2000, they released the most underrated album of that year: [i]XTRMNTR[/i]. Here they sounded like The Rolling Stones being run over by The Sex Pistols on their to a G20 protest. Here was a band that actually had something to say, alongside The Manic Street Preachers. It's rock 'n' roll for that aims to kill all hippies.
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[quote name='Pleiades Rising' timestamp='1313734206' post='708981']

To add another noisy German band to the mix, I'd have to nominate [b]Atari Teenage Riot[/b] ([i]go! go! go! go! go!, ATA-RI! TEEN-AGE! RI-OT![/i]). This is what happens when you let anarchists express themselves through music, and it's often as chaotic as an actual riot. With titles like "Start The Riot", "Destroy 2000 Years of Culture", and "Revolution Action" you know you're not gonna get afternoon tea music. Musically, they're like a mad cross between industrial, techno, and late 80's speed metal.

[/quote]

ATR is one of those bands that's passed down through generations of appreciation. If you ask anyone of the punks/anarchists/hippies or even remotely cool people in Manchester who have an incline towards punk-ish music, they'll know ATR and probably know most the songs off the back of their head.

But nowadays you get these wannabe rave songs that are considered "hardcore" when it's really just a super-speedy bass line and some idiot talking about sex. That's why ATR would never be on TV or more famous than the little whispers... they just don't talk about sex and girls and glamour and mad club nights enough. Crystal Castles (woo woo!) is the closest thing I've ever came to Atari, but we all know for a fact Alice Glass from CC stole her image off Atari.
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  • 4 weeks later...
there's a band called Karnivool and they are pretty awesome, if you like Tool then you'll probably like Karnivool. This is one of their songs called New Day.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR7SzOdW3Vg[/media]


Another band is In Fear And Faith, here's Heavy Lies The Crown.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqDxCrGSxFo&ob=av2e[/media]


I guess that's it for now until I find more bands lol.
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We must be pretty lucky down here in Australia, our main alternative/govt funded radio station Triple J is great at digging out new and awesome music and flogging it before any of the commercial stations get it. I've heard of most bands that have been mentioned on this page.

Australia really is the home of a lot of great musicians though - Karnivool for instance. We are spoilt for choice. Despite this my music taste is a bit weird, so I can't add too much to this list except for [b]Devin Townsend[/b]. From Canada. The man is a genius. Very rarely do I meet anyone who has heard of him - even Canadians, and I have made a tonne of Canadian friends this year. That's metal for you, I guess.
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Karni is amazing. A couple bands are still local, but they should get some recognition...

[b]Awaken December[/b], a screamo band that hails from the woodwork of New Orleans. Quite an amazing band to see live... Here is one of my favorite songs by them, "Shut up Charles, I can name this song on my own."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4KAa7r7QBI

[b]Chaos Aeon[/b], a rock/screamo band, amazing guitar solos and keyboarding. Here is a song for Karnival... haha called "Karnival Killer"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrrBpvzi-oo

[b]Van Canto[/b], a Pagan rock band with a medieval feel to their music. Here's one of my favorite songs EVER, called "Last Night of the Kings."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt4CQc1MSso

...And for any Metallica fan out there... here is their cover of "Master of Puppets"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzk_K2yXeWo
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