Following on from the Smiths thread I thought people should point out some other bands or singers who are maybe underrated.
One band I loved was the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Good rocking and lots of humour. Check out -
"There's no lights on the Christmas Tree mama, they're burning Big Louie tonight."
Very weird.
I think this will turn into a "Your Favourite Non-Mainstream Band" thread.
My nominations are Fleetwood Mac (when the line-up included Peter Green) and Jefferson Airplane.
Captain Tractor - they're a Canadian rock/folk group. A bit like the Pogues but better.
Pitcairn Island (an excellent song about the Mutiny on the Bounty)
Silver Sun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW0eMgjXmS0
I loved their first album, and they've done good work since, though never really broke through as it seemed they might when they first appeared.
Silver Sun. Blimey, that's a blast from the past. They still going?
Quote: john lucas 101 @ March 6 2009, 10:02 AM GMTSilver Sun. Blimey, that's a blast from the past. They still going?
Yup, onto album four or five now. Though they must only sell about 30 copies a time now! Still good though.
Quote: Afinkawan @ March 6 2009, 9:47 AM GMTCaptain Tractor - they're a Canadian rock/folk group. A bit like the Pogues but better.
I love The Last Saskatchewan Pirate.
Quote: Aaron @ March 6 2009, 10:40 AM GMTI love The Last Saskatchewan Pirate.
That's quite cool but I've never heard the original.
I also like Frozen Puck to the Head.
And they do a good version of 99 Red Balloons.
I didn't know that there was an original.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 6 2009, 9:57 AM GMTSilver Sun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW0eMgjXmS0
I loved their first album, and they've done good work since, though never really broke through as it seemed they might when they first appeared.
Lava = Choon!
They always reminded me of Weezer, only Weezer were much better.
I saw Delta Spirit a few weeks ago and they were prettt damn good for a modern beat combo:
http://www.myspace.com/deltaspirit
As for non mainstream then Cymande are always never far from my wireless nor are Fleet Foxes who I adore but they're not exactly unknown either.
Frank Black - ex-Pixies - got a bit country post Pixies but he could still rip it up with the best with his distortion and six-string.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GphGNMoiCbE - I heard Ramona sing - so much beauty compressed into 3:40, it forms a singularity.
Fugazi - often overlooked these days but the best live band I ever saw and I've seen some of the best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50nHCo2n4Tw - syncopated guitar chugging, lovely gaps and spaces scattered throughout, and backing singing that shouldn't but does work.
Can't let it go without plugging the Pixies. Doolittle and Trompe Le Monde are two of the best albums to come from across the ocean. Debaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mCoOlUjhlc
Oh, and I recently heard some ancient ancient Klattu and they were surprisingly good.
The Divine Comedy; quite well known for a short while in the nineties, but the last few albums have come out to little fanfare. I still like 'em.
An old classic:
I'm going to throw The Rifles into the mix. Admittedly, they do sound a bit like a Jam rip-off band, but they still sound pretty good. Released their second album in January, I saw them in October and they're really good live too.
The Rifles - Local Boy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG708rDGMOY
The Rifles - Great Escape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hmOyvfqK1I
Not a lot of people seem to be that aware of them - they barely get any commercial backing whatsoever. But they played Brixton Academy not too long ago.