…but aren’t.
I stumbled on to ‘Shivaree’ by accident. Every song on their album (CD) is great!
Good singer, good melodies, good lyrics, good musicians, good production, good everything!
And as far as I can tell they only released one CD.
But I’d never heard of them…
Why???
Same for Mazzy star, though they are a little more ‘famous’.
Others?
far (dead) (try water and solutions)
hum (dead) (try id perfer an astronaut)
onelinedrawing (try sketchy ep#2)
failure (try fantastic planet)
national skyline (try this = everything)
grandaddy (try sophtware slump)
radiohead - i know theyre really popular, but man, theyre not half as popular as they SHOULD be…
guster is really good too…
all of these are great bands… too bad people only listen to crap like backstreet boys… ugh…
im always looking for new stuff, so ill check out shivaree 
The first one that pops into my head is Partners N Crime. They’re somewhat popular in Louisiana and Texas, but other than that, they’re practically unknown. I doubt many people on this site listens to rap, but definitely check it out if you’re sick of the mainstream crap that’s being released today. Other than that, Owen Temple and Kenny Chesney. I wouldn’t argue with someone who said Chesney is the best country singer today.
Japan
Martha and the Muffins
Kayak
to name a few…
Fountains of Wayne. Proof that there is no god, because if there were, you’d all be sick of hearing these guys on the radio all the time. They do great power-pop gems.
In a perfect world, Suzanne Vega wouldn’t be a two-hit wonder.
Whoever said Radiohead doesn’t get enough attention, believe me, they do. They get enough. I like Radiohead okay, but my god, if I have to hear any more about what utter geniuses they are and how amazing they are, I’m going to disappear completely and never be found.
The dB’s…or is that the Db’s? I can never remember. Anyway they came out of the same Paisley Underground scene that REM did, and if there had been any justice in the world they would have ended up being as popular as REM. Think a slightly more conventional version of REM with more conventional lyrics, but with songs just as catchy and good, and two excellent songwriters in Chris Stamey and Peter Holsopple.
Unfortunately everyone ignored them, and so they went to starve in gutters and no-one remembers they existed, not even their own mothers, it’s sad 
Peter Holsopple now has another bad the Continental Drifters and they should be more appreciated too! Darn…when I get to be Queen of the World they will be dammit! There will be no more Britney Spears allowed I swear
A great band right now is Rainer Maria.
Luna is also a very under-rated band.
If you haven’t heard the Flaming Lips “The Soft Bulletin” you need to buy it now.
Yo La Tengo should be on this list also.
Mazzy Star is ‘over’, but I love Hope Sandoval’s voice.
Ditto that for Beth Orton.
Oingo Boingo.
I don’t know why Danny Elfman isn’t the biggest rock star. He had such charisma and presence and the whole band was just incredible.
But, I guess he already made a name for himself(Pee-Wee, Batman, Simpsons, anything Time Burton directs, etc…)
XTC. It’s a crime that they were never incredibly popular. Everyone of their albums is a joy to hear. For starters, try either “English Settlement” or “Drums and Wires.”
Check out Cibo Matto. The album Stereotype A has taaken almost permanent residence in my CD changer in my car.
Finally another LUNA fan! My favorite band of all time. Definetly should be huge!
I also nominate Jets to Brazil and Q and not U
Never heard of them, but I have to say Q and not U deserve fame just for the name 
Seriously, The Delgados and The Aislers Set are way underrated, though both have had critical acclaim.
X
Gry - I can’t even find a website devoted to her. Can she just be a little more popular, so that I can find one? Just one little fanpage that’s not related to a record company? Please?
Nina Hagen - she was popular in Germany a while back, or so I heard, but if the US can swallow Rammstein, we can swallow Hagen. Hagen’s much better, anyways, in my humble and woefully biased opinion.
I think I should be a bit more popular, too, so I can form my own personality cult, and lead my followers to forge a new nation in the mountains of Washington and Oregon. Any gulliable, er, easily influenced, uh, weak-willed, I mean… nevermind.
I’m sure I’ll get some disagreement, but… KMFDM and Type O Negative.
KMFDM I think has two things keeping them from getting really big. 1) Until very recently, they’ve been actively hostile to any big record label. Like it or not, the great masses of sheep won’t listen to anything unless it’s been on MTV. 2) They have SO MANY FLIPPIN’ albums out, your chances of getting one you like on the first try and pretty slim. Now, why should these guys be popular? Well, they rock, plain and simple. Most interesting overall (lyrics, melody, samples) industrial band I’ve listened to - though I admit I have not listened to a lot of industrial. And they’re rather given to cynicism and seem to have at least some social conscience. (See “Witch Hunt” off the “MDFMK” album.)
Type O Negative is great simply because of Peter Steele’s voice, but also almost all of their music is great. Arguably three of their four albums are excellent, and the other one is good. (I won’t say which I think are which.) Things keeping them back? Well, again, no real major label support. Their music can be pretty depressing, too. I think lots of album sales go to tenny-boppers, who can’t handle tracks like “Everyone I Love Is Dead”. And paradoxically, I think you have to listen to their music for a while before you like it. Hence it ain’t “catchy” and so the teeny-boppers won’t impulse-buy it.
-Ben
The Jayhawks
great music, low sales… its hard for them to tour extensively…pretty sad for a talented band.
I have to agree with Fountains of Wayne, and I like what I’ve heard of Jets to Brazil. (anyone know which song ends with the singer claiming someone “ruined my life”? I’ve been trying to find out since a friend’s roomie played it last summer…) Oh, and Beth Orton too, I love “Stolen car” and “She cries your name” very much.
About Guster, though, I was shocked that people who live more than 3 hours from Boston have heard of them. Whoo hoo, they’re gaining national recongition! I’ve only seen them twice, and that’s not enough. I’m sure I’ll see them the next time they release a cd, though. Imagine, I could have seen them during the tour for their first cd, too, but I wasn’t awakened to their brilliance until Goldfly came out.
I think Mighty Joe Plum, Muse(the british one), Collapsis, Stir, Possum Dixon, Local H, Mary Me Jane, Dishwalla and Cowboy Mouth are all very much underated too.
Christ, I could nominate 90% of my CD collection in this category, but if I had to pick one I’d say:
Pinback
I would agree with Owen Temple. He is great, I used to watch him when he played for free in Austin.
However, I see nothing different between Kenny Chesney and the rest of the pop country you hear on the radio.
The songs Black #1 and Girlfriend’s girlfriend are great.