remember Pez the original list didn’t say “unpopular” it said “unpopular or disliked” that’s whi i listed boingo and the rev horton heat… a lot fo people i know haven’t herd of them and fewer that have like them.
Geobabe, I think MLG’s “Concentration” is one of the best albums EVER…every song has its own feel and its just incredible. God Lives Underwater is my fave band since '95/'96, especially the first EP and “Empty”…too hard to describe, just hypnotic as hell. Glad to know someone else knows the bands I like.
You read my mind Pezpunk…
Cool Points awarded to blanx for Sunvolt and Unce Tupelo (both awesome), and to Dire Wolf for Widespread Panic (also awesome)
My personal list:
Ellis Paul
David Wilcox
Chantal Kreviazuk
Cowboy Mouth
aphex twin
Reviele
Out Out
BurnmeUp: Wha-heeey! Another Toy Dolls fan! That’s where I got this daft username! Olga’s me boyfriend, but he doesn’t know it yet! hee hee…
Some other bands that I love but am willing to bet won’t raise a blip on anyone else’s radar:
The Wildhearts
Silver Ginger 5
Amon Amarth
Saturnus
The Rev. Billy C. Wirth
Smack
Nile
Spiritual Beggars
The Hellacopters
The Crown
Rapture
Hanoi Rocks
Kingston Wall
I have to second Falcon with:
The Eels
Great Big Sea
and Tea Party
I also have to add Big Sugar a kick-ass barroom blues band with a reggae groove. They’re pretty big here in Southern Ontario but that doesn’t necessarily translate into popularity in the US (or the rest of Canada for that matter).
Flaming Lips rank right up there on the Art Rock Weirdness scale.
Also, Elliott Graham, Husker Du, Killing Joke, Skinny Puppy, Massive Attack, Gomez, Beta Band, Badly Drawn Boy, Modest Mouse, Morphine, the Stranglers, the Cramps, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Stereolab, Amon Tobin, Coil, Big Star, Badfinger, Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, Can, Pavement, Poe, PJ Harvey, Portishead, Sloan. . . . whew
Plus several dozen more that I can’t think of right. Oh yeah, and Radiohead, not obscure just the best.
Cheers,
Hodge
Archers Of Loaf - One of the greatest rock bands of the last decade. The songwriting is superb, by turns funny, dark, and touching. But the sound is the defining quality of the band - guitar work as innovative as anything by Sonic Youth, yet rarely straying into the arty noise indulgence that the Youth sometimes devolves into. Robert Christgau of the Village Voice had this to say: “This is their sound, there is none higher, other indie bands should just retire.” Now while I often disagree with Christgau’s assessments, he’s hit the nail dead on with this one. MP3s to look for to see if it’s your cup of tea: Fashion Bleeds or White Trash Heroes. A fun one to look for is the cover version of the Smiths “Bigmouth Strikes Again”, done by The Tree People, which was the precursor to the Archers Of Loaf moniker.
Sparklehorse - Mark Linkous is Sparklehorse. From his home studio, named Static King, in the wilds of West Virginia, Linkous creates some of the most genuine, heartfelt sounds out there. Prior to his current incarnation, he was in a mildly popular rock band whose name I forget. Disillusioned and bored, he was about to ditch the music scene alltogether. Then he was introduced to the music of Tom Waits. Reinvigorated by Waits creativity and eclectic production, he quit the band and moved home to start his own musical ascension. A strong first effort, VivaDixieSubmarineTransmissionPlot, created a suitable stir, and he soon found himself opening for acts such as Radiohead. While on tour in the UK, he had a nasty accident which resulted in a heart attack and the loss of the use of his legs. After 12 operations and months of therapy, he regained partial use of his legs and returned to the studio to begin work on a followup album. The traumatic experience resulted in his second release, Good Morning Spider. GMS is an album without flaw. Upon first listen, it seems a bit of a beautiful mess, but repeated listens reveal production in which everything is as artfully placed as a Buddhist sand painting. A good introductory MP3 to look for is Painbirds or Maria’s Little Elbows. Bonus MP3: A cover of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here done with Thom Yorke.
The Loud Family - A followup band to the critically acclaimed Game Theory, The Loud Family is in actuality Scott Miller surrounded by whatever supporting musicians he rounds up. Miller is a phenomenally talented musician, writing hook-laden music coupled with stunningly intelligent lyrics. For a sample, how about:
“Alexander was around before the Duke Of Earl,
The ancient Greeks all said he threw the discus like a girl.
He didn’t have a healthy outlet for his anger,
So he took over the world.”
or
“I never knew how your kisses felt,
Until I saw you kiss someone else.” written about the women to whom his marriage had just ended.
While all The Loud Family releases are worth checking out, the high water mark is Interbabe Concern. Heartbreaking subject matter joined with sterling production and playing, it stands as Miller’s masterpiece. Worthy MP3’s to sample: North San Bruno Dishonor Trip and Rise Of The Chokehold Princess.
Pavement
Aquabats
Nickelback
They Might Be Giants (A common band among the denizens of SD)
VAST
Toadies
Unwritten Law
RxBandits
REM (everyone loves REM)
Primus
Porno For Pyros
NoFx
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Marvin Gaye
Money Mark
Liquido
I could go on forever… but I’d end up repeating myself.
VENT
Life of Agony
Hoobustank
Small Town Heroes
FenisTX (Sorta on MTV. Played their video once.)
6GIG
A New Found Glory
Anyone know Millencolin?
ReInStated
SEV
THE ATARIS (Best freakin’ band ever!!!)
and TRF
GRRRRR!!!
FenisTx= FeniXTx
Do you ever get the feeling that you are not just the only person on the planet who is listening to a specific song at that moment, but the only person in the bloody UNIVERSE who is listening to ANYTHING by, say, The Incredible String Band at that moment?
Most of my favorite artists/groups/bands aren’t too popular, so this is easy.
Fluke
Layo and Bushwacka
Angie Aparo
The Living End
Lifehouse (not popular yet, but will be, I’m sure)
Die Ärzte (kinda popular in Germany; not here, because their songs are in German)
Juno Reactor
Junkie XL
Christine Anu (sang at the Olympics closing ceremony, and she still hasn’t blown up in the States. What’s up with that?!)
Chicane
Propellerheads
Symbiosis
Hybrid
Die Firma (German rap)
Mark Knopfler
and the list goes on, and on, and on. And every classical composer I know of is unpopular, so count them, too.
Life house is rad. “Hanging by a Moment”, excellent song.
Ya’ll aren’t kidding…That is such a great song…I think they have some potential if the rest of the CD is as good.
Dude, did I just type “ya’ll”?? Gosh, if everyone didn’t know I was from the south already, you sure as hell do now… :o
I’d like to throw my vote in for Bela Fleck also.
I’ve never found anyone else who has heard of Brand-X.
Lone Justice (Anyone know what Maria McKee is doing these days?)
Asleep At The Wheel (I can’t help it, I just love Western Swing)
Most of the rest is pretty mainstream, although not Top 40. My tastes really broadened after HS - I went from ‘If it ain’t rock (of the Led Zeppelin/Frank Zappa/Lynyrd Skynyrd school) it ain’t shite’ to listeninig to a little bit of everything. (Lyle Lovett, SRV and the original blues artists he covered and was inspired by, much of the ‘easier’ classical - mostly chamber music, I might even allow as there were one or two disco songs worth the vinyl they were stamped on.) I don’t understand people who intentionally limit their enjoyment of music to one ‘type’.
I better stop before I hijack this thread…
-mdf
Lone Justice. Cowpunk. Saw Maria McKee on a rerun of an old SNL on the Comedy Channel last year. I had forgotten what a crush I had on her years ago. That girl can sing.
I like a lot of rockabilly/shrieky ladies who don’t sell a billion records:
I mentioned Nina Hagen above. (Way above)
Yoko Ono
Patty Smith
Marianne Faithful
Courtney Love
Danielle Dax
B-52s
Bjork, Sugarcubes
Iris Dement
Emmylou Harris
Lucinda Williams (see her New Yorker article about six months ago? Her MOM hit on the reporter).
Nancy Griffith
Go-gos lady
Poison Ivy from the Cramps
Sara Lee
I think I’m in love with Sleater/Kinney but I have to go buy their records first to make sure. I heard a sample of “You’re no Rock’n’roll Fun” and the die has been cast.
I am suprised that while everyone named Son volt and uncle tueplo, no one named wilco! Where’s the love for Jeff Tweedy? Great band as well.
I am so impressed with the musical diversity on this board and the amount of people into relatively obscure bands. This Board rocks. Carry on… 
Just A Girl gets massive props for mentioning New Orleans own Cowboy Mouth.
Other than that…
All those votes and not one mention of Jill Sobule or Mary Prankster? I should send all of you back to top 40!
no one is a nick drake fan? for shame…
Wilco is ok, but I prefer Son volt and Uncle Tupelo better myself…
also a big Johnny Cash fan- I highly recommend American III:Solitary Man to those who line the man in black…
I sense the implication that I might be a poseur. Please allow me to clarify.
I based my definition of “popular” on what I get to hear on the radio. Anything I have to seek out on my own without the help of a local radio station … must not be too popular. Some of the bands on the list above can be heard on the radio here, but not often and usually don’t get much airplay.
Also, I live in Radio Hell. There are no decent alternative radio stations where I live. The few college stations suck, because they’re FSU. With the exception of Creed, there is no decent local band scene here. I have no way (no resources) to know what’s out there that’s new and unheard of because I live, relatively speaking, in the boonies. I’m four hours from Atlanta or Tampa – which is really to far to go clubbing and hear the newest, latest, greatest and most obscure artists. At least Tallahassee is not even a secondary market for this type of thing – more like third tier. Point being – I’m positively starving for cutting edge music.
Please forgive me for not knowing enough obscure really great bands. I’m afraid I’m just not as cool as you are. And probably never will be, as long as I prefer a green place to live over a concrete jungle.
My bad. I’ll stick to geekier threads from now on.