Bump MIKA - that’s an awesome album. The lyrics are ridiculous and catchy as all get out, I can’t believe how often I listen to this.
Anneke van Giersbergen, formerly of The Gathering, now with Agua de Annnique.
Mars Volta
They’re soooooooo f’n good yet anyone I show them to thinks they suck. I don’t get it.
Richard Thompson
NRBQ
I’m glad they aren’t, though (or in NRBQ’s case, weren’t). Would have spoiled everything.
Whoa - listen to Queen much? Is the rest of his/their stuff so Queenly? He has a great voice and look, but I hadn’t heard of him…
One of my best friends is a huge fan. I’m one of those that doesn’t get it, though.
My recommendations are Sarah Fimm, Vienna Teng, Jesca Hoop, Grand Ole Party, and The Romanovs.
I know everybody says this about their friends with creative projects, but my best friend will be a famous rapper. I know hip hop and I have a very critical ear and he’s better than almost anyone else out there right now.
My tastes range through a lot of ultra-talented musical acts from Amon Amarth to Sufjan Stevens but I don’t harbor the illusions that they “should” be mega-superstars, because I know that most people don’t like that stuff. Lady Gaga “should” be a mega-superstar, as much as it pains me to say it, because that’s what people want shoved down their throats.
Re: The Mars Volta - I am with you; I find them very spikey and jabby; they explore big prog landscapes but the sounds can be harsh.
I have a “six degrees” connection to them - my oldest music friend was in a band with their bassist (when he went by “John” instead of “Juan”) so I try to keep track of them, but I haven’t gotten hooked…
Equally amazing on accoustic: This will just astonish you!
Should I take the thread title literally, or is the them just “Acts I like a lot that aren’t very popular”?
Let’s put this in movie terms for a second. I loved the movie “Magnolia,” but I’d NEVER say, “It should have been a blockbuster.” Because, as much as I like it, I’m well aware that it’s a weird movie that would alienate mainstream audiences, and never had a chance of being a blockbuster."
Many of my favorite musical artists are in the same boat. I may love King Crimson’s “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic” album, but I would never be foolish enough to say that the King Crimson of that era “should have been superstars,” because they weren’t making music that anyone would expect to appeal to mass audiences. They aimed their work at a small, intense, appreciatve cult audience. That’s all they sought, and that’s all they deserved.
When you ask for artists who “should be superstars,” I’m inclined to think of mainstream accessible pop artists that I don’t even like!
Perfect example? Robby Williams. He’s a genuine superstar in Europe, but has never caught on big in America. There’s absolutely no good reason why not. He makes the kind of danceable pop that OUGHT to make him a big star in the USA. it just hasn’t ahppened, and there’s no compelling explanation.
Each of the acts I picked create/d radio-ready, guitar-oriented rock-pop that could stand up next to any of the hits that fit in that genre. So from a pure music standpoint, I absolutely stand by the original intent - these guys have the goods…now, as to why they didn’t break or break as big - well there are a bunch of reasons for each that I am aware of and I am sure there are plenty more I know nothing about - but it wasn’t the music…
I’d add Porcupine Tree on this list, given the conditions WordMan just outlined. My very WAG is that they hit their creative peak when radio (“alternative” and otherwise) was almost wholly eschewing tunefulness in favor of fractured chords and off-key singing. They got stuck, mainly due to their third studio album, with the dreaded “prog” tag early on, despite sounding decidedly non-proggish from Stupid Dream through Deadwing (with the occasional rare prog-tinged cut here and there). Alas they went all-out-proggy on their last effort, which probably porked their chances for good.
I’m blushing to be included in this august company.
I’m also wondering what the collaboration album would sound like…
Thirdeded for Dave Alvin. One of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.
This. Except they should be played way more than the talking heads. Flawless guitar rock album.
Robyn Hitchcock
The Go-Betweens
Marshall Crenshaw
Hehe…I believe he does.
You probably noticed ,but in the song I linked to,he mentions Freddie a couple of times. Mika and the little girls even do a Freddie pose.
Eva Cassidy
I’ll agree on Mika, who is also a genuinely interesting person, or at least he is on Twitter. On that basis I’d also rank Imogen Heap and Jamie Cullum. I like musicians who are well-rounded people. It makes for more interesting performances.
I’d also agree with the suggestion of Vienna Teng. She’s marvelous.
Kind of hard for Eva to become a superstar since she’s been dead for a dozen years, sadly. Her biggest success came after she was already gone.