I’ve been big on MUTEMATH since highschool. Unfortunately, I think they’ve broken up, but I still love their music.
- Jim’s Big Ego
- Rockapella
I’m sure some people have heard of them but I didn’t see them anywhere in here. So, here ya go!
Low is super slow and very long (at least in the first couple of albums).
Charlie Parr is an amazing country blues singer.
Mallory Chipman is wonderful.
On reddit this was always bait for people who don’t know what “mainstream” or “underrated” means. Like I don’t know if you’ve heard of this obscure niche ragtag band… Supertramp? Compare Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man treating every cultural touchstone from prior to 2000 as lost knowledge found in ancient manuscripts.
So I’m gonna say Kingston Wall, a Finnish progressive rock band, and risk finding out that they were a household name for the dozens of people who gave a shit about prog in the 90s. “We Cannot Move” sounds like the pinnacle of 70s production. It just came out while Yes was doing synth-pop and Pink Floyd was doing a Moody Blues album. If it turns out everyone who’s heard of Porcupine Tree already knows about them… good.
If we’re talking mass appeal that’s missing, I’d say The Cinematics. Two and a half albums of energetic alternative rock. Broadly anti-consumerist messages throughout. Guest work from We Are Scientists and Beck. Broke up for unspecified reasons. They deserve to be one of those “oh yeah, those guys” kind of bands. Not mindblowing… but remembered.
Really obscure: I like Ramsay Midwood, Have Gun Will Travel, and Joshua Ray Walker too, so good and a class act as a person.
Somewhat known: I love Ondara, Durand Jones & the Indications and all their associated solo stuff, Charley Crockett, Toro y Moi, Phosphorescent, Josh Ritter, Arlo Parks.
Oh my God how could I forget, they are broken up now but J RODDY WALSTON AND THE BUSINESS! They are one of the best live acts I’ve seen and their records were also great.
Khruangbin, MONO, Babe Rainbow, Kikagaku Moyo.
If Khrungabin aren’t well known there is no justice in the universe. They are so good. They headlined a big festival here (one so expensive I didn’t go) and did those awesome collaborations with Leon Bridges so I thought they were famous?
I like Will Wood, his stuff has been described as “evil jazz”, but it ranges from calm and soothing singer-songwriter type stuff to a full upbeat jazz band with chaotic composition and arrangement. I find his lyrics insightful, but they are also often quite abstract.
Cute girls doing cute things have some nice tracks, but many of them feel a bit the same-y.
The Vienna Clarinet Collection has great covers of classic clarinet songs, but classical and jazz.
I couldn’t choose one, so here are a few jazz bands I like: Francis Coppieters, Loftys Comet, T-Square, Micheal Lowerstern, Archie Shepp, Sons of Kemet, and Mansur Brown
Greta Van Fleet I suppose, rock band that sounds like a modern led zepellin.
https://youtu.be/s0y2EzfpPXg?feature=shared
Piped bot do your thing.
They literally played an arena here.
Hello Meteor: https://hellometeor.bandcamp.com
Exodrifter: https://exodrifter.bandcamp.com (discovered his/her work with Radio Free Fedi)
Some that I think should be wayy more popular than they currently are:
- Jukebox the ghost
- aimee mann
- V.A.S.T
- Prefab sprout
- Ivy
- Passion pit
- Placebo
- The war on drugs
- tokyo police club
- Stars
- The dismemberment plan
I’m not familiar with most of these but I drove 2 hours to see Jukebox the Ghost play in the second story of a church when I was like 19, and Stars is probably my number one favorite band, so I may have to check out some of your other entries here.
Edit: The Jukebox the Ghost show was really cool btw, they wouldn’t let them do an encore in the upstairs part of the venue but they agreed to let the keyboardist do a solo encore on the church’s organ on the first floor.
I saw them twice live, they’re so good. Not many bands have the same optimism and energy as they do.
Is Placebo niche now?
Probably, I don’t know how I found them but I grew up in the 90s and 00s and never heard of them.
Poets Of The Fall. They aren’t too known but they are the ones behind many Remedy games soundtracks including Control and Alan Wake. Dam they’re good, especially their Alexander Theatre session and live performances.
I only have one song from them in my playlist, Requiem for My Harlequin, but I quite like it. I found it while listening to KGRG.
Can definitely recommend Carnival of Rust, War, and Beyond The Horizon. Not limited to this list but these are my favorites
Cari Cari (just discovered them, psychedelic jams)
Bargain Music (reggae/ska, similar to sublime)
Secret Chiefs 3 (schitzo alternative/middle eastern, many members of Mr. Bungle)
TR/ST (darkwave)
The Two Man Gentleman Band (old timey barbershop banjo)
Superorganism (psychedelic)
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (punk covers)
St. Vincent (indie/alternative)Two Man Gentlemen Band are so funny. Fancy Beer!
