Most Underrated Band

[thcbongman]

Since we have an overrated thread, it's inevitable we'll have an underrated thread. What's in your opinion the most underrated band?

One thing to think about before posting to prevent this from becoming another thread where everyone lists their favorite bands:

Your favorite artists are underrated by everyone else! Be objective as possible.

With that said, imo, the most underrated band is The Smashing Pumpkins.

Their musical range is so broad, and their catalog so diverse. Billy Corgan is simply a genius. Every song he's written, he pushed for masterpieces. When you think of the early 90s, you think of Nirvana. It robbed many bands of the recognition of their genius, but no band was more affected than the Pumpkins. They should be #1 of the great 90 acts.

[Metaphor]

you really think smashing pumpkins are underrated??
they seem to have a large enough fan base, idk, im not a huge fan of them. There can be some exceptions made for "Siamese Dream", it a pretty descent album.

Ide have to say the most undderrated band, prolly My Bloody Valentine. They totally changed (for me atleast) the deffinition of rock music. Showing me that its not about how fast yu can shred a guitar or how catchy your lyrics are. They showed me that its all about the music a whole. There instruments work together as a team, weaving in out of eachother, if you took out any one part of their song you would be left with nothing. Its such a shame how people immediatley dismiss this band because of the emo-esque name, when in reality this band is nothing NOTHING of "emo" band, old generation or new.
its called shoegaze

[thcbongman]

Yup, I think the pumpkins are a great band. Not my favorite, but a band I felt that been underrated. Check out their 5-cd box set, The Aeroplane Flies High. Each disk has one of their poppy songs followed by their b-sides, which are amazing, quite frankly.

I was thinking about putting MBV, because they are terribly underrated, but I had a feeling you'd show up :)

I'm listening to the album Ecstacy right now. I swear everytime I listen to these guys, it gets better and better everytime.

[ValkyrieAg]

Cold

[Metaphor]

atleast Smashing Pumpkins are famous enough to have a box set lol.
but yeah, ill try to get that one asap.

Sonic Youth is pretty underrated too, i mean alot of people like them and whatnot but they too have a bunch of diff sounds, and a TON of albums. There one of the best examples of conventional rock music that i can think of. by conventional i mean verse chorus verse chrous solo chorus style shit. you kknow the deal.

[leefx]

too many bands to name that are underrated..
half the bands i listen to no one has ever heard of, so i guess they're underrated.

[higher4hockey]

bad religion. bad religion is the god father of modern day 'punk' music. green day opened for bad religion back in the early nineties. a lot of bands owe their fame and fortune to bad religion. they imo were one of the most intelligent and talented punk bands of all time.


also i think better than ezra is underrated.

[Purple Banana]

Bjork.

Despite being a HUGE rock person, I really love her style and quirkiness of her music. It's not electronic like people think, like on her Vespertine album, she had a good lot of orchestral stuff. She knows how to create the right and consistent ambience with each album, yet each track is very different from the other.

Also, I REALLY like The Dandy Warhols- some of their songs are AMAZING to get stoned to, and although Courtney Taylor-Taylor has an odd singing voice, I really weirdly enjoy it.

I might get some flames for this one, but Supergrass. I love them. Some of their stuff sounds like early Beatles, and they're just FUN to listen to. Their stuff is really off the wall.

[savagepossum]

The Gossip

[SonicBloom]

There are infinitly under rated bands. It's especially hard to rate a some of these bands in the first place, since they're just not as capable as many bands that are complete crap.

I think though, a notably under rated musician in general is Tim Kasher. Between Cursive and the Good Life, he has shown an amazing range of abilities. His voice has a complex tone to it, unlike any one else, and his songs are stories with the detail of the best novel. If you're into the writings of Bukowski, or other such writers, you'd really like Tim.

[tom_mate]

The Gossip

Are you having a laugh? They have got to be one of the most over rated bands around, same goes for all of the new bands coming out of Britain at the moment.

[SonicBloom]

Are you having a laugh? They have got to be one of the most over rated bands around, same goes for all of the new bands coming out of Britain at the moment.

Agreed, the UK has been pretty weak lately. There's still some good stuff coming out of there, but it's not getting a lot of press. Especially not here in the States, atleast. The Crimea though, I believe they're English, have a lot of potential to be great.

[Dest]

The Yardbirds, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton where awesome, they made so many great songs and influenced so many bands...

[MyMARYJANE]

jefferson airplane (maybe not back then but now)

[chapman420]

Porcupine Tree

[Metaphor]

90% of the bands i listen to, if not more are terribly underrated

[stoneberg]

Alot of death metal bands such as Soilent Green, Suffocation, The Haunted, Misery Index
If I had to name a rap artist it would be Immortal Technique, although he is getting bigger, he's an excellent poet, not some asshole obsessed with money cash and hoes like 99% of the popular rappers these days.
I also believe the stoner rock band Kyuss is underrated. Although they had a cult following in California in the 90's they pretty much created stoner rock and deserve more credit for that.

[Nochowderforyou]

For me, it would have to be Primus. No one mentions Les Claypool's amazing bass fret work. The guy had a 12 string bass custom made for him and he can play that bastard with no problems. If you can play a 12 string like a pro, bass guitar too, you have concured all music bounderies. :p

The guy is truely amazing though. I remeber reading awhile back that he once tried out for Metallica. They basically said, "you're too good for us, so just leave. You're way too good for us" :p

[higher4hockey]

Megadeth.

[TOOL9]

For me, it would have to be Primus. No one mentions Les Claypool's amazing bass fret work. The guy had a 12 string bass custom made for him and he can play that bastard with no problems. If you can play a 12 string like a pro, bass guitar too, you have concured all music bounderies. :p

The guy is truely amazing though. I remeber reading awhile back that he once tried out for Metallica. They basically said, "you're too good for us, so just leave. You're way too good for us" :p

Jesus dude i completely agree with you. when it comes to playing bass noone comes anywhere near claypool. I dont particularly care for his singing in somes songs (pretty weird at times) but the band is fucking incredible!

[halfassedjediknight]

Megadeth.

im wearing my lindros flyers jersey right now. just saw your icon and thought id brag.

anyways, most underrated bands..hmm...

theres this band i listen to called hot water music that are somewhere in between indie, punk, and rock that are pretty underrated.

i cant really think of many.

[Its a Plant]

I don't really think Primus is underrated at all. They've been around for a while now, and still going strong. I saw them in Chicago last November, and the place was honestly just one big sold out mosh. People who had never heard of them, much less been born back in the early 90's when they first got big, were loving them.

Claypool could seriously be our lord and savior. Maybe you guys don't hear much about Primus where you are, but they're still a pretty big deal here. It kinda sucks Claypool is most likely going to tour with the Fancy Band as Primus is put on the shelf, but either way, the man is amazing.

For me, Pnuma Trio and The Slip are underrated. Or maybe I just appreciate them too much. Still, both bands have serious talent. And Pnuma is almost all improv jam anyways...

[Metaphor]

claypool is an amazing bass player, no doubt. but there are a few jazz bassist's that are just as good, if not better.

[halfassedjediknight]

you know who used to be way underrated and are now sadly overrated?

modest mouse.

ugh.

[timothylearyisdead]

you know who used to be way underrated and are now sadly overrated?

modest mouse.

ugh.

agreed. their old shit is some of the most influential music ever written, and bad news and that new thing they just came out with is probably the worst music ever. i'd rather listen to nickleback or something.

[Nochowderforyou]

Lynyrd Skynyrd for me as well. Not a lot of people give them credit for being one of the first Southern rock bands to start that era of music.

Plus they are some good rocking tunes.

[affasd]

you know who used to be way underrated and are now sadly overrated?

modest mouse.

ugh.

dude for sure, some of there old shit is soooo good, this is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about was so good, there new shit is so fucking garbage

[thcbongman]

agreed. their old shit is some of the most influential music ever written, and bad news and that new thing they just came out with is probably the worst music ever. i'd rather listen to nickleback or something.

It's not that bad, but it's definitely not the best Mouse has to offer. Their new album, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank gives me the same vibes to Bad News, it has it's moments, but it's kinda weak. Pales in comparsion on Lonesome Crowded West.

But it's definitely a crime, they're seriously underrated.

[DarkHorse014]

Lynyrd Skynyrd for me as well. Not a lot of people give them credit for being one of the first Southern rock bands to start that era of music.

Plus they are some good rocking tunes.

eh they wuldnt really have anything without the allman bros.

[KingsBlend420]

King Crimson

[Its a Plant]

I've seen King Crimson and Adrian Belew mentioned a couple times, so I figured I'd brag while I got the chance..

I saw Adrian open for Umphrey's McGee last week, and it was so COOL. He came out and played "I Am the Walrus" later on in the night after he pumped the crowd up with his opening set. SO awesome!

As weird as the guy seems to be, he really loves playing for people, and that made the night that much better. ~

[Raider187]

Bullets and Octane, I saw them live at Korns Family Values Tour and they fuckin rocked. I would go to a concert just to see them.

[Metaphor]

Slint is another band thats terribly underrated. They prolly wouldnt be so underrated if everyone didnt have nirvana in their tape decks in 1992.

[thcbongman]

Definitely Slint

Pavement is another that comes to mind.

And the great Elliot Smith, and David Garza.

[lpophire]

The Mars Volta.

I'm really not sure if they're underrated, it's just they're different enough from most other music that there's nothing to rate them against. They're fucking brilliant, though.

[Duke Street Kings]

bad religion. bad religion is the god father of modern day 'punk' music. green day opened for bad religion back in the early nineties. a lot of bands owe their fame and fortune to bad religion. they imo were one of the most intelligent and talented punk bands of all time.


Ditto. Bad Religion is perhaps the only band who I can confidently say, "Speaks for me." And that is quite a thing to say. But if I was going to be in any rock band, Bad Religion would be my choice:

Literate, sharp lyrics. Thanks Brett and Greg.

Soaring melodies and harmonies - some of the most melodic punk ever made without sounding poppy or watered down

Blistering guitar and drums

Fantastic vocals. Greg Graffin has got one of the best voices I've ever heard for this kind of music.

For energetic rock, Bad Religion is the band I compare everything else to. My heart almost exploded out of my chest when I saw them in NYC during the Gray Race tour. I have never seen such a kinetic audience; the whole venue a sea of mosh.

Bad Religion is the closest I get to religion, and that is to say, no religion at all, just...raw consciousness spiked with adrenalin, tempered with rationality, and garnished with righteousness.

They definitely deserve more credit than they get.

I have blown off more steam to Bad Religion than any other band. They are one band that always reminded me that I was not alone, and that can be an invaluable thing these days.

American Jesus is a song more people - especially in the USA - need to hear. For their own good, but more to the point, for everyone else's.