Hidden Gems---The most overlooked and underappreciated rock bands/artists you love

An incredible group of musicians at a unique time and place in rock history. These guys should be mandatory in anybody's collection.

 

Seconded. A similar band that I got turned on to right at the same time are Feathers (from Vermont; not the electronica band from Austin). They're like a non-wacky and more mysterious Incredible String Band.

 

Max Webster
Jane Siberry
The Inbreds

 

Hidden

 

Absolutely. Both Jellyfish albums are fully fantastic and didn't gain the commercial traction I think they deserved.

 

Only stupid people (or at the very least, people who don't know much at all about Frank) think Frank was stupid.

Ah, but what is the "real FZ"? Who Are the Brain Police? King Kong? The Grand Wazoo? Outrage at Valdez? Sy Borg? G-Spot Tornado? Shut Up ’n Play Yer Guitar Some More? (I'm not entirely sure of the point I'm trying to make here, and I know Frank himself said that the reason for playing Dinah-Moe Humm every night was so he could fund more 'serious' stuff, but ain't it all part of the much vaunted 'conceptual continuity', or if we want to get really heavy here, the BIG NOTE?)

 

Indeed, I've thought about what "the real Frank" is as well and its a very deep thing to tihnk about. I was generalizing a bit too much using Valley Girl as an example considering, as you pointed out, he wrote so much satirical comedic material anyways that that's part of what FZ is. I think I chose my words poorly as you are completely correct. I'm horrible at getting my thoughts from head to page.

 

Everyone knows the real Zappa is the disco Dancin Fool.....

 

Nils Lofgren (solo)
Willy DeVille (both solo and with Mink DeVille)

I listen to both of them regularly!

 

Pat mAcDonald, once of Timbuk 3 [The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades] and solo since '95- currently playing as Purgatory Hill, a duo with his partner melaniejane. Observant, funny, cynical songwriting. In PH he plays a pimped cigar box guitar called a LoweBow which enables you to play guitar and bass simultaneously. PH has the Delta blues feel without the format.

 

Great call on Woodentops. I played the hell out of Giant in the '80s.

 

My votes go to Jets to Brazil and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -- two great bands with funny names.

 

Lake - The original German band from the 1970s- early 80s. I guess they did okay in Europe but barely made a splash in the States.

 

urge overkill (there's more then "girl you'll be a woman soon", much more)
thin white rope
souled american
camper van beethoven (they made a great comeback album last year)
beasts of bourbon

not unknown, but still underrated:
hüsker dü
go-betweens
dinosaur jr.
giant sand

 

I agree with VdGG, not sure how hidden PT are though

I would add The Chameleons, they should have been bigger than U2 and/or Simple Minds

 

My nod here goes to Slapp Happy, a delightfully quirky art pop unit from the 70s. Casablanca Moon is their masterpiece, though they came back with an outstanding reunion effort in the 90s, Ca Va, a rare case where a band was able to come back and add depth and maturity to their sound without losing what made them special in the first place. I also enjoy some of the solo albums from their keyboardist, Anthony Moore, like Flying Doesn't Help and World Service.

 

BeBop Deluxe and Budgie are two that come to my mind.

 

Like x1000.

 

This thread is full of very popular, un-cultlike bands. Let me then add to it the following great "unknown" artists:
Jason Falkner
Sloan
The Pursuit Of Happiness
The Primitives
Ivy
Lida Husik

 

Shack
The Stairs
Jason Falkner
Matthew Sweet
Eric Matthews
Chris Brown (no not that one)
Fred Neil
Squire/Anthony Meynell
The Jam (in the USA)

 

Totally agree about Kirsty MacColl. An amazing talent, so sadly cut short. If you don't know her, just listen to her 1989 album 'Kite'. Wonderful sassy, witty, tuneful songs.

 

My understanding of Poco history (going pretty far back in the memory bank for this):

Everyone on the Poco team thought "A Good Feelin' To Know" was going to be huge (by Poco standards). It's failure to do so lead Richie Furay to consider leaving the group. When their next album, 'Crazy Eyes" also failed, Richie left the group. Poco didn't have a hit until 1978 with "Legend".

As a side note - both the albums are great and hold up very well. Poco's version of J.J. Cale's "Magnolia" is a thing of beauty.

 

The Meat Puppets need to be known more than they are. they don't have a bad album, and they have at least, two perfect ones

 

Some of these are popular, but definitely underappreciated in this person's opinion:
Dave Edmunds (great producer, singer, guitarist)
Procol Harum (remembered for 1 or 2 hits, despite a large catalogue of excellent albums and songs)
Roy Wood (great writer, musician, producer)
Bonnie Bramlett (the best white blues singer)

 

Shoes
Blue Ash
Jack Jones
Freedy Johnston