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Five Bands/Acts that weren't hugely popular but should have been

1: Goldfinger... How these guy's got looked over in the wave of new school punk bands blows my mind.
2: Suicidal Tendencies ... One of the godfathers of crossover..
3 : Sense field... Christian band? Lyrics would point that way, but whatever.. Those dudes killed it..
4 : Nofx.. how these guy's don't have MANY platinum albums is baffling..considering there are like a billion kids listening to them to this day..
5: The Misfits.. I'm not even saying why they should be on this list .. I actually should have put them at 1...New Jerseys finest..
 
Nitt1300 said:
The opposite of the other thread, obviously

My list:

Fleetwood Mac (the original Peter Green lineup) straightforward blues and great musicians
Rory Gallagher- if you don't know him, you should, Check out his Irish Tour 74 album
Savoy Brown- another solid band who flew under the radar- Looking In album is a good place to start
Ten Years After- Alvin Lee was a absolute guitar monster and a great singer, too
Wishbone Ash- yeah, you never heard of them, neither did most people
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Completely agree on Wishbone Ash. They were/are fantastic. I have a friend in the music biz and he helped me bring them to Rasputin’s In West Lawn in the 80’s. What a thrill to see them in a venue that held maybe 150 -200 people.
We used to drive to Lock Haven to see Hybrid Ice at Sal Asante’s
 
Midnighter said:
The issue wasn't the band or it's lyrics - it was just that era of music was only going to last so long. Their follow ups to Throwing Copper were really good records (and Ed was always a spiritual guy). But, Britney Spears and N'SYNC killed them off, much like Nirvana did to hair bands. With the possible exception of Pearl Jam, there aren't many grunge era bands still going strong.
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Probably because their lead singers all died.
 
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Nitt1300 said:
The opposite of the other thread, obviously

My list:

Fleetwood Mac (the original Peter Green lineup) straightforward blues and great musicians
Rory Gallagher- if you don't know him, you should, Check out his Irish Tour 74 album
Savoy Brown- another solid band who flew under the radar- Looking In album is a good place to start
Ten Years After- Alvin Lee was a absolute guitar monster and a great singer, too
Wishbone Ash- yeah, you never heard of them, neither did most people
Click to expand...


Kansas with original lineup. Masque, Song for America and Leftoverture are brilliant.
 
Keyser Soze 16801 said:
I was always surprised Live was not bigger

The fact that no one knew how to say the band's name probably didn't help

Once saw a cute girl driving a car with the tag IALONE, wanted to marry her on the spot
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Live was pretty big for a four or five year period. They have two really good albums and we playing sold out larger venues (i.e. not stadiums, but 10,000 seat places). So maybe it means what you mean by "hugely popular."
 
PSU2UNC said:
Live was pretty big for a four or five year period. They have two really good albums and we playing sold out larger venues (i.e. not stadiums, but 10,000 seat places). So maybe it means what you mean by "hugely popular."
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I thought they had the talent to have a long term following, similar to, for example, Pearl Jam and STP. Instead they are more in a category with Creed.
 
Keyser Soze 16801 said:
I thought they had the talent to have a long term following, similar to, for example, Pearl Jam and STP. Instead they are more in a category with Creed.
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Pearl Jam is obviously at another level, but Live "Throwing Copper" and STP "Core" are both 8x platinum albums. STP was probably bigger for longer (that's what she said), but they were both hugely popular bands.
 
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Most bands I like don't tend to get Pop poplular which is fine, but a few that I really like are.

My Morning Jacket
Band Of Horses
Slightly Stoopid (best beach summer beer sipping musing around)

Tons of NOLA bands that are way better live than half the $h!t being tossed around. I've seen most of these bands countless times in NOLA and the ability to collaborate, cross genres, and flat out improvise is awesome to see. Hell Rebirth has different people sit in depending up on the night and decade.

Trombone Shorty
Galactic
Rebith Brass Band
Soul Rebels
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Revivalists
Meters
Dumpstaphunk
 
LaJolla Lion said:
Most bands I like don't tend to get Pop poplular which is fine, but a few that I really like are.

My Morning Jacket
Band Of Horses
Slightly Stoopid (best beach summer beer sipping musing around)

Tons of NOLA bands that are way better live than half the $h!t being tossed around. I've seen most of these bands countless times in NOLA and the ability to collaborate, cross genres, and flat out improvise is awesome to see. Hell Rebirth has different people sit in depending up on the night and decade.

Trombone Shorty
Galactic
Rebith Brass Band
Soul Rebels
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Revivalists
Meters
Dumpstaphunk
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I agree on many. I'd like to add The Radiators, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, and going old school NRPS.

As for jams bands, I'd add String Cheese, Widespread Panic and Joe Russo's Almost Dead.
 
I'd be cool if all you guy's that are just posting random bands would at least throw out some info or at least what genre of music they are.
 
nittany119 said:
I agree on many. I'd like to add The Radiators, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, and going old school NRPS.

As for jams bands, I'd add String Cheese, Widespread Panic and Joe Russo's Almost Dead.
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Radiators are great, always liked seeing them close out Jazz fest every year. Robert Randolph is just so much energy live....snuck back stage with him and his band in NOLA walking across the street when he was going to sit in with Trey and the world for a Superjam one night...good stuff. Panic is probably the band I have see the most in my lifetime and it's been a few years, but I'm catching them later on this year once again. SCI is another just fun band live as well.
 
Gnat91 said:
I'd be cool if all you guy's that are just posting random bands would at least throw out some info or at least what genre of music they are.
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Slighlty Stoopid = reggae/So Cal Rock. Will cover Bruce, Dead...countless others, great stuff of their own. Frozen drink, beach, and these guys is how summers should be.
My Morning Jacket = Southern rock/Jam
Band of Horses = see MMJ above
Trombone shorty, Rebirth, Soul Rebels, Dirty Dozen = NOLA jazz/rock/hip hop/funk, just a great stuff live
Meters and Dumpstaphunk = NOLA funk with some jamband thrown in
Radiators = Southern Rock with NOLA flavor to them
SCI = jamband with a touch of bluegrass to them
Widespread Panic = Jamband /southern rock
 
1. The New York Dolls - they started the punk scene and served as a bridge between The Stones and punk bands like The Ramones. They were hugely talented, but were part victims of awful management, being tormented souls (Johnny Thunder) and being a few years too early for their time.

2. Gun Club - they bridged rockabilly, punk and hair metal years before it got big. Their stuff still stands up 30+ years later.

3. The Stone Roses - perhaps Madchester’s finest in the late 80s. They had a seminal album and then fizzled out due to some of the aforementioned reasons.

4. Joy Division - arguably THE catalyst for New Wave. This band tees things up and eventually became much of the lineup for New Order, which also wasn’t as big a band as it should have been.

5. Jane’s Addiction and The Pixies - two more seminal bands that weren’t fully appreciated until after their primes when it became evident how much they influenced grunge bands like Nirvana and others. I challenge anyone to listen to Surfer Rosa or Doolittle and not like them.
 
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WestSideLion said:
1. The New York Dolls - they started the punk scene and served as a bridge between The Stones and punk bands like The Ramones. They were hugely talented, but were part victims of awful management, being tormented souls (Johnny Thunder) and being a few years too early for their time.

2. Gun Club - they bridged rockabilly, punk and hair metal years before it got big. Their stuff still stands up 30+ years later.

3. The Stone Roses - perhaps Madchester’s finest in the late 80s. They had a seminal album and then fizzled out due to some of the aforementioned reasons.

4. Joy Division - arguably THE catalyst for New Wave. This band tees things up and eventually became much of the lineup for New Order, which also wasn’t as big a band as it should have been.

5. Jane’s Addiction and The Pixies - two more seminal bands that weren’t fully appreciated until after their primes when it became evident how much they influenced grunge bands like Nirvana and others. I challenge anyone to listen to Surfer Rosa or Doolittle and not like them.
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Excellent post.
Didnt' The Stone Roses have some huge legal battle with the record label, essentially ending them?

Will someone please tell the radio stations that Jane's Addiction have more songs than "Been Caught Stealing" and The Smiths have more and better songs than "Girl Friend in a Coma".
 
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LaJolla Lion said:
Radiators are great, always liked seeing them close out Jazz fest every year. Robert Randolph is just so much energy live....snuck back stage with him and his band in NOLA walking across the street when he was going to sit in with Trey and the world for a Superjam one night...good stuff. Panic is probably the band I have see the most in my lifetime and it's been a few years, but I'm catching them later on this year once again. SCI is another just fun band live as well.
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Randolph grew up next town over from where I work, so he is well known in northern NJ. My Trey story is I had a mutual connection with him and met him. He got me on the list to buy Fare Thee Well tix, so we got to sit in the Phish and family section. Was awesome.
Seeing SCI at Red Rocks is on the bucket list. They are very, very good.
And Panic, same as Warren Haynes does so many covers so well.
 
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nittany119 said:
Randolph grew up next town over from where I work, so he is well known in northern NJ. My Trey story is I had a mutual connection with him and met him. He got me on the list to buy Fare Thee Well tix, so we got to sit in the Phish and family section. Was awesome.
Seeing SCI at Red Rocks is on the bucket list. They are very, very good.
And Panic, same as Warren Haynes does so many covers so well.
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I did a 3 day Panic run at Red Rocks a decade or so back, had a blast. Best venue I have ever been too and it's not even close. SCI I have seen a few times, but one memorable show was a NYE show in SF at the Bill Grahm auditorium. My wife and I had an absolute blast. Pre kids my wife and I used to get around a little bit...never did full tours, but cherry picked our 4-5 show runs throughout the year. Then living in NOLA we always had so many good acts come the whole year long. Jazzfest is overwhelming. Great shows during Mardi Gras...VooDoo fest, and it just never stops there. I was really, really spoiled with good music.
 
LaJolla Lion said:
I did a 3 day Panic run at Red Rocks a decade or so back, had a blast. Best venue I have ever been too and it's not even close. SCI I have seen a few times, but one memorable show was a NYE show in SF at the Bill Grahm auditorium. My wife and I had an absolute blast. Pre kids my wife and I used to get around a little bit...never did full tours, but cherry picked our 4-5 show runs throughout the year. Then living in NOLA we always had so many good acts come the whole year long. Jazzfest is overwhelming. Great shows during Mardi Gras...VooDoo fest, and it just never stops there. I was really, really spoiled with good music.
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Awesome. I have a daughter out in Boulder now, so I'm hoping to get to Red Rocks.
Be glad you weren't in Camden the other night for the cancelled Dead & Co show. What a disaster.
 
Gnat91 said:
I'd be cool if all you guy's that are just posting random bands would at least throw out some info or at least what genre of music they are.
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Fair enough. The three I listed were:

The Clarks -- rock/alternative rock(?) from Pittsburgh

2 Skinnee J's -- hard to define. I guess technically nerdcore rap. I'd describe as the Beastie Boys meet Tribe Called Quest, from NYC.

Cowboy Mouth -- southern Rock from New Orleans
 
The only one I can think of at the moment is Bachman Turner Overdrive (classic rock).

I played the best of album at a party a few weeks ago and it was well received by both young and old even though most did not know who it was. Good upbeat songs.
 
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nittany119 said:
Awesome. I have a daughter out in Boulder now, so I'm hoping to get to Red Rocks.
Be glad you weren't in Camden the other night for the cancelled Dead & Co show. What a disaster.
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I had friends and family there...that sucks. I'm catching them out in San Diego this summer with some old friends.
 
BBrown said:
Excellent post.
Didnt' The Stone Roses have some huge legal battle with the record label, essentially ending them?

Will someone please tell the radio stations that Jane's Addiction have more songs than "Been Caught Stealing" and The Smiths have more and better songs than "Girl Friend in a Coma".
Click to expand...

Agree, though I'm not sure how to categorize New Order. They were MASSIVE in the UK (their most recent album hit #2 on the UK charts in 2015) and had a handful of Stateside hits anyone who knows anything about 80s New Wave would immediately recognize (Blue Monday, Regret, True Faith, Ceremony, Bizarre Love Triangle). That said, still not as big as they probably should have been.

The Smiths are also part of that post-punk/post Joy Division arena and even though not commercially popular in the US, every cool kid in my school (and this is Beaver County circa 1988) had one of their shirts. I always hear 'How Soon is Now?' (but not complaining).

Jane's Addiction is also a power player in their era, but I think that band was going to have issues - all members were well known druggies and that wasn't going to last. That said, their first live and two studio albums are gold (they also list Joy Division as a major influence). Farrell has one of my favorite voices in rock - reminds me I need to dig out some of their stuff.
 
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LaJolla Lion said:
slow was the word to describe it.
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A lot of their tunes start slow and build up to a real hot finish. This show seemed to lack something, not quite sure what it was. I've seen many, many GD and offshoot shows over the years, good, bad and ugly. Not sure what the deal was the other night
 
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swordsman_l said:
I don't know--I think these acts are all pretty well recognized. Although I couldn't name a single nickelback song.

Back to the original theme-- one of the best bands I heard live was The Sharks. Had a chance to go national in the mid 1980s but didn't quite make it.
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The Sharks are great. They just got together at the Village a couple of weeks ago. While Sam Rawhauser (Sam Lugar) passed away a few years ago, his son, Ian, fills in pretty nicely from what I hear.
 
Some great choices already listed... Pixies, Stone Roses, Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown, Roxy Music, Material Issue, Smithereens...

A few others:
Happy Mondays
Primal Scream
Dada
Tripping Daisy
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Toadies
King's X









 
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Nitt1300 said:
The opposite of the other thread, obviously

My list:

Fleetwood Mac (the original Peter Green lineup) straightforward blues and great musicians
Rory Gallagher- if you don't know him, you should, Check out his Irish Tour 74 album
Savoy Brown- another solid band who flew under the radar- Looking In album is a good place to start
Ten Years After- Alvin Lee was a absolute guitar monster and a great singer, too
Wishbone Ash- yeah, you never heard of them, neither did most people
Click to expand...


Nick Drake. Look him up.
 
Nitt1300 said:
The opposite of the other thread, obviously

My list:

Fleetwood Mac (the original Peter Green lineup) straightforward blues and great musicians
Rory Gallagher- if you don't know him, you should, Check out his Irish Tour 74 album
Savoy Brown- another solid band who flew under the radar- Looking In album is a good place to start
Ten Years After- Alvin Lee was a absolute guitar monster and a great singer, too
Wishbone Ash- yeah, you never heard of them, neither did most people
Click to expand...

I come in peace and music. Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74 is not just a great live album (in itself a lost art), but it was partially recorded at Belfast Ulster Hall. That was a very meaningful and very brave thing to do at the time.
 
Nitt1300 said:
The opposite of the other thread, obviously

My list:

Fleetwood Mac (the original Peter Green lineup) straightforward blues and great musicians
Rory Gallagher- if you don't know him, you should, Check out his Irish Tour 74 album
Savoy Brown- another solid band who flew under the radar- Looking In album is a good place to start
Ten Years After- Alvin Lee was a absolute guitar monster and a great singer, too
Wishbone Ash- yeah, you never heard of them, neither did most people
Click to expand...
The Band, 10 CC,
Procol Harem, Al Stewart, and The Hollies
 
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Wishbone Ash has gone though many versions but the quintessential stuff is early 70’s with Laurie Weisfield, Ted Turner and Martin Turner. There’s The Rub and New England are two of my fav’s. Their style is hard to compare but it’s Classic dual leads combined with dreamy melodies a la Pink Floyd. Drumming is energetic from Steve Upton.
 
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