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.
Off the list:
The Caretaker, after Everywhere At The End Of Time was a devastating realization of what they’d been doing the whole time, and superlative-obsessed reviewers took notice.
Frightened Rabbit, whose recognition was unfortunately well-demonstrated when their lead singer jumped off a bridge. Honestly, it was the world’s least surprising suicide. The man wrote a song about it. Same bridge and everything.
My Morning Jacket, a psychedelic rock act well-known enough to make a McSweeney’s list of “what your favorite Sad Dad Band says about you.” (Viz: “you know how to cook an eel.”) The album Z absolutely rules, and you have to remove the skin and rinse out the blood.
I understand most of your words.
TL;DR - listen to Midnight Organ Fight, listen to Z, stick with salmon.
Listen to An Empty Bliss Beyond This World if you want to get real sad and not know why.
Their song “Computers” is the best way to musically describe working a shitty job and then hitting that glorious weekend only to have to do it all over again.
I’ve been big on MUTEMATH since highschool. Unfortunately, I think they’ve broken up, but I still love their music.
Very good band. Odd soul is a great album.
So many artists, but as a huge metalhead here are two who IMO deserve way more light.
Ruins of Beverast https://theruinsofbeverast.bandcamp.com/album/exuvia
The longest johns
Fun answer, seeing them in May on their US tour next year and I’m hyped
Yes thanks.
They’re pretty well-known.
Mdou Moctar
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.
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
The Japanese metal band Galneryus
LūN (EDM)/Lights (electropop) (same artist, different personas) has some great music if you’ll like that kind of stuff. Probably most recognized in Canada, much less so in the US and rest of the world.
I also enjoy Echo Movement (reggae) but I’m not sure if they’re still making music or not.
All links go to invidious.
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’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.
Aesop Rock
Orbit Culture’s great if you’re a metalhead
