magnificent mostly unpopular bands

[GhandiOwnsYou]

Just looking to try some new stuff, so give out any bands that the majority of the popular crowd don't listen to, and a short blurb on what they sound like. guess i'll kick things off.

Juma - Santana, stoned, in a coffee bar playing with a mellow jazz quartet

The Faint - Starting to gain speed via some internet sites (cdnow.com) but most people i know still haven't heard of them. Sound like The Cure, on X, at a rave, and really pissed at society. And The singer is singing into a fan.

Athlete - British mellow hip-rock?

[nik0tine]

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. an interesting mix of bluegrass, jazz, funk etc. many of their songs are solely instrumentals, but they happen to be some of the best musicians alive.

The Unseen - Yeah, ok so they aren't THAT unknown, but still not all that many people know of them. A great punk band. one of the best imo. Also, you might wanna check out other punk bands like The Virus, or the Casualties.

Oi Polloi - Hardly anybody has heard of these guys. They are the hardest punk band i have EVER heard. If your into that kind of music you MUST check these guys out.
also, the subhumans are rather cool, so are Anti-Flag (even though most people know who these guys are)

Virus Nine - Nobody knows of these guys either. another good punk band in my opinion. They take a little getting used to, but i would definetly check them out.

Can't Think of any more at the moment, but definetly check these bands out.

[TheAbominatrix]

It makes me happy that I've heard of and regularily listen to those three punk bands nik just listed.

Anyway;

Narcoleptic Youth - They're more melodic punk, think The Adicts if you know them (they played with The Adicts and all). Their songs are awesome and they're great on stage. I love when they dress up.

Swindle - It's hard to describe them, they're heavy and they have so much energy on stage. They love giving us the mic and letting us go wild, the lead singer sat on my lap once and the bassist played his bass in my lap. xD

The Adicts - Probably one of the most popular punk bands ever, but most people dont know of them. Check em out. They put on one hell of a show, for old guys (well... old guy...) they just dont quit.

[Casey]

Juma - Santana, stoned, in a coffee bar playing with a mellow jazz quartet

Is it Juma or Santana? I like Santana man! Good guitarist, and his music rocks.


Well, DJ GT pwns, try buying any of his albums like voices of spring 2004, voices of summer 2003. Good stuff..

[nik0tine]

Is it Juma or Santana? I like Santana man! Good guitarist, and his music rocks.


I think he means the band Juma sounds like santana.

[Shoeberto]

Beta Band's "Heroes to Zeroes" is pretty good.

I want to say Modest Mouse here, though their "Float On," apparantly, has become quite popular. What most people who like them due to Float On don't realize is how much that is unlike pretty much all of their other material, music-wise, at least. Yeah. Moon and Antartica. Love it.

[-N-]

Jem - www.jem-music.net Good blend of house, rock, and pop. "Eww you said pop!" - STFU.

Rob Dougan - www.robdougan.com Nice blend of house and orchestral. Really intense and dark music.

J Ralph - www.jralph.com His "Music to Mauzner By" is hands-down the most eclectic album by a single artist ever.

I'll think of more later.

[Chzn8r]

Dream Theater - *thrash* Metallica, 70's Pink Floyd, and all sorts of Rush thrown into a blender together.

[Rainecloud]

Anúna - An Irish choir band that deserves more recognition for its excellent abilities. Not all people like music that sounds as if it belongs in a church, but some of their songs are quite beautiful and moving.

Lene Marlin - Not a band, but an artist. I'm including her anyway, though. She had a great run back in 1998, and her album was simply marvellous. Unfortunately, nobody really took any notice of her, and she quickly faded into obscurity. Edit: After a bit of thought, I decided to check up on Ms. Marlin, and I discovered that she'd released an album at the end of last year. I then went ahead and bought it. Heh - if it hadn't have been for this thread, I wouldn't have known about that.

Funnily enough, I can't think of any others right now. :/

[jrgen]

Dekadenz - Like "the Kovenant"
Der Bote - The singer of the Rammstein cover band Feuerengel founded it. Pretty similar to Rammstein.
Die Allergie - Aggressive Industrial Metal
Eisbrecher - Megaherz's ex-singer and ex-keyboarder founded this band. EBM/Industrial metal
In Extremo - Medieval Metal. The build their own instruments and remake old folk songs.
Janus - Best band ever. Can't put them in a genre as every song is differrent.
Knorkator - Funniest band ever. Hilarious lyrics and stage show.
Kopfgeld - Austrian metal
Laibach - A slovenian band. Very political music. EBM/Industrial, but the album "Jesus Christ Superstar" is Industrial metal.
Letzte Instanz - Metal with folk influences. They make good use of Violins and cellos.
Malmonde - French metal, a little like The Kovenant, but slower adn growlier.
Megaherz - Their older stuff is Industrial Metal, but they are getting more and more non-electronic.
Oomph! - Amazing band. Their first album was EBM, but then they started making really hard Industrial metal. Then they became a little softer, and then they made their worst album so far in 2004.
Schmerz - Very good heavy electronic metal.
Schock - Don't know what to say really.
Schweisser - Very cool metal.
Silber - Very atmospheric metal with electronics.
Sielwolf - Very interesting music. I have never heard anything like it before.
Stahlhammer - Austrian Industrial Metal with lots of influences from different genres.
Subway to Sally - really great folk metal.
T3chn0ph0b1a - Another band similar to The Kovenant. They're from Italy.
Tanzwut - Corvus Corax made medieval music. Then they added guitars and stuff and became Tanzwut.
Testbild - Cool music.
The Inchtabokatables - Folk/electronic music with guitars.
Turmion Kätilöt - Rammstein-like music, but with more repetive electronics.
Umbra et Imago - They make "ok" gothic, but they have a very nice S&M stage show.
Weissglut - Amazing metal. Very dark and sad music with electronics used very well.

[Shoeberto]

I forgot all about TV on the Radio. How silly of me.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

holy crap jrgen....that is quite the comprehensive list. And Juma SOUNDS like santana (just their guitarist, really, but it's an astounding similarity, and well done, not shitty) If anyones interested i can hook you up with a shop that sells their six song sophmore disc for $6. unfortunately, they are quite local, but deserve MUCH MUCH more.

anyways....theres a band i caught on Austin City Limits that had like, one of the coolest guitar soloists ever on there. Gillian Welch (though, not her, the other gut..lol, she was jsut kinda average) i swear of heard that name before, but forgive me if it's ridiculously popular, bluegrass and folk aint my scene usually.

[Germ Hamee]

Rasputina - They're a female-oriented cello rock band, with "positive-goth" lyrics. I just love how they combine funny, kind of historic oriented lyrics with really beautiful and often heavy cello music. :love:

[krissy]

im gonna second The Faint

[Lindy]

Les Savy Fav, oh The Fav, how we love you The Fav.

Inches, the most pretentious musical project on the face of the earth.

[Moose Knight]

Haha, Janus and Tanzwut are the only bands jrgen listed that I've heard of.

Watchtower is a good band in my view.

[aeris2001x2]

NightWish- operatic gothic elvish Metal/classical music

absolutly stunning and popular on mainland Europe but almost no one knows them in UK and USA which is a real shame :(

[TheAbominatrix]

I forgot I Hate You When You're Pregnant (www.ihywyp.com), the best one man band ever.

[Demerwen Owns]

King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
- One More Red Nightmare
- 21st century schitzoid man


Tom Waits - Singapore
- Misery Is the River of the World


Karl Orff - O Fortuna Carmina Buranah

Necro - World Gone Mad
- I need Drugs
- Violins of Violence
- Dead Body Disposal
- Do the Charles Manson
- 12 king pimp commandments

[Chzn8r]

NightWish- operatic gothic elvish Metal/classical music

absolutly stunning and popular on mainland Europe but almost no one knows them in UK and USA which is a real shame :(

Hopefully I'm seeing them in 2 weeks in Chicago :D That will depend on my money situation, though =/

[GhandiOwnsYou]

hehehe...I know it's not underground...but Morrissey. I just got the new one. Morrissey is one very angry british guy....

And i'm quite broken up....because my favorite band broke up. Unfortunately, the above mentioned Juma is no more. Get your demos whilest they hot. seems they're all going off to college, and my miserable butt missed the farewell concert which was FREE)

anyways. Taj Mahal. Great Great blues, sung by a truely country old black guy, the way blues was meant to be. sing about fishin Taj.

[jrgen]

Haha, Janus and Tanzwut are the only bands jrgen listed that I've heard of.
That's probably more then most people here have.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

Anybody happen to know of any good french or italian rap groups/artists? i've been catching some stuff floating about without name, and i'm quite a bit more impressed by them than current US groups.

[Cloud_99]

ok here goes:

Billy Talent - A combination of heavy metal, great guitar riffs, and some down to Earth lyrics. And the rest of his songs atre more mellow, but again with good guitar riffs and some seriously good vocals all across the board.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

yeah, he's pretty good, but he's kinda mainstreamish now. he had that "try Honesty" thing come out a while ago. good song, but yeah

[krissy]

yeah billy talent is a band, not a person.
also they won like 50 awards here in canada for something or other. my sister wants me to burn the cd for her. pretty popular sry. :{

Air

Boards of Canada

electronica but you know

[GhandiOwnsYou]

ah, pardon. I hate it when bands make it sound like they be a single person. confuses the hell out of me. There is a fairly large cheerleader clique in my school that still says that "that Pink Floyd guy's music sucks"

[krissy]

haha
then again
it's not like britney spears does her music on her own
probably has a band (of writers) someplace in her basement.
gives them scraps of t-bone

[GhandiOwnsYou]

Britney doesn't write her music at all if i remember correctly, she just gets it form the label and sings it.

btw, I'm putting a backup on here for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. sorta Dave Mathews, but more jazzy based, and with a BANJO! it CRAZY!

[jrgen]

Obviously her only talent is her looks.
SHe can't write music and she can't sing.
It's really sad when someone like her whose music is all based on her voice uses playback live.

[Lindy]

RENO

BAD RENO

Air are tres popular nowadays, what with the advent of Talkie Walkie, their music is used on adverts et al, though it is true that they are the essence of unintentional popularity, so I may let it slide.

P.S. Listen to !!! aka (chk chk chk) (pow pow pow) (ungh ungh ungh) (etc), Louden Up Now!

[essenceofdarkness]

NightWish- operatic gothic elvish Metal/classical music

absolutly stunning and popular on mainland Europe but almost no one knows them in UK and USA which is a real shame :(

NightWish is awesome, I found them online awhile back, another good band is Unsung Zeros, their lyrics are awesome, the chords and rhythms are tight :)

[jrgen]

Can someone please define "elvish metal".

[Earthworm Jim]

Oingo Boingo

Before he became a well-known film composer, Danny Elfman had a bizarre rock band in the 80's. With guitars, drums, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, keyboards, pianos, xylophones, and any other crazy instruments they could play, they played music unlike any other group at the time, or any time, really. Sadly, they broke up in 1995, but they're music still rules.

If you're into quirky, offbeat, and non-serious music, check them out.

[krissy]

yeah i read about !!! but never got around to listening

brb

[Lon611]

Alien Crime Syndicate!!!!

imagine a pop-rock band, with an alien twist. they're from europe!!!!really gr8 2 listen 2 if you're in a tite mood.im not really into rock (as you can see from my avatar and signature, so that's saying alot about this band)

oh, would Queen be considered a band?nm, 4get that, i just realize it says "unpopular". woops. ignore that.

[Meat Puppet]

You don't know Munga, yet. What recording studio can turn down a death metal band who has sexual obsessions with school girls and chickens? There's more than one way to enjoy a chicken.

[*ETERNAL FANTASY*]

Hanson!

[Moose Knight]

Can someone please define "elvish metal".

I think its metal sung by people who think they're elves.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/God_of_Honour/9dae57fe.bmp">

<I>"operatic gothic elvish Metal/classical music"</I>

Calling this band classical, is I think a misnomer. I don't belive a band having a keyboardist that plays a couple of synthesized "orchestra" riffs over power chords makes it 'classical.' It'd be like calling Blind Guardian classical, except they have talent. And barely any keyboards.

[Thunday Man]

The Faint is very good.

SOIL is really good too, but i dont think they play them up north. Think ive heard a song by them down south on vacation though.

[jrgen]

I think its metal sung by people who think they're elves.
Haha, yeah that must be it.

I hate stupid genres that the bands themselves come up with.
Like Slipknot calling themselves "horror metal".
It doesn't say what kind of music they play at all.

[nik0tine]

Chopin. Nobody likes Chopin, but he's frickin' AWESOME!

[Rostum]

Muse
Mick Hart
The Tea Party

[aeris2001x2]

I think its metal sung by people who think they're elves.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/God_of_Honour/9dae57fe.bmp">

<I>"operatic gothic elvish Metal/classical music"</I>

Calling this band classical, is I think a misnomer. I don't belive a band having a keyboardist that plays a couple of synthesized "orchestra" riffs over power chords makes it 'classical.' It'd be like calling Blind Guardian classical, except they have talent. And barely any keyboards.

Elvish metal is just basically metal done in an Elfish style.

and NIGHTWISH ARE CLASSICAL. while its true most of there albulms dont actually have a proper orchestra, it forms an integral part of the songs. without the HUGE classical movements in the songs, many of the songs lose there power.

and the new Albulm ONCE uses a whole proper orchestra. and the effect is a amazing. the Song Ghost Love Score, actually blurs the line between Metal and Classical music. its the first song the truely belongs to either genre.

i,ve heard Blind Guardian. they r ok, but can get boring after a while. definitly prefer the epicness of NightWish.

and whats wrong with KeyBoards? they rule!

[TheAbominatrix]

What's an 'elfish style' though? Do you mean things done with lutes and pan-flutes and stuff? Since when do Elves have a style of music?

Anyway, check out Melt Banana (awesome Japanese punk band). That's my newest recommendation, though I've been into them for a long time.

[aeris2001x2]

What's an 'elfish style' though? Do you mean things done with lutes and pan-flutes and stuff? Since when do Elves have a style of music?

Anyway, check out Melt Banana (awesome Japanese punk band). That's my newest recommendation, though I've been into them for a long time.

well in sum songs, yes they do uses lutes and flutes :D .

the main elvish feel is the vocalist. she songs like a really good opera singer and reminds me of the way i have always pictured Elvish Women singing or chanting over my childhood etc. this is reinforced by Arwin(sp?) from Lord of the Rings as well.(Night Wish r big Lord of the Rings fans, even dedicating songs to it. there music could make great LOFT music videos too).

i,m not really sure HOW 2 explain it better. i just know, having been obsessed with Fantasy from a very early age, it feels like Elvish Metal.

[jrgen]

Elvish metal is just basically metal done in an Elfish style.

and NIGHTWISH ARE CLASSICAL. while its true most of there albulms dont actually have a proper orchestra, it forms an integral part of the songs. without the HUGE classical movements in the songs, many of the songs lose there power.

and the new Albulm ONCE uses a whole proper orchestra. and the effect is a amazing. the Song Ghost Love Score, actually blurs the line between Metal and Classical music. its the first song the truely belongs to either genre.

i,ve heard Blind Guardian. they r ok, but can get boring after a while. definitly prefer the epicness of NightWish.

and whats wrong with KeyBoards? they rule!
Keyboards are nice, but it's nothing like the real thing.
Like look at the album Auferstehung by Janus.
They used a 45-50person orchestra for that album and it could never sound as good with a keyboard.

Nightwish are boring anyway.

[Lindy]

I forgot, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

If I spelt it right anyway.

Intro Outro alone is reason enough to love them.

And Adolf Hitler on Vibes.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

Controversy post: A semi-well known band and a band previously mentioned (i think)

The Stranglers. Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick ass Synth-punk (? is that even possible?)

Then You've got Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. any band whose percussionist goes by the name Future Man and plays the Syntax Drumitar (?) is cool by me. think... Dave Mathews with Banjo instead of an acoustic and Bootsy Collins playing bass.

edit: Oops, in my delay in replying to this post, i forgot i already mentioned the Flecktones. ah well, it deserved the added description anyways.

[Moose Knight]

i,ve heard Blind Guardian. they r ok, but can get boring after a while. definitly prefer the epicness of NightWish.

and whats wrong with KeyBoards? they rule!

I never said anything is wrong with keyboards. In fact, one of my favorite bands of all time (Dream Theater) has a keyboard player (Their old keyboardist, KEVIN MOORE, is completely awesome). But when the keyboard just plays a couyple notes, with the purpose of adding ambience (instead of actually being a true part of the band, such as in Deep Purple), it gets boring. I think keyboards can over-ride everything else in some cases also. Sometimes bands use them as crutches (Not in the cases of bands like Symphony X or Dream THeater, but other times).

And I think Blind Guardian is better because they have a greater songwriting capacity. I think they can sound just as epic (if not more) than bands with supurb, expensive production when they have poor, low budget recording. Their older albums show this greatly. Try to hear the song "The Last Candle". It is more epic than most thing's I've ever heard, but it also has very sub-par production.

[jrgen]

The Stranglers. Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick ass Synth-punk (? is that even possible?)
It's pretty common actually.

[aeris2001x2]

meh, Each to there own. i prefer NightWish metal/classical merging to the majority of classical or metal now a days. most metal nowadays is 3 chord tosh, and most classical nowadays just plods along 4 hours or trys to be too commerical and pop-like. thats just my opinion anyway. i mean blind guardian and iced earth r ok but it does get very samey imho. maybe i just feel a female vocalist adds so much to the music.

"Keyboards are nice, but it's nothing like the real thing.
Like look at the album Auferstehung by Janus.
They used a 45-50person orchestra for that album and it could never sound as good with a keyboard."

as i said, there new albulm uses an orchestra, not just keyboards. though i,ll check out Janus.

but i like what i like. e.g i feel Lacuna coil pale in comparison to Evanescence, not the other way round.

still u put on Fortuna Imperatix Mundi , and then u realise all the above sucks in comparison.

[jrgen]

still u put on Fortuna Imperatix Mundi , and then u realise all the above sucks in comparison.
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi is awsome.

And Yeah, check out Janus!
Try songs like "Der Flüsterer im Dunkeln", "Das Fest", "Unter dem Eis" or "Auferstehung".

[tomothy]

you guys/girls are absolute champs! I've been sampling some of these bands you found, they are insane, kudos to you guys for opening me up to them!

Antiskeptic - Australian Punk/emo band. Haven't heard a song of theirs i dislike. :love:
Against Me! - Punk folk music on drugs. Insane! :D
Aborted - Most Brutal metal I've prolly ever heard.
In Flames - Metal, you probably know them, but i'm obsessed with them at the moment. :cool:
Refused - Screamo - Awesome
Atreyu - more killer metal for the you.

[Polaris]

Da Weasel and MidaGap, two hip-hop portuguese bands. They reeally rock! :D

[Casey]

Unpopular Bands, or at least where I live:

The Secret Machines, The Killers, Arch Enemy, Bright Eyes, and Sigur Ros.

[White Raven]

Couple of Canadian bands that many other people outside of Canada would know aboot:

~The Salads
~The Trews

Other than that, there are a few classic rock bands that I listen to regularly that not many people listen to:

~Chilliwak
~Max Webster
~Luther Wright and the Wrongs

[tomothy]

Knorkator - Funniest band ever. Hilarious lyrics and stage show.



hahah that is the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard! :D :D

[Jack]

Gonga- Heavy Noise, and catchy songs
Dream Theater- Kicks Mettalica's ass
Liquid Tension Experiment- Instrumental Genius

I would say The Smashing Pumpkins, but thats only cause people where I live no nothing about them. In the US however...

[jrgen]

hahah that is the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard! :D :D
What?
But they're so cool.

http://www.thorstenfranzen.de/pictures/cartoons/knorkator/k12.jpg

[Skogs]

I'm a big fan of Powderfinger. They've kind of evolved over the years from a sort of melodic post-grunge sound (Parables for Wooden Ears) through several more introspective stages (on Double Allergic, Internationalist and Odyssey #5) to a bluesy rock style on Vulture Street. Throughout, the songwriting is solid, catchy and intelligent. Worth checking out, but not for your average teeny-bopper, nu-metaller or other corporate sound seeker.

And if I want a quiet chuckle, I'll listen to Dream Theatre's 'Dance of Eternity'.

[Lindy]

In Flames - Metal, you probably know them, but i'm obsessed with them at the moment. :cool:
Refused - Screamo - Awesome
Atreyu - more killer metal for the you.
Ehh, try again, these are all pretty commonly known bands. Refused have been around for years, and anyone who likes a-political hardcore punk likes them, NOTE THEY ARE NOT SCREAMO OH GOD NOTHING TO DO WITH EMO EVER. In Flames had a sell out gig recently in London, at a huge venue. And Atreyu? Well, they have CDs in popular music shops, in prominent positions.


Unpopular Bands, or at least where I live:

The Secret Machines, The Killers, Arch Enemy, Bright Eyes, and Sigur Ros.
Again, pretty popular bands. Heck, Bright Eyes' Connor Oberst features in Emo Game, and The Killers have songs in both the English and American charts right now! I'm sitting here, looking at the new single, which was displayed pretty prominently in a shop not well known for selling music, they even play their songs on TV, the radio and as music in HUUUUGE corporate music stores. So, no chance for that one.

Ok, so the other three aren't majorly popular, but I've heard of them, and if I've heard of a band then usually they're not that rare since I suck for finding rare bands.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

I've been playing about a bit in some of my dad old records and such. Ursa Major. Pop's says he doesn't think they even printed CD's of their stuff, (which is only like two records's as far as i can tell) It's sorta Early Pink Floyd. well. Late early pinkfloyd. Somewhere between Syd's Acid trips on guitar and Roger Barrets Shit-tastic whine fest later on. (note i LOVE Syd barrets acid trips and Roger waters did have some good MUSIC, Despite being satan and everything. note "Some" and "music", though)

Then you've got Fierce Asian Gang (or F.A.G. for short, don't shoot the messenger), a local-ish band thats tours (only because it consists of professional inline skaters and they're sponsors). I don't have a LINK but i know you can get one, with a bunch of MP3's on the page from Shane Coburn at www.Emagdnim.com (http://www.emagdnim.com) It's Mindgame backwards. aint that creative? (good clothing on there too by the by).

....edit: forget to say F.A.G.'s sound type. think... Angry Cynical Wallflowers?