Why aren't these guys more popular?

[HongKongFooey]

I'm sure we all have a bunch of artists in our music collections that we can't believe haven't become bigger than they have. Two that stand out from my collection are the New Bomb Turks and the Fall (I'm at work so no YouTube links, sorry).

The New Bomb Turks played a high-energy retro style guitar punk that just rocks. They put on a good live show too. I'm not surprised they never hit mainstream success but a lot of people who listen to the same music I do never seem to know them. It perplexes me. Great driving music.

The Fall are a bit different, they seem to be more popular in Europe but I don't really know. The writing is good, sharp, witty. They're creative. They seem like they would appeal to a lot of the same people who like the Flaming Lips but again when I play them around a group of people I always get questions about who they are.

What underappreciated bands do you have hiding in your collection?

[blank]

Prison Love!!! The only source in Ireland for Bluegrass/Zydeco/Appalachian style music.

http://www.prisonlove.ie/

[Caprese]

I love these guys and gals.
There are 16 in the troupe, some performers, some musicians.
I don't know how sophisticated they are, and don't really care. They have the feeling, the groove, the abandon--the infectious, unabashed enthusiasm that I so enjoy in music.
March Fourth Marching Band

[WednesdayAddams]

They've been around forever but for some reason only ever caught on in Canada. I lurve the Tragically Hip and can't figure out why they aren't famous as hell here. I figure it's the backlash from the whole Celine Dion debacle.

[Doyle]

Happy the Man

[Sybarite]

Another Canadian who should be as big as Bon Jovi is Colin James; he has a great, fun, accessible mix of blues and rock that basically picks up where Stevie Ray Vaughan left off -
old Colin James (that every Canadian would recognize)


newer Colin James -

[mlerose]

I love the Hip too!

[Dread Pirate Jimbo]

Personally, I can't stand the Tragically Shit, but I'm apparently in the minority.

I agree with Sybarite that Colin James deserves a lot more play than he gets, but that seems to be the lot in life of a blues musician.

k-os is a strong Canadian hip-hop artist who gets a fair bit of play up here and who has even been nominated for a Grammy, but doesn't get a ton of press south of the border so far as I'm aware.

[The Superhero]

Originally Posted by WednesdayAddams

They've been around forever but for some reason only ever caught on in Canada. I lurve the Tragically Hip and can't figure out why they aren't famous as hell here. I figure it's the backlash from the whole Celine Dion debacle.

Don't forget that Canada inflicted Bryan Adams on us, too.

But they've still provided the Hip, Neil Young, Sam Roberts, Barenaked Ladies, the Guess Who, Rush, Arcade Fire, Crash Test Dummies (who kind of sucked but had a couple of good tunes), the New Pornographers, Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" (don't know any of their other songs, but that one kicks ass), Moxy Fruvous, and that bitch Anne Murray, too. So I think they're probably okay, musically speaking.

The aforementioned Sam Roberts Band and Wintersleep are a couple of Canadian acts that I think people stateside should be listening to. Mlerose and I saw Sam Roberts opening for the Hip a few years ago and he was great.

[Dread Pirate Jimbo]

Originally Posted by The Superhero

Don't forget that Canada inflicted Bryan Adams on us, too.

But they've still provided the Hip, Neil Young, Sam Roberts, Barenaked Ladies, the Guess Who, Rush, Arcade Fire, Crash Test Dummies (who kind of sucked but had a couple of good tunes), the New Pornographers, Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" (don't know any of their other songs, but that one kicks ass), Moxy Fruvous, and that bitch Anne Murray, too. So I think they're probably okay, musically speaking.

The aforementioned Sam Roberts Band and Wintersleep are a couple of Canadian acts that I think people stateside should be listening to. Mlerose and I saw Sam Roberts opening for the Hip a few years ago and he was great.

The Five Man electrical band's other hits were "Absolutely Right" and "I'm a Stranger Here."

Other artists you missed that have managed to succeed across the 49th include Alanis Morissette, Sarah MacLachlan, Nickelback, k.d. lang, Shania Twain, and Bachman Turner Overdrive. Oh, and, of course, William Freaking Shatner.

[Sybarite]

And Nellie Furtado.

[WednesdayAddams]

Yeah, actually? Can we have a little chat about Nickelback?

[Sybarite]

No way, man. No way we're taking them back.

[HongKongFooey]

Nickelback? Hmm, must be some made up imaginary band who doesn't exist. I can't hear you! Yadayadayadayada.

On the topic of Canadian bands, two of our strongest exports are Alexisonfire and Cancer Bats but they don't play a style of music that will appeal to everyone. They are good at what they do though.

[tunaman]

This thread could be about 90% of the bands I've ever listen to. When I was a teenager, I liked a lot of obscure (in the US) British bands that required trips to "Comic Book Guy" type record stores in Midtown to buy their discs.

One of my all time WATGMP (Why aren't these guys more popular?) bands is Cocteau Twins. I know really mellow music isn't for everyone, and music where the female lead singer spouts gibberish (if you can even understand it in the first place) also isn't for everyone. But still... at the time, the band's sound was so completely unique, so totally different from every other band that I thought they'd be be far more popular then they ended up being. I thought that their music would at least end up on a few movie soundtracks or TV shows, or something... but no.

As for current examples, I've never understood why Saint Etienne aren't more popular, at least in the UK, if not here. They're like the perfect pop band, but the poor guys just can't seem to get a hit in the UK.

[mlerose]

I like Saint Etienne, too!

[Taur]

Junkhouse, which is now Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Tom Wilson (lead singer) gives the most hilarious song introductions during his live shows.

Blue Rodeo should have more than cult status in the States.

[hroark2112]

[Satellite^Guy]

Originally Posted by Board Taurus

Blue Rodeo should have more than cult status in the States.

+1!
This is one band I've managed to miss every time they play in my town of residence.

The last time they played in GP, I found out about it by seeing their concert pic on the front page of the local newspaper the morning after.

I'm hoping Marianas Trench gains more popularity, because they're great live, and have awesome harmonies. It may happen yet, since they're still a relatively young band.

Tell me, how popular are Great Big Sea, outside Canada? I absolutely love them, and they're awesome live, with huge energy (I think that comes standard with Newfoundland musicians)

[Caprese]

Originally Posted by Satellite^Guy

Tell me, how popular are Great Big Sea, outside Canada? I absolutely love them, and they're awesome live, with huge energy (I think that comes standard with Newfoundland musicians)

I really don't know how popular they are outside Canada, but I've seen them and enjoyed them.
Their venue wasn't huge, but the crowd certainly was enthusiastic.
Another performer I'd like to see live: Ashley McIsaac
Obviously not everyone is into the fiddle or Celtic music.

I suppose the popularity of any band of any genre can depend just as much on where they fall in the cultural cross-currents as on their talent.

[Xploder]

Howzabout Ozric Tentacles?

http://www.ozrics.com/

AWESOME music.

[Sybarite]

Originally Posted by Board Taurus

Junkhouse, which is now Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Tom Wilson (lead singer) gives the most hilarious song introductions during his live shows.

Ooh, forgot about Junkhouse - think Ima have to do a little downloading.

Blue Rodeo should have more than cult status in the States.

I think they'll just keep on making quality music and touring for the next 50 or so years. Jim Cuddy has one of the best voices in music - I just love it.

[Muskrat Love]

There was a video that was played on MTV a couple of times in the late 1980s for a song called "Candy Girl" by a group called "Masters of Reality", which had such a great hook I immediately bought the tape. They had a really unique sound, a combination of blues rock, classic prog-rock, and a bit of an alternative rock sound that is recognizable in hindsight as being some kind of proto-grunge. I loved it, but none of my friends seemed to care for it, and I guess the majority of people felt the same way because it didn't sell very well. The band reformed several years later with a mostly new lineup, and I didn't care for the new sound as much and stopped following them. I see now that they've had six studio albums, including one this year, but they've never became very popular. Their singer has become a pretty influential in the Palm Desert Scene and has produced some more well-known bands (like Queens of the Stone Age).

Anyway, I got the first album on iTunes and listen to it all the time, and I can't believe they weren't more popular. I think it should probably be in the top 20 greatest rock albums, ever.

[HongKongFooey]

I have a Masters of Reality album but that's not the one. They were pretty good. A little strange for some people I guess but no more so than the Pixies.

[Ichigodaisuki]

Originally Posted by Caprese

I love these guys and gals.
There are 16 in the troupe, some performers, some musicians.
I don't know how sophisticated they are, and don't really care. They have the feeling, the groove, the abandon--the infectious, unabashed enthusiasm that I so enjoy in music.
March Fourth Marching Band

Caprese, thanks for that! I liked that a lot. I am sure that I would have checked the link sooner if I was less busy. I figured it was just gonna be some weird local high school marching band amateur thing. Seemed like a New Orleans Jazz with guys on stilts dancing around. You could've stated that the link is from a recent Burning Man or the band is from Portland, OR. Might perk a few more ears if you did.

[Caprese]

Originally Posted by Ichigodaisuki

Caprese, thanks for that! I liked that a lot. I am sure that I would have checked the link sooner if I was less busy. I figured it was just gonna be some weird local high school marching band amateur thing. Seemed like a New Orleans Jazz with guys on stilts dancing around. You could've stated that the link is from a recent Burning Man or the band is from Portland, OR. Might perk a few more ears if you did.

You mean "feeling, the groove, the abandon--the infectious, unabashed enthusiasm" isn't enough?
Just kidding. I probably *should* have mentioned Portland or Burning Man.
I guess I am not very good at promoting my finds.
BTW
We saw March Fourth at Voodoo in New Orleans, which is where, of course, we also saw Gogol Bordello.
That was a good show.

[HongKongFooey]

I loved the March Fourth clips thanks for sharing it. George Clinton would be so proud.

[Ichigodaisuki]

Originally Posted by Caprese

You mean "feeling, the groove, the abandon--the infectious, unabashed enthusiasm" isn't enough?
Just kidding. I probably *should* have mentioned Portland or Burning Man.
I guess I am not very good at promoting my finds.
BTW
We saw March Fourth at Voodoo in New Orleans, which is where, of course, we also saw Gogol Bordello.
That was a good show.

Caprese, that's right. I glossed over your desciption and thought you were just hyping some local high school band.
I was wrong. Thanks.

[RealityChuck]

Emmit Rhodes or Spirit.