Option A coukd be an interesting one, with some obscure choices popping up. Depending on how we define 'big'.
I had a thought about one along these lines but called underated.Option A coukd be an interesting one, with some obscure choices popping up. Depending on how we define 'big'.
Maybe we just accept that, i.e the individual interpretation of being underrated or not making it 'big'. Whether that's on a body of work that went unnoticed or one good or promising album that never got followed up (excluding prohibiting circumstances like illness/death etc). I could for example argue Frightened Rabbit are both underrated (widely speaking) and never made it big (relatively speaking), but I am not really sure that would be the point with this one. Of course if someone tries to argue Led Zeppelin are underrated or Blur never made it big in comparison to say Oasis, they might be on a bit of a shoogley peg. But would still leave it open to people to go with their gut as long as it is within the spirit of the theme.I had a thought about one along these lines but called underated.
My criteria would be someone who had a body of work but no real success. Prompted by my inclusion of Field Music who I like with a strong body of work but not many people know.
Of course it would all be about individual perception as to what you regard as underated
Maybe we just accept that, i.e the individual interpretation of being underrated or not making it 'big'. Whether that's on a body of work that went unnoticed or one good or promising album that never got followed up (excluding prohibiting circumstances like illness/death etc). I could for example argue Frightened Rabbit are both underrated (widely speaking) and never made it big (relatively speaking), but I am not really sure that would be the point with this one. Of course if someone tries to argue Led Zeppelin are underrated or Blur never made it big in comparison to say Oasis, they might be on a bit of a shoogley peg. But would still leave it open to people to go with their gut as long as it is within the spirit of the theme.
Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I meant with that example I.e rather than shoehorning in our favourite bands, the point should be more to truly uncover unknowns or flag up artists that fell though the cracks.I would say Frightened Rabbit technically qualify but your highly effective proselytising means that people on these threads have probably heard as much of them as they have their favourite bands!
The beauty of this thread is you nearly always hear something good you're not familiar with and some posters like OOB6 hit the mark on this regularly. In this theme that would be the primary goal for us all, to introduce someone who we think worthy but is unlikely to be that well known. Don't think it matters whether they're still active or not.
Follow-up question for consideration. Should there be a recency timeline limitation to think about. For example, bands like Midnight Ambulance, Snash, Soapbox, etc.. they are underrated and haven't made it big. But then, they have only been going say 3 years or so, nothing to say they won't make it big any time in the next say 3-5 years.
I think that might be a step too far, personally. We have had bands that overlap themes, and as long as it is not one we actively promote, think they should be fair game in the spirit of the theme. For example I think Mogwai could well count, despite OOB6's previous nominations etc. Bear in mind as well while there is a regular core here, there are new posters and people that come in and out of the thread so a) feels harsh to limit it to what has been put by those that have been here from the start, and b)many simply just won't know/remember what has and hasn't been put up previously, amongst so much there.Yeah that's a good shout I think.
I also wondered about if they've already appeared on this thread then they are disqualified ? I was thinking of Wintersleep as one of those bands who just don't seem to get traction outside their locality but I had a nagging feeling they'd appeared and when I checked, you'd nominated them!
I think that might be a step too far, personally. We have had bands that overlap themes, and as long as it is not one we actively promote, think they should be fair game in the spirit of the theme. For example I think Mogwai could well count, despite OOB6's previous nominations etc. Bear in mind as well while there is a regular core here, there are new posters and people that come in and out of the thread so a) feels harsh to limit it to what has been put by those that have been here from the start, and b)many simply just won't know/remember what has and hasn't been put up previously, amongst so much there.
Option B only works if we had our "San Francisco treat" leading the charge for that.How about either (a) artists you think should have been big but weren't, or (b) douchebags who are/were big but you wish weren't.
Well you know where my first point of call would be.Maybe we just accept that, i.e the individual interpretation of being underrated or not making it 'big'. Whether that's on a body of work that went unnoticed or one good or promising album that never got followed up (excluding prohibiting circumstances like illness/death etc). I could for example argue Frightened Rabbit are both underrated (widely speaking) and never made it big (relatively speaking), but I am not really sure that would be the point with this one. Of course if someone tries to argue Led Zeppelin are underrated or Blur never made it big in comparison to say Oasis, they might be on a bit of a shoogley peg. But would still leave it open to people to go with their gut as long as it is within the spirit of the theme.
Theme: Could have been a Contender
This episode’s theme is artist/bands who could have been big and/or had a body of work that is very underrated. Maybe it’s only the one album that should have made them stars or it’s a strong body of work over many years which mystifyingly never made an impact beyond a smaller dedicated following. Either can apply but ideally it's not simply someone who we might think should get more love than they do, there should be an element of flying under the radar too.
Anyway, there’re all sorts of reasons a band or artists don’t quite make it big. I’ve tried to pick a few potential reasons in my choices below. Many of these have a poppy slant, maybe this speaks to the fickleness of that world?
Katydids - Heavy Weather Traffic
Sometimes maybe it’s simply the vagaries of fashion and timing. IMO the band Katydids released an excellent debut album of jangle pop, unfortunately it was in 1990 when that type of music was on the wane. Though we’d not had the watershed albums of 1991 the likes of Soundgarden and Nirvana were already on the scene and tastes were changing and after poor sales of the debut and the follow up they were dropped by Reprise. Songwriters Susie Hug and husband Adam Seymour would stay in the music business; he will probably be familiar to Pretenders fans. But despite putting out some really nice solo music Hugs bafflingly attracted negligible attention. They had another crack at reviving Katydids in 2014 with a strong EP which went nowhere and I assume then just thought sod it. This is the opener from their debut album.
Contrived – Angels Rioting Against The Nothing
It’s often the case that more so than talent, a large dose of ambition / pushiness separates the well-known from the lesser-known artists. This might explain why Canadians, arguably some of the least pushy people in the western world, don’t necessarily do as well as they might otherwise do! Another reason might be when people can’t decide which band they’re actually in :-) Nova Scotia had/has a thriving music scene centred on Halifax but it’s all a bit incestuous. I’ve never quite been able to work out how many bands various members of Contrived were actually in. I think Wintersleep’s probably the best known but why they couldn’t have just tried to make the initial band work is a mystery to me.
Greg Brown – Lord I Have Made You a Place in my Heart
It must be even harder to make yourself known as a singer-songwriter. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is out there showcasing their music needing only an acoustic and small PA to get up and running. Success is always relative too. Greg Brown is someone who has again had a career in music, but it wasn’t until his 10th album that he got any recognition. Given the quality of his song writing, it’s the least he could have expected; the lyric to this track is imo brilliant. Maybe not being blessed with the strongest voice didn’t help him but then that never stopped Laughing Len.
The Dambuilders – Teenage Loser Anthem
Sometimes a perfectly decent band is overshadowed by one member who goes on to bigger things. I have nominated Joan Wasser aka Joan as Police Woman before and I certainly don’t begrudge her the solo success in recent years but I can’t help feel that the band that launched her career should have also got some love too.
Horse – Careful
Finally, the person who prompted my thought for this thread was someone who came up on autoplay for me during the current Seal album nomination. Horse Macdonald is a Scottish singer with a very distinctive voice, the first time I heard this song from her eponymous band I was convinced it was going to be a big hit. But wtf do I know. Again, I think she's had an enjoyable career in music and seems to love what she does so who’s to say that not making it big is a problem? If you get to express yourself and some people appreciate it and get some joy, then maybe that’s more than enough.
The first three that popped into my head, I am pretty sure I had already nominated at least two of before. Both in Rob's spaced out theme, funnily enough.
I can think of a number of Irish acts that never made it U2 style beyond the domestic market.The first three that popped into my head, I am pretty sure I had already nominated at least two of before. Both in Rob's spaced out theme, funnily enough.
I can think of a number of Irish acts that never made it U2 style beyond the domestic market.
Again though, I think I may have posted some of them in music threads already.
Don’t know whether they qualify or not.
Ok. That’s good. I’ll save the best for last though.I think someone like the aforementioned Rory Gallagher counts. He's mega influential and sold a lot around the world but I think spent the sum total of 1 week in the top 10 of the UK album charts. He comes under the category of if you know you know and he remains under the radar for lots of people. Someone who is described as 'the greatest guitarist you've never heard of' must fit, even if most on here have thanks in part to you.