Blue Moon Playlist Review Club - Season 2 - Episode 32 - threespires - Could have been a Contender (pg 472)

[Coatigan]

Yeah maybe it was a flawed idea though in fairness I've already heard multiple tracks by bands I'm unfamiliar with or have only a distant memory of. Don't know if @Black&White&BlueMoon Town is busy or is having the same challenge as you, as I thought he might have a couple of unmined gems.

Was counting on him to put a couple forward to sabe me doing it, such as My Morning Jacket etc.

No the idea is great and I love the added bonus of voluntarily trying to not repeat previous inclusions. Have enough, just seeing how it plays out.

 

[RobMCFC]

Speaking of Canadian bands, I saw Andrew Cash and the Ambassadors supporting Melissa Etheridge in 1989, and I was impressed enough to but their current album, Boomtown. I don't think they ever registered on any charts outside of Canada, and eventually Andrew Cash became an MP in the Canadian parliament between 2011 and 2015.

"What Am I Gonna Do With These Hands" - Andrew Cash

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Off work today. Had Bluemoon Celts on Spotify with my coffee this morning to get some inspiration.
Got some great memories and feel spoiled for choice.
Just listened to In Tua Nua.
Christ, how we as late teenagers drooled over Leslie Dowdall. They were a great band, probably unknown to most on here.
There’s a ton of bands of various degrees of fame over the years but I think I’m going to go with a solo effort from Fontaines D.C. frontman, Grian Chatten.
What I had heard of post punk band Fontaines, was interesting but was never sure if the delivery. It was like it was a decade too late. Or another thought was Fatima Mansions with Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney) showed how to do this properly, with venom.
However Chatten gets this perfect I felt and stilll love on this solo effort.
Not sure if it was heard on the other side of the Irish Sea.


I’d add that although his delivery is an acquired taste the album is well worth a listen.

 

[threespires]

Was just wondering about the attraction to O’Neill’s jerseys.
I think they’d do a wonderful job on a City jersey too.

For another thread though.
I’ll have a good think for a third pick today.

I'm a casual watcher of GAA though I really have no meaningful allegiances but obviously The Dubs jerseys have always been striking! O'Neills stuff has got 'fancier' in recent times and the alternate kits look as mad as a lot of the stuff we get lumbered with but most of the home kits still look decent. Some of the shirts from the AIG sponsorship era are very classy. Anyway back on topic...

Off work today. Had Bluemoon Celts on Spotify with my coffee this morning to get some inspiration.
Got some great memories and feel spoiled for choice.
Just listened to In Tua Nua.
Christ, how we as late teenagers drooled over Leslie Dowdall. They were a great band, probably unknown to most on here.
There’s a ton of bands of various degrees of fame over the years but I think I’m going to go with a solo effort from Fontaines D.C. frontman, Grian Chatten.
What I had heard of post punk band Fontaines, was interesting but was never sure if the delivery. It was like it was a decade too late. Or another thought was Fatima Mansions with Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney) showed how to do this properly, with venom.
However Chatten gets this perfect I felt and stilll love on this solo effort.
Not sure if it was heard on the other side of the Irish Sea.


I’d add that although his delivery is an acquired taste the album is well worth a listen.

I'm a bit up and down with Fontaines DC, but heard his solo album via my eldest and it was a pleasant surprise. I think it did ok in the UK.

As for Leslie Dowdall, she was indeed a looker. She still puts stuff on YT occasionally, she must be closer to 70 than 60 now but her voice is still in very good nick.

 

[Mancitydoogle]

In keeping With the Canadian sub thread
Not sure if this guy was heard much outside Canada
Wyckham Porteous
‘Looking for Ground’

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Yeah maybe it was a flawed idea though in fairness I've already heard multiple tracks by bands I'm unfamiliar with or have only a distant memory of. Don't know if @Black&White&BlueMoon Town is busy or is having the same challenge as you, as I thought he might have a couple of unmined gems.

He's unfortunately pretty busy and he's also taking his time mulling all of this over, as I genuinely don't know what counts... for example...

Was counting on him to put a couple forward to save me doing it, such as My Morning Jacket etc.

Now maybe where you are are they underrated, but that is no longer the case over here in the US as they are finally becoming more recognized and playing bigger venues and getting their just due as an alt, art, indie, and psychedelic rock staple. It didn't stop me from getting front row at their last show, but that's another story entirely. So I've been trying to dig deeper away from an obvious band I've already nominated here.

I've struggled with coming up with something "that nobody knows", but given my time constraints recently, I decided at the beginning of the week to pick out something from my library on an artist that I felt at the time was going to be super big, but for whatever reasons never did become popular within the genre they existed in.

And with this band, maybe that was their problem? They weren't pegged to just one genre, they checked the box on all of these, and maybe by being this diverse in their songs, they didn't become enough of someone's everything, because that's just about what they delivered.

This band delivered hard rock, heavy metal, funk metal, and art rock - with elements of hip hop, jazz, funk, jazz fusion, Delta blues, soul, and punk rock. I loved them back in the early 1990's, but they continuously show up on lots of "underrated bands" lists, and rightfully so.

Here's one of my favourites of theirs:

"Solace of You" - Living Colour

(I'll have some other bands later on too, just trying to pace it out)

 

[threespires]

He's unfortunately pretty busy and he's also taking his time mulling all of this over, as I genuinely don't know what counts... for example...



Now maybe where you are are they underrated, but that is no longer the case over here in the US as they are finally becoming more recognized and playing bigger venues and getting their just due as an alt, art, indie, and psychedelic rock staple. It didn't stop me from getting front row at their last show, but that's another story entirely. So I've been trying to dig deeper away from an obvious band I've already nominated here.

I've struggled with coming up with something "that nobody knows", but given my time constraints recently, I decided at the beginning of the week to pick out something from my library on an artist that I felt at the time I felt was going to be super big, but for whatever reasons never did become popular within the genre they existed in.

And with this band, maybe that was their problem? They weren't pegged to just one genre, they checked the box on all of these, and maybe by being this diverse in their songs, they didn't become enough of someone's everything, because that's just about what they delivered.

This band delivered hard rock, heavy metal, funk metal, and art rock - with elements of hip hop, jazz, funk, jazz fusion, Delta blues, soul, and punk rock. I loved them back in the early 1990's, but they continuously show up on lots of "underrated bands" lists, and rightfully so.

Here's one of my favourites of theirs:

"Solace of You" - Living Colour

(I'll have some other bands later on too, just trying to pace it out)

Once you introduce the transatlantic dimension this becomes even trickier! My Morning Jacket have made little to no dent over here but Living Colour managed two top 20 albums in Time's Up and Stain. Love Rears It's Ugly was nearly a top ten single.

That said Living Colour definitely count as they should have been absolutely huge and I agree their versatility and free range style counted against them.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

A life worth living - Aerogramme

An often overlooked band at the start of a bit of a mini-movement, with a notable contribution to the wider 'scene', but in themselves not a big name.

A prog-indie band whose sound has echoes of anything from Tool to Radiohead, they were around with early Idlewild, Biffy etc, and there is no doubt they had some influence on each others. But for some reason, they didn't make it as big as the others.

A couple of them did then go on to form The Undwinding Hours, later on Chvrches, and produce albums for The Twilight Sad, all of which are probably better know than the somewhat forgotten Aerogramme. Given the range to their sound, it was actually not easy picking a song. Indescretion no.243, for example being a song with a very different feel, had I gone for that.

The song I needed this week. As I took my bike ride tonight with the playlist going for the first time this week, I instantly thought I knew when I got back and checked out who submitted this, I'd find it would be you. What a masterpiece, and it checks all those boxes you note above.

Thanks!

 

[Coatigan]

My filter seems to be busted. So I'm just going to ramble on senselessly and let threespires pick one for the playlist from that mess. Here are some thoughts prompted by songs, and some songs prompted by thoughts.

The Prizefighter - Slo Burn
Dragona Dragona - Vista Chino

Always thought if John Garcia could have settled on a band, it would have been big. Add to the two above Kyuss, Unida and Hermano, none of them big, but some really good strong work and a distinctive sound that the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age refined and capitalised on.

Desert Cruiser - Truckfighters

The void left by those bands some time later was imo perfect for bands like Truckfighters and Greenleaf to fill. And they did, among small pockets of audiences that craved more thick riff stoner/desert rock. But nowhere near what they could have reached imo. Never understood quite why.

Miss Mary gets a boob job - Mondo Generator
Open your eyes - Guano Apes
Who's the King - Dog Eat Dog
Tomorrow - Silverchair

Concurrently with the above, always wondered why they weren't bigger, or didn't resonate with the youth. All had at least one excellent album, but couldn't find audiences to sustain that.

Broken Parts - Raining Jane

I think I may have been among the first to come across these. Remeber trying to convince my mates they would do well. Easy on the ear, easy on the eye, could play instruments well and write nice songs. I was wrong.

I'm a Vampire - the Amazing Snakeheads

One thing that has become evident through this week's soulsearching, is that there are different reasons bands don't make it big. Sometimes, it is their own inability to deliver on their promise. Quite often, it would seem, it is that there is a very similar simultaneous band that for some reason 'makes it' and draws the attention - while the other, arguably just as good, gets the leftovers or nothing at all. But more on that tomorrow, maybe. And then sometimes, a band is just too soon to the scene, too ahead of the times. The above is one of those imo. They were amazing live, and although seen as a bit of a novelty band, the pure will and unrestrained intensity and no fucks given songwritng was actually very good. But don't think it had a ready audience. I'm convinced that if they came a decade later with that same album, at a time when there is a real appetite for 'post-punk' and bands like Idles, Soft Play etc are doing really well, when they could also release songs on platforms as they went rather than conventional record lable deals, they would have done better than they did.

So for my second pick, letting the curator pick one of the above. Whether on knowledge, memory, at random, quirky sounding name - or none at all, I'm kinda just doing a braindump of my thoughts onto the thread.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)

I didn't want to have back-to-back selections, so thanks to Coatigan for setting up the wheel of destiny for threespires to spin before I have another go. You both are asking for something / anything?, so here it is…

This band are alt-country staples and by still going strong today should probably be considered "survivors", but they never quite broke into the mainstream as other bands such as Whiskeytown (when they were a thing), Band of Horses, and My Morning Jacket have done. Their fans are loyal, but the band just hasn't crossed into enough of the other genres to reach the recognition of others, DBTs included.

Their latest album from 2024 is some of the best material they’ve put out, and having guest musician Peter Buck from R.E.M. on a few of the tracks certainly didn’t hurt. You can hear Buck’s trademark guitar jangle on this selection. Rob, MCD, and (of course!) OOB6 probably have heard (of) them, but not sure how many others of my brethren in the UK have. They are known for their songs with plenty of storytelling, and the ones with more than a shred of truth such as this one really hit the mark.

“Where The Road Goes” – Old 97’s

(extra credit and love for the "Gulf of Mexico" reference in the lyric. Who the heck knew??)

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I regret that I have already played the Guster, Luscious Jackson, The Connells, Tennis, and mewithoutYou cards here on the playlists prior, as all would be right up my alley for this current topic, but I'm determined to provide something Brand New, so I will prevail to find just that.

 

[threespires]

The song I needed this week. As I took my bike ride tonight with the playlist going for the first time this week, I instantly thought I knew when I got back and checked out who submitted this, I'd find it would be you. What a masterpiece, and it checks all those boxes you note above.

Thanks!

If either @Coatigan or @Out on blue 6 sack off bluemoon and I'm left to the not so tender mercies of the algorithms to find something 'new', I may well go into a decline.

 

[Coatigan]

I regret that I have already played the Guster, Luscious Jackson, The Connells, Tennis, and mewithoutYou cards here on the playlists prior, as all would be right up my alley for this current topic, but I'm determined to provide something Brand New, so I will prevail to find just that.

Nice touch, that wordplay. I have already put them forward myself, but they did cross my mind this round. But I don't remember you putting them forward though, so fair game I guess.

 

[Coatigan]

The song I needed this week. As I took my bike ride tonight with the playlist going for the first time this week, I instantly thought I knew when I got back and checked out who submitted this, I'd find it would be you. What a masterpiece, and it checks all those boxes you note above.

Thanks!

I don't know if Chvrches made it in the States. They claim they did, they say their last album Screen Violence saw them 'break into' the US mainstream.

Here, they are far bigger than Aerogramme ever were, their founding member having over the years found that balance between rich production and less is more that works in pop.

I have never met or engaged with the guy myself. But a large number of friends and people I know that are or have tried being in bands, say that Ian Cook of Aerogramme/Chvrches is one of the most helpful guys to new bands and anyone trying to form one. Apparently offers advice and encouragement very readily, which if true makes me respect them all the more.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Nice touch, that wordplay.

Yeah, the group was for you, but the usage itself was for threespires for the continued reminding him of his work colleague who would do the same in front of the customer. My kinda guy!

I have already put them forward myself, but they did cross my mind this round. But I don't remember you putting them forward though, so fair game I guess.

I won't be doing it, but it was mainly to note they were on my mind and could qualify as well, but I'm still thinking outside of the box on what I or you have put forward prior.

You flushed a bunch more last night, so as spires has said, it's tough to get anything past you or OOB6, if such a thing is even possible. I don't think I could like his correct observation on that one enough.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I don't know if Chvrches made it in the States. They claim they did, they say their last album Screen Violence saw them 'break into' the US mainstream.

Here, they are far bigger than Aerogramme ever were, their founding member having over the years found that balance between rich production and less is more that works in pop.

They have made it and certainly are, at over 4.4M monthly Spotify listeners overall. I've heard a bit of them, but more on the synth pop side of indie and alternative rock. Their "Spotify radio" has some overlap on artists I like, and while of course that is geared for me, I can see them in the same genre.

I have never met or engaged with the guy myself. But a large number of friends and people I know that are or have tried being in bands, say that Ian Cook of Aerogramme/Chvrches is one of the most helpful guys to new bands and anyone trying to form one. Apparently offers advice and encouragement very readily, which if true makes me respect them all the more.

Very nice to hear that, and I've got some homework to listen to his bands more, starting with Aerogramme.

 

[threespires]

My filter seems to be busted. So I'm just going to ramble on senselessly and let threespires pick one for the playlist from that mess. Here are some thoughts prompted by songs, and some songs prompted by thoughts.

The Prizefighter - Slo Burn
Dragona Dragona - Vista Chino

Always thought if John Garcia could have settled on a band, it would have been big. Add to the two above Kyuss, Unida and Hermano, none of them big, but some really good strong work and a distinctive sound that the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age refined and capitalised on.

Desert Cruiser - Truckfighters

The void left by those bands some time later was imo perfect for bands like Truckfighters and Greenleaf to fill. And they did, among small pockets of audiences that craved more thick riff stoner/desert rock. But nowhere near what they could have reached imo. Never understood quite why.

Miss Mary gets a boob job - Mondo Generator
Open your eyes - Guano Apes
Who's the King - Dog Eat Dog
Tomorrow - Silverchair

Concurrently with the above, always wondered why they weren't bigger, or didn't resonate with the youth. All had at least one excellent album, but couldn't find audiences to sustain that.

Broken Parts - Raining Jane

I think I may have been among the first to come across these. Remeber trying to convince my mates they would do well. Easy on the ear, easy on the eye, could play instruments well and write nice songs. I was wrong.

I'm a Vampire - the Amazing Snakeheads

One thing that has become evident through this week's soulsearching, is that there are different reasons bands don't make it big. Sometimes, it is their own inability to deliver on their promise. Quite often, it would seem, it is that there is a very similar simultaneous band that for some reason 'makes it' and draws the attention - while the other, arguably just as good, gets the leftovers or nothing at all. But more on that tomorrow, maybe. And then sometimes, a band is just too soon to the scene, too ahead of the times. The above is one of those imo. They were amazing live, and although seen as a bit of a novelty band, the pure will and unrestrained intensity and no fucks given songwritng was actually very good. But don't think it had a ready audience. I'm convinced that if they came a decade later with that same album, at a time when there is a real appetite for 'post-punk' and bands like Idles, Soft Play etc are doing really well, when they could also release songs on platforms as they went rather than conventional record lable deals, they would have done better than they did.

So for my second pick, letting the curator pick one of the above. Whether on knowledge, memory, at random, quirky sounding name - or none at all, I'm kinda just doing a braindump of my thoughts onto the thread.

A very enjoyable mini playlist that I spent some time with yesterday. Mondo Generator the only one I was remotely familiar with. I'll be adding a few others with them into the playlist, specifically...

Truckfighters - Had a listen to the Gravity X album which has a good cover and some good songs. I can see what you mean, it is odd they didn't do better.

Raining Jane - a nice contrast to the other tracks. They seem to have spent their time doing more constructive things than chasing fame. Chapeau.

The Amazing Snakeheads - Your hypothesis seems very plausible to me.

Slo Burn possibly too.

 

[threespires]

I've updated the playlist any last orders from anyone today?

 

[Out on blue 6]

So I went backwards and forwards on this one and could have opted for an easier option but figured it's at the end so no one needs to listen.

Before Stormzy headlined Glastonbury, Wiley had top 10 hits and Dizzee went Bonkers there was a South Londoner called Rodney Smith who in my opinion is the best UK rapper and they all owe some debt to him.
Critically acclaimed but with little chart success.

Roots Manuva - Dreamy Days

On a side note any one who like to watch even just once one of the greatest videos of all time for Witness 1 Hope should check it out.
Roots goes back to his old primary school to give a talk. It starts with his name being spelt Manoeuvre on the blackboard and then when invited to judge the sports day he proceeds to enter all the events,cheat and walk of with the trophy to the boos of the kids

 

[Coatigan]

I've updated the playlist any last orders from anyone today?

I had one or two to pick from for what would have been my last pick, but feel I have inadvertently overwhelmed this a bit, so will leave it there.

What I will say is this has, for me at least, probably been the most thought provoking theme in a while.

We can for example find and list songs that rely on the bass, or songs that mention this or artists that do that etc, but can do that without necessarily being drawn into thinking deeper about it or asking why.

Whereas with this, I felt I was analysing most of the ones that crossed my mind, or that others put forward. Why weren't they bigger, what would have needed to happen for it, who else was doing similar and making it, and why. Did they lack consolidating - or maybe opposing - forces, did they need something to be seen to react against. Was it simply a matter of the quality not quite being there, or accessibility etc. Would Oasis have been as big, without Blur? Would the Delgados have been bigger without Oasis (and as such Blur). Did U2 stunt a whole bunch of Irish bands with their go to popularity. Would adding a banjo have made any difference. Etc etc etc.

Great theme. And a week still to mull such thoughts over!