Great Bands Not Many People Have Heard Of

[ghstman]

I like video games just as much as the next guy (or gal) on these forums, but I like music even more. Nothing beats hearing about a new band from a friend, picking up some of their stuff and giving it a try (I actually only got into the Beatles after one of my professors kept pushing me). Of course, everyone's heard of The Who, The Beatles, and all the other big name artists, and they're cool in their own right, but what about those bands you would never have heard of without your friend? So how about it folks? What are some of your lesser known favorite bands?

For my own contribution:

The Kelly Bell Band - FBI [http://www.google.com/url?q=http://popup.lala.com/popup/937030214701288958&ei=jBaPS6_zF5Xd8QaombmKDQ&sa=X&oi=music_play_track&resnum=2&ct=result&cd=2&ved=0CA8Q0wQoATAA&usg=AFQjCNFNQGmXBs-Ljg1QrQfAT7q1iSARxg]

They're a "Phat Blues" band from here in Baltimore and they're pretty well known around town. They have a great sound, and nothing tops how crazy the crowd gets on their live album at the Recher Theater (local venue here in Baltimore). One of the coolest live albums I've bought in years.

Ronald Jenkees - "Guitar Sound" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smE-uIljiGo&feature=fvst]

The guy started out playing his piano for youtube videos, was really good and has since put out two albums (The second one is the best!). You can find his original stuff on youtube, and as awesome as they are, the album versions (having been polished and professionally recorded) are even better! (Also, he tends to improvise a good number of his songs for the videos. Awesome.)

 

[Iconsting]

Animal Collective.

 

[bassdrum]

I don't know if he counts as a band, but Free the Robots is a DJ about whom nobody seems to know anything. I rather like his stuff (it's playful yet brilliant, in my opinion). He has some stuff on iTunes and a new album being released towards the end of the month.


His website (with samples of his stuff) [http://www.myspace.com/freetherobots]

 

[AkJay]

Animal Collective.

hahahaha, no. Animal Collective is a very popular band up here, but the North-East Coast (USA) is full of.. well, hipsters. And like it or not, Animal Collective's fanbase are liberal college kids.

OT: Hmmm, It's kind of hard to say good bands no one has heard of, because chances are if they have a record label, or any kind of album out, they have popularity. I guess my friends band?... they are pretty good.

 

[nickachu]

Streetlight aren't unknown.



the only one I can think of is State Radio, but they formed out of 1/3 of dispatch and they're pretty well known.

 

[SniperWolf427]

Obviously, these bands aren't unheard of. Perhaps a more appropriate thread title is in order.

Hell, I'd like to meet someone who doesn't know Streetlight Manifesto.

Regardless, I've gotten into Daft Punk recently. I'm sure a lot of people have heard of them, but they were news to me, so whatever.

 

[Foobula]

Joy Electric for the win.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

As I've said every time we get this thread (lol condescending post)

Spoiler: Streetlight Manifesto

Who hasn't heard of Streetlight Manifesto? I feel bad for those who haven't...

I would say Tally Hall. As I've said it many times before.

 

[Aerodynamic]

Luna Negra
Deconstruction (Very creative band)


Russian Circles

 

[vodkainferno]

The PROTOMEN
A freakin' Rock Opera Band based on a video game
How does the escapist not know of this?

 

[Aerodynamic]

Red Sparowes (Great post-rock band)

Pelican (Great post-metal with a sludgy sound)


Cult of Luna

Polar Bear


Oceansize (great new-prog and alternative rock band)

 

[dfphetteplace]

Blood Stain Child, they play this mix of metal (like In Flames, Soilwork, other Gothenberg style metal, but maybe not as complex as Dark Tranquillity) and mix it with trance/techno stuff. It is interesting, if a little simple. Check out their song Freedom on youtube.



Charred Walls of the Damned. Power metal with some guys that used to be in Iced Earth (one of the best bands of the past 20 years, easily). Richard Christy plays drums and writes the lyrics, and Tim Owens is on vocals. Their self-titled album is pretty amazing.

Neurosis. Post Metal ambient apocalyptic folk music (folk doesn't mean what it usually means in this context). They are they innovators of this sound that has since gone on to be played by bands like Isis, Pelican, Mastodon, High on Fire, ect. Their live shows are almost a religious experience. Musically, they focus very little on vocals, which almost seems a shame since Scott Kelly has such a demanding voice, but the minimalistic use of said vocals makes it that much more important and wonderful. His lyrics are incredible, and some of the best poetry in modern music. Check out the album "The Eye of Every Storm". If one of these songs was on any other album in history, they would be the stand out hit, but each one is here on one album, and they are all pretty balanced on the album. No one track now stands what next to the other.

 

[RipperSU]

Russian Circles are amazing. I'm going to see them live next month which should be a treat. As for unknown bands, it's pretty hard for me since most of my friends have really broad tastes, so I see even the smallest good bands as common knowledge.

 

[Aerodynamic]

Russian Circles are amazing. I'm going to see them live next month which should be a treat. As for unknown bands, it's pretty hard for me since most of my friends have really broad tastes, so I see even the smallest good bands as common knowledge.

I beat you to the punch my man, look at my posts.

 

[Blanks]

The Telepathic Butterflies, i can only really describe their music as beetles-esque

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXPGWMyVgQo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAymYdCECoM

i don't know how to embed so here's the links

 

[ghstman]

As I've said every time we get this thread (lol condescending post)

If I realized it was such a common topic, I wouldn't have bothered with it, haha. As you can probably tell from the post count, I'm still a bit new here.

As I've said every time we get this thread (lol condescending post)

Spoiler: Streetlight Manifesto

Who hasn't heard of Streetlight Manifesto? I feel bad for those who haven't...

I would say Tally Hall. As I've said it many times before.

Actually, I haven't heard of Streetlight Manifesto. In fact, the only band I've heard of mentioned on this page is Daft Punk.

And for the record, I was being kind of tongue in cheek when I said "No one has heard of". Really, a more accurate to my meaning title would be "lesser known bands". Sorry for the confusion.

EDIT: Thread title changed

 

[NeoAC]

I've got so many bands, but I start with Embassy. They don't even have a Wiki page, but I was willing to track down The War of Art and grab all their songs. One third of them are entrenched in my top players.

This is their best known song. People might know it from Stargate and MLB 06.

Spoiler: Gravity

 

[Australian Chaos]

One greatly underappreciated band is:

"Kamelot"

Okay, so they ARE popular in eastern Europe, but almost no-one outside of Norway has heard of them, which is a shame, because they are a genuinely good symphonic metal band, and deserve far more recognition.
Then again, the entire metal genre is underappreciated thanks to the raft of 'scream music', which I am NOT a fan of!

 

[arsenicCatnip]

The Crown Jewels / The Contes.

Steve and John Conte are brothers from NYC who play awesome indie rock. Right now, Steve's also playing guitar for the New York Dolls, another fantastic band who no one seems to know.

The Dolls are a punk band started back in '73, best known for their songs 'Trash' and 'Personality Crisis'. After most of the original members left the band or died (or both), they reformed in 2004 with David Johansen doing vocals, Syl Sylvain on rhythm guitar, and added Steve Conte on lead guitar, Brian Delaney on drums, Brian Koonin on keyboards, and Hanoi Rocks' Sami Yaffa on bass. (And a fun little fact: The CD cover to their album One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This was the 'poster' on the pink iPod nano 4th gen ad).