The 411 Music Top 5: Week 2

Posted by Brian Berry on 12.19.2006

411 staffers pick their Top 5 Underrated Bands in the 2nd edition of the Music Zone's Top 5!


Welcome to the 2nd edition of 411 Music's Top 5!

Last week 411 Mania staffers checked in with their Top 5 Christmas Songs of All-Time. While The Pogues ("Fairytale of New York") and John Lennon ("Merry Xmas") popped up on several lists, our writer's diverse tastes showed more unique entries than any holiday music fan could've expected.

411 Mania reader, Jeff from NL, Canada was surprised to not find a particular song on any of our lists:
Hi there. I can't believe nobody said anything about Stevie Nicks' version of "Silent Night".

It's because she sings like a goat…baaaaaaah.
Just kidding, dude. Thanks for reading.

You'll find the same diversity from our panel this week as we venture into the 2nd Top 5 topic…



MOST UNDERRATED MUSIC ACTS

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Evocator Manes [Hard Rock/Metal Reviews]

Honorable Mention:
• Eisley – Their sophomore album will be the test, but second only to Dresden Dolls in terms of promise. www.eisley.com
• Trevor Rabin – He single-handedly saved Yes with an album he had mostly demoed and then titled 90125 (see Time Machine column), went on to score 20+ movies and win a few awards, and he is one of the very greatest songwriters, singers and guitarists of all-time. www.trevorrabin.net
• Don McLean - He is so very much more than just the architect of "American Pie". www.don-mclean.com

5) Dresden Dolls - The most inventive and interesting band out there is still somewhat on the outskirts of public consciousness, but not for long. Big things coming here and with any luck, they will avoid a quality skid musically. www.dresdendolls.com

4) Virgin Black - Only one word can accurately describe the brilliance, excellence, beauty and majesty behind the sound of this band and that word is WOW! www.virginblack.com

3) Manowar - Insanely huge and famous in every other country but America and Britain. Why? Because American and British fans are closing in on 100% stupid and yes, I do mean you. www.manowar.com

2) Kevn Kinney - Whether with the seminal Drivin' & Cryin' or as a solo act, Kinney has perfected the Americana/poet style that Dylan started and Springsteen, John Cougar Cocksucker and the Wallflowers be damned. Keeps getting better with age. www.kevinkinney.com

1) Therapy? - Had a lot of momentum, followed it up with a brilliant album, which A&M refused to push, effectively fucking them for the rest of their careers. Still delivers some of the most consistently excellent albums in all of music. www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk
[Therapy?]

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Matt Clifford [Indie/Punk Reviews]

HM:
• Far - Helped shape the current rock music scene and they were great friends of the Deftones and as equally influential. http://www.thebandfar.com
• The Minutemen - One of most original and groundbreaking bands to come out of post-hardcore US. True innovators.

5) Sugar - Bob Mould's post-Husker Du outfit. Produced an EP and two great middle-of-the-road rock albums including the classic ,Copper Blue, which I believe, directly or indirectly, was a big influence on bands such as the Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World.

4) Fugazi – Fiercely independent, full of integrity and still making some of the most interesting and unique music around. Need I say more?

3) Quicksand – Walter Schreifls' (later of post-grunge outfit Rival Schools fame) Quicksand were a strong influence on modern hardcore. Listen to their 1990 S/T EP and see how many new bands you can pick out that take aspects of their sound. http://www.quicksand.net

2) Meat Puppets – One of the biggest influences on the Seattle music scene ever. Great music and savagely underrated.

1) Rites Of Spring – Whether you see it as a good or a bad thing, this band created emotional hardcore. Guy Picciotto is arguably one of the best front men that ever graced a club stage and justifiably earns a second placing in my list (editor's note: Fugazi was the first). It's a crime how little deserved credit is given to this band, and most kids today who claim to be "all about emo" will give you nothing but a blank gaze of confusion if you were to mention them. In my opinion, one of the most influential bands you've never heard.
[Rites of Spring]

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Ian Wright [Music News Columnist, Dancing About Architecture]

5) The Charlatans - I don't much care for Manchester, and I've got a low tolerance for Britpop, but The Charlatans are miles better than both The Stone Roses and Oasis (but most people seem to disagree). Therefore, they're underrated. www.thecharlatans.net

4) Mission Of Burma - Most people are aware of the influence that the Pixies (and to a lesser extent Dinosaur Jr.) had on Nirvana. However, there was another New England indie band that came before those two bands and were a huge influence on them. http://www.missionofburma.com

3) Okkervil River - Most of the more heralded bands from Austin have grandiose names and make music on a huge canvas. Not so with Okkervil River who plough their own furrow with wonderful folk-tinged indie songs and, in Will Sheff, they've got a truly great songwriter. www.jound.com/okkervil

2) The Redneck Manifesto - It's hard to be Irish and into indie music and call the Rednecks underrated because most people I know realize how great they are; it's just the rest of the world that's missing out. Far more riff oriented than most post-rock bands. They're unique in that genre insofar that you could drop their records in a club and not clear the dance floor. I can't see that happening with Godspeed! You Black Emperor. www.theredneckmanifesto.com

1) The Wrens - I know, big surprise coming from me but I genuinely believe that the New Jersey quartet are the finest band ever to come out of North America and, seeing as they aren't one of the biggest bands on the planet, then they have to be underrated. www.wrens.com
[The Wrens]

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Brian Berry [Music Editor, Reviewer]

HM:
• Teenage Fanclub - Beatles melodies nestled in a blanket of Sonic Youth's big guitar experimentalism…like a modern version of Badfinger or Big Star. Recommended listening: Bandwagonesque (1991). www.teenagefanclub.com
• Love Songs - Northern California's best kept secret…an intelligent punk band with a great sense of humor whose main influences appear to be The Vandals, Twisted Sister, and They Might Be Giants. Recommended listening: Behind Enemy Lines In G# Minor. www.thelovesongs.com
• Mercury Rev - If The Flaming Lips were darker, and better musicians, they would be Mercury Rev. Recommended listening: Deserter's Songs (1998). www.mercuryrev.net

5) Comets On Fire - Comets On Fire are the loudest band on Earth. Psychedelic, prog-rock insanity for fans of acts ranging from MC5 to (early) Pink Floyd to Black Sabbath, and even Dinosaur Jr. (whom they toured with last year). Recommended listening: Blue Cathedral(2004). www.cometsonfire.com

4) Hot Snakes - In 2004, I saw the best rock show I will probably ever see. The band was Hot Snakes, a now defunct San Diego quartet featuring former members of Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From the Crypt (who, are both criminally underrated as well). For those who thrive on non-stop blasts of visceral, abrasive, and genuine punk rock (e.g. The Wipers, Dead Kennedys, early Mudhoney), that places rocking people's balls off before trying to be cool, Hot Snakes are for you. Recommended listening: Suicide Invoice (2002). www.hotsnakes.com.

3) Townes Van Zandt - After hearing "Waiting Around To Die", everyone will understand my claim that Townes Van Zandt was more gifted than Johnny Cash ever was. Steve Earle said it best: "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that". Recommended viewing: Be Here To Love Me-A Film About Townes Van Zandt (2005). www.townesvanzandt.com.

2) Nilsson - Harry Nilsson's name seldom rings bells for the under-40 crowd. If there were any justice in the world, the man best known for singing massive hits such as "Without You", "Everybody's Talkin", and "Coconut" (also featured on the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack) would be more familiar to listeners than Elton John, Billy Joel, or any of The Beatles' solo projects. Nilsson was a better songwriter, with further reaching vocal range, than all of the aforementioned musicians combined. The Walkmen are such big fans that they recorded a song for song cover of Nilsson's 1974 album, Pussycats this year. Recommended listening: Aerial Ballet (1968), Nilsson Schmillson (1971), Son of Schmillson (1972). www.harrynilsson.com.

1) Andrew W.K. - Close Calls With Brick Walls will be recognized as one of the best albums of 2007. After listening to W.K's 3rd album, which is only available in Japan and on his website, there's no denying that he is just as complex a musician as Frank Zappa, and much more versatile than on the first two albums (I Get Wet, The Wolf). W.K. is a brilliant composer, vocalist, and musician whose music is equal parts Meat Loaf, Iron Maiden, and motivational speaker. I encourage you to check out his new album online before it hits stateside…spread the word! For all of the misunderstandings of what he's trying to accomplish, and for all the questioning of his merits as an artist, AWK deserves my pick for the Most Underrated. Easily, one of the most brilliant minds in rock music. Recommended listening: Close Calls With Brick Walls (2006). www.andrewwk.com.
[Andrew W.K.]

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Jes Tones [New Music Zone Contributor]

HM: Youth Group - Imagine my confusion when this very un-punk group of young Aussies showed up on Epitaph's Punk-O-Rama compilation in '05. But it did convince me to drop the ten bucks on their first American release and anything else I could get my hands on thereafter (which admittedly is not an arsenal -- hence the HM only). No regrets. www.youthgroup.au.

5) Robbers on High Street - These boys have developed an impressive NYC following over the past few years, but I hadn't had a chance to see them live until last week. Now I'm sure. Get to know them now before they're too cool for you. They're already too clever for me. www.robbersonhighstreet.com.

4) 101'ers - Pre-Clash Joe Strummer. 'Nough said.

3) The Distillers - Why is everyone surprised when I bring up this band? I could listen to Brody Dalle's growl for years. And it's BEEN years now since the last album was released in 2003, and I'm still listening. She has recently promised fans that she's "pregnant" with a new one...that's quite the gestation period. Put me on the registry. www.thedistillers.com

2) The Honorary Title - Every time I go to one of their shows I think "man, these kids are too cool for school. Why do I keep coming to their shows?", and every time I hear they are playing I automatically buy tickets anyway…because they're THAT good. www.thehonorarytitle.com.

1) Evan Dando - Ok so maybe I'm a little biased from last night's Lemonheads show, but King Lemonhead would've definitely made it into the top 5 even sans said show. I may be the only person on the planet that owns his solo album, but I shouldn't be.
[Evan Dando]

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Michael Melchor [Music Editor, Reviewer, News Writer. Wrestling Columnist]

HM:
• Scissor Sisters - I really don't hear enough about this crew. A pretty damned good dance/pop outfit with more to say and do than just bringing sexy back. They were a highlight of Live 8 and Ta-Dah! was one of the better albums to come out this year. www.scissorsisters.com.
• K-Solo - Phil Watts was spot-on about K-Solo: he had all the potential on the fucking planet as one of the best MCs, but time and circumstances almost put a halt to that. With one more album upcoming, hopefully he can erase the stigma of "potential" and prove that he could always live up to it. www.myspace.com/gangwolf.

5) Atari Teenage Riot - Alec Empire created a genre - Digital Hardcore - that's every bit as disjointed and noisy as the name would imply. While it's an acquired taste, ATR broke ground in what electronic music was capable of. www.digitalhardcore.com/news.asp.

4) Gary Hoey - One of the best guitar players around. He probably never got his due because of a lot of the covers he did, but for an idea of what this guy is capable of, give the Endless Summer II Soundtrack a listen. www.garyhoey.com.

3) Apathy - When I lamented the current state of Hip-Hop, this guy was one of the few bright spots I pointed to. He can flow forever and some of the rhymes he comes up with are just sick. Keep an ear out on this kid; once Atlantic gets off their asses and releases his album, he may break out in a way that few expected. www.demigodz.com/bio_apathy.html.

2) Therapy? - I have to agree with Evocator here. I've said for years that Therapy? is probably the best band you've never heard of. Mixing metal, punk, and plain solid songwriting, the fact that they never got over in America, mixed with how talented they are, almost put them at #1 - if it weren't for a group that's been overlooked FAR longer...

1) Sparks - Ron and Russel Mael were ground and genre-breaking long before it became cool to do so. Solid riffs, signature hooks, uncanny pop sensibilities...all with an electronic flare that both Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode would look up to. They sound every bit as ahead of their time today as they did on Kimono My House - and that came out in 1974. http://www.allsparks.com.
[Sparks]

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Tollah [Rock Music Writer]

5) Blind Guardian - For their vast contribution and innovation in metal over the last 25 years, they should be up there with the likes of Maiden and Priest - instead they just have a (pretty big) cult following. http://www.blind-guardian.com.

4) Poison - Thought of as just a cheap hair metal band but.. well, they are! And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's fun rock 'n roll that you can party to. Plus, C.C. Deville is a hell of a guitarist. Anyone who would rather listen to the likes of Nirvana is backwards. www.poisonweb.com.

3) Whitesnake - Again, constantly thought of as just some cheap hair metal band. People overlook the fact that they were creating top quality blues-rock for like 10 years before the classic 1987 album was released. www.whitesnake.com.

2) Britny Fox - Perpetually overlooked ‘80s rockers. Try on "Girlschool" or "Long Way To Love" for size, or check out the blazing covers of "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Hair of the Dog". www.britnyfox.com.

1) Slash's Snakepit - Slash's side project during GnR's latter days. Ain't Life Grand, their second album, is one of the finest slices of hard rock ever to be released ever. www.snakepit.org.
[Slash's Snakepit]

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Tim O' Sullivan [Sports Columnist The Round Football Column. Movie Reviewer/Columnist 411 Fact or Fiction Movies]

5) Boy Kill Boy - Cool little emo / indie / swing mix that evolves into one of my favourite albums from 2006. Plus, their version of Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" from Radio 1's Live Lounge is one of the coolest things I've ever heard. www.boykillboy.com.

4) Dirty Pretty Things - The fallout from The Libertines' demise led to Dirty Pretty Things being formed, and I'm not complaining. Waterloo to Anywhere is one of my top five discs of 2006 and they warrant further acclaim. They seem like the type of fellas that wouldn't want number one singles, and Brit Award winning recognition, but they should be getting album sales to match the critical acclaim. www.dirtyprettythingsband.com.

3) Glenn Lewis - His album is very good, but more than the material (despite a few fantastic tracks) it's his vocals that leave the biggest mark. Hasn't had the mainstream success of Musiq, but perhaps he should. The performance of his biggest hit , "Don't you forget it" on UK music show Later with Jools, is one of my favourite live vocal performances of all-time.

2) Next - 112 and Jagged Edge are probably more recognised in the post-Boyz II Men influx of R&B male bands, but Next are the best of the lot from the past decade, in my opinion. The "Too Close" and "Wifey" tracks are class, and subsequently their biggest hits commercially, but listen to their hidden gem of an album, Next Episode, and you'll discover genuine class.

1) Craig David - Purely out of bias, but he's my number one pick. He still shifts a lot of units and does well in Europe, but the yanks think he's pop and the UK can't get over the Bo Selecta saga. Still, his first album is incredible, there are some sublime tracks on the two discs that followed, and live, his vocals are fantastic. www.craigdavid.co.uk.
[Craig David]

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Think we missed one of the great overlooked bands? Let us know!

That's it for The Top 5 this week. There won't be a Top 5 next week but check back in two weeks from now to see our picks for the Top 5 Live Artists!