A New Year of Music: Volume II: Most Under-rated Bands

In a perfect world, talent and genuine artistic creativity would be the deciding factors in how successful a band is. This isn’t a perfect world. One look at the charts or one listen to the radio is proof enough of that. These are the bands that, in my opinion, deserve to be a lot bigger than they are but for one reason or another just have not gotten the recognition, acclaim and success they should be getting.

THE DEAR HUNTER - If you haven’t checked this band out, you should. Last year their record Act III:Life and Death was on my Top 10 best of list, and it’s still in regular rotation in my music listening system. They’ve gone into hibernation recently to work on their Color Spectrum EPs, which is sure to be an interesting listen in the least. The thing I love about this band is the diverse instrumentation and the sheer songwriting chops that they possess. No song sounds the same, but they all seem to flow together, and it’s like listening to a vaudeville musical that you’ve never seen.

LISTEN TO “This Beautiful Life” and “Red Hands”

JIMMY EAT WORLD - I love this band. Love it. Every record is so solid throughout, every word is utterly honest, and every song is straight up musical purity. There aren’t many bands out there that have absolutely no gimmicks. Jimmy Eat World is one band that has no ulterior motives, no catchy or flashy THING that they rely on to sell records. It’s music, pure and simple. And darn good music at that. They’ve enjoyed a lot of success, but not nearly to the level that I believe they deserve. But I have to give them credit for not playing huge arena shows just because they could. There’s nothing wrong with a band who likes to keep things small and accessible. Because it’s not about money, sold-out crowds, and moving merchandise. It’s about musical passion, and this band has it in spades.

LISTEN TO “Work” and “Coffee and Cigarettes”

THE JULIANA THEORY - I know. They broke up. They still need to be on this list. I had the opportunity to see TJT play live four times, as they are from Pittsburgh, which is the closest major city to where I live. I don’t think there’s a band I can think of that had a harder time of it than TJT. From record label issues, fair-weather fans, to the press pigeon-holing them into a spot they did not and were never meant to be in. I give them huge credit for sticking with it for four albums. Emotion is Dead will always be one of my favorite records, and seeing that record performed live, front-to-back, TWICE…that will always be one of the highlights of my musical life. “You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight” is one of my all time favorite songs, and hearing them go crazy on it and “Everything” still gives me chills when I think about it.

LISTEN TO “You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight” and “Everything”

COLLECTIVE SOUL - I won’t say much about these guys, because they are pretty successful. The reason they are on this list is this: They are the band that you’ve never known the name of that has done the most songs that you know and like. EVERYONE knows a Collective Soul song. At least one. But rarely do they actually know who they’re listening to.

LISTEN TO “Shine” and “The World I Know” and “December”

THRICE - Possibly the most under-rated band on the planet. My favorite band, period. They are not unsuccessful. Their record Beggars has gotten rave reviews within the community in which they seem to dwell. Their record Vheissu was released on a major label, but failed to perform well (in my opinion, due to poor advertising and support from said label). Listening to a Thrice song is like reading a novel, having a deep conversation and listening to a thought-provoking sermon all rolled into one, all without the pretension of those three things, and all the while doing so in a manner that WILL make you want to be in the pit going crazy with the rest of us. The depth of creativity, artistry, musicianship and character is much more than I can cover here, but if you like a little thought behind your music, you should check these guys out. I hope that they continue to make music for a very long time.

LISTEN TO “Firebreather” and “Red Sky” and “Come All You Weary”

NEXT UP: TOP 10 RECORDS OF 2010

A New Year of Music: Volume I: Most Over-rated Bands

Let me begin by saying this is the first of four music-related posts I will be writing over the next several days, in an effort to wrap up the year of 2010 and lead into 2011. This particular list is in no way meant to be read “These bands suck”. But the title most certainly could be “Bands that it’s cool to like.” Not to start out an a negative note, but let’s get the downer out of the way so we can move onto the goods.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – Drunk chicks like just about anything. Also, they can make or break a band. That said, the guys in DMB are utterly talented musicians, there is no argument there. Perhaps the thing I hate the most is when DMB fans act like if I don’t think it’s the greatest band in the friggin’ world that I must not know good music from a hole in the ground, that I am tasteless, and my opinion can basically be dismissed, not only on music, but on anything. “You liked Avater? Well you don’t like Dave Matthews, so you’re an idiot.” Um, what? They have some good music. I’m not saying otherwise. I particularly like the live, improvised jams. I have fond memories of my freshman college roommate playing some of their live stuff in the room late at night or early in the morning, and I would lay in bed and listen, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anytime you can work violin and horns into rock music and make it work, I’m a fan. I actually own three DMB records. But here’s the thing: I rarely, strike that…I never get the urge to sit down and listen to DMB. And that’s usually how I can tell that a band is one of my favorites. I have the desire to sit down and just listen.

U2 – The Edge, the best guitarist in the world? You’re kidding me, right? Saying that is roughly equivalent to putting Tom Morello in the Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock game. I mean, I like Rage Against the Machine and everything, but best guitarists in the world? I think not. These guys have some great songs, modern classics: “With or without you”, “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “In the Name of Love” and one of my personal favorites from this band “Where The Streets Have No Name”. But Bono isn’t God. The Edge isn’t Jesus in guitarist form. Every record they release is not the second, third or fourth coming. The heavens do not part. The earth does not shake. Especially since on recent records they’re sound has become something of an amorphous blob of noise, one instrument indistinguishable from the next, and Bono’s voice is more of a croon than actual singing. I wish I had been alive back when they were first getting started, because I think it was probably something really special. But recently, they haven’t stayed relevant.

KINGS OF LEON – The coolest band that no one ever heard of until they did and then everyone loved them. Hey, I like “Use Somebody” as much as the next guy, the first time I heard it. And the second. Even the third. But by the 336, 297^th time, I was done. Seriously, play something else.

RADIOHEAD – The ultimate coolest band to like. If you’re a musician and you say you’re not a Radiohead fan, there is an actual task force that comes to your home, repossesses your instruments and brainwashes you until they are the only band you listen to.

NINE INCH NAILS – There is no other band that I have attempted to get into more times than NIN. I just. Don’t. Get it. To hear some people talk, this band is revolutionary. Pioneers. Legends. I think it might be one of those things where a band has inspired so many other people to make music that they end up becoming legends because of that, even though their music isn’t all that great.

Next up: MOST UNDERRATED BANDS