Your most unsung band?

[tuvor]

You know, the one you thought deserved to be huge, but faded into obscurity.

Mine's Lone Justice. Anyone who's heard Maria McKee's voice (described as Janis Joplin meets Patsy Cline) on the self-titled debut knows exactly what I mean, and I hated anything that smacked of country music when I first heard them.

Soap, soup and salvation!

[carpetbagger]

1. The Plastic Cloud

One album. Not even in print anymore. They were much better than The Association or any of the light psychedelic bands.

[vajraroshana]

2. once again I have to nominate The Go-Betweens

Probably the best under-rated and unheard-of band. Been around since the late 70s. And I still only have just a few of their albums and tapes (no CDs yet).

I haven't heard of Lone Justice. Sounds good.

[Dogmudgeon]

10. Oh yes. That's two of us.

16 Lovers Lane did it for me.

--bkl

[HEyHEY]

3. Well, an old Vancouverite would remember "Pure"

Awesome band - never really broke thoough

[tuvor]

4. I was an Edmonite during Pure's heyday.

I arrived in Vancouver just before the OJ verdict.

I always liked older Skinny Puppy, though, speaking of Vancouver bands.

Like I said, I like everything. Except opera.

[HEyHEY]

6. I thought Skinny Puppy was from edmonton

[tuvor]

9. Dwayne, the guy who OD'ed was from Edmonton.

But he joined around Mind:TPI, I think. The rest were from Vancouver, though.

All Edmonton's really got to crow about is The Pursuit of Happiness.

And k.d. lang to a large degree.

Maybe someone can tell me if I've missed anyone else.

[HEyHEY]

11. Arrogant Worms!

[TexasBushwhacker]

5. She's still had a career though

I mean she just released a "Live in Hamburg" CD on an independent label. She may not be wealthy, but I don't think she's ever had to take a day job.

Other than some financial security, I don't think being huge is all that. Living in Austin, I know of a lot of bands that are making a decent living for themselves just playing gigs and selling their self-produced CD's. They seem to be pretty damn happy making a living doing something they love.

[tuvor]

7. Yeah, but when britney's ruling the charts it just doesn't seem right.

I'm pushing 40, so I'm practicing my grumpy-old-man 'tude. Ahem:

When I was a boy, popular music wasn't the product it's become today.

Can't get enough of that Hilary Duff!

[Dogmudgeon]

8. Guadalcanal Diary

Absolutely.

Best 80s band there ever was.

They still get together every couple of years for a gig or two; I think lead singer Murray Attaway is still in the biz.

--bkl

[Tom Kitten]

12. Get Smart!, the Embarassment, both from Kansas!

Get Smart from Kansas released two fine lps in the 80s and then vanished...

The Embarassment, also from Kansas, were Great with a capital "G"...Their song "D-Rings" still sends me into outer space!

[JSJ]

13. the fugs

[politicat]

14. The End Party and Per Somnia

Dark, melodic.... incredible voices, great composition.

and totally missed.

Thank entropy for mp3.com when they were real.

http://www.soundclick.com/pro/?BandID=137969

There's a sound clip at the front page.

Pcat

[drumwolf]

15. Way too many to name, but here's just a few....

Mudhoney -- They were one of the seminal bands that spearheaded the entire late-'80s Seattle indie scene. But when "grunge" became trendy, this band was completely overlooked while lesser but more commercially accessible bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana got the fame and fortune.

Swervedriver -- They never got big for two reasons. One, they were a hybrid of hard rock and the noisy "shoegazer" sound of the time, and couldn't be neatly pigeonholed into either category. And two, they were cursed with bad luck with record labels.

Dream Syndicate and the Feelies -- every bit as good as REM's early stuff was, but never got even remotely as big as REM.

Celibate Rifles and Moving Targets -- two of the greatest punk bands of the '80s, but obscure even among punk fans.

[jdj]

16. All hail Maria Mckee! Wow, she is a bansee

I loved her duet with Dwight Yoakam "Bury Me" (am a bluegrass, not country, fan)

Lone Justice was great, and Maria is amazing.

I love love love the Lunachicks.

They are amazing musicians, the fastest cleanest metal, and funny as hell (and all female). Also L7, and Babes in Toyland.

[Kat45]

17. Cats In Boots

Great hard rock band in late eighties consisting of 2 (white) American guys and 2 Japanese guys. The Japanese guys didn't speak much English, but man, when they all played music together, it didn' matter--they were rocking. Unfortunately, the band broke up not long after their first album came out. I still play the album fairly frequently.

[jpgray]

18. Right now, the Dovers. They weren't just anybody (nt)