The twenty most criminally underappreciated bands of the last ten years

A countdown, from the 1999 homepage

The twenty most criminally underappreciated bands of the last ten years

So, I've counted down, to the end of the month, year, decennium, century, millenium, time, whatever. You have been bombarded by best of lists, and here's a different one. A count down of the twenty bands that got tragically overlooked in the last ten years. Twenty groups that deserved better, that should have gotten some fame, some attention or even just an acknowledgement of their existence. Maybe this will help a little. criminally underappreciated bands of the last ten years

Disco Inferno

They were by far the bravest band of the nineties. Ian Crause, Robert Whatley and Paul Wilmot were like many completely fascinated by what Joy Division (and New Order after that) had accomplished ten years earlier. So they first set out to approach the same attitude, resulting in their own twisted take on the sound of Joy Division featured on their first EP's and albums (collected beautifully on the must-have-but-you-probably-can't-get In Debt compilation). Unhappy with the result the band traded in the drumkit and amps for a sampler and a set of midi-triggers, leaving only the guitar and vocals in place. From the first EP Summer's last sound onwards Disco Inferno set out to make music in ways nobody else had done before, using samples triggered by proper instruments. After releasing the gloriously ironically titled album D.I. Go Pop , they were louded by the British music press as the bright new hope for popmusic in general, they set an example for bands not to pay too much attention to traditional instrumental, but take on modern technology as well. Sadly except for the music press, not many were interested. For a few years Disco Inferno kept on perfecting their new found ways, released three wonderful EP's that all got top reviews. Then after the Rough Trade recordlabel folded again, they stopped trying, leaving us their last album technicolour posthumously released two years later. If there's any justice in the next ten years, Disco Inferno should get the proper recognition they deserved all along.

bloody essential: summer's last sound single (ché), it's a kid's world ep (rough trade), second language ep (rough trade), the last dance ep (rough trade), technicolour (rough trade), d.i. go pop (rough trade), in debt (ché), from the devil to the deep blue sky single (ché), disco inferno @ tugboat

Straitjacket Fits

English weekly Melody Maker used to be my main source for information. I spelled out every word on every page, checked out mostly anything that was mentioned. I'm still grateful to Andrew Mueller writing so passionately about this band from Dunedin New Zealand. He wrote there was simply no band better than Straitjacket Fits and in retrospect I agree with him. It took a long time even for me to realise it though. Straitjacket Fits aren't really the easiest band in the world. The voice of Shayne Carter is kind of whining, the rhythms are awkward, they don't write proper pop songs. But they present their music with so much passion, conviction and approach it with originality. It's like with Cell, Straitjacket Fits know how to make rollercoasterrides out of music, giving the listener twists and turns, an adventure for your ears. Live they were even better, but sadly they were never quite able to translate that to disc. Straitjacket fell apart in many different bands, among them the awesome Bike and Dimmer (the latter is going to release an album in the new millenium, yay!).

recommended: melt (flying nun), missing from melt ep (flying nun), hail (flying nun), blow (flying nun), done ep (flying nun) fanpage

Idaho

The music of many bands in this list could be filed under seriously depressing or very melancholic. Well there's one band which tops it all, Idaho is beautiful sadness, eternal longing, craving, loneliness set to music. But Idaho isn't about dispair there's something so comforting about Jeff Martin's voice, the music that engulfes you and the lyrics make you swoon. Something so utterly uplifting. Mainman Jeff Martin and his band can pull at the heartstrings of the listener like no other band can. They've described themselves best in Bass Crawl on The Forbidden EP : "It is not what it seems. It's exactly what you need" .

recommended: the forbidden ep (buzz), drive it ep (quigley), alas (buzz), three sheet to the wind (quigley) this way out (quigley), year after year (quigley) forbidden

Radar Bros.

In the nineties we have seen many bands playing v e r y s l o w music, to name but a few: Codeine, Low, Bedhead and the Radar Bros. of course. Don't be mistaken, the Radar Bros don't play slow music for the sake of it, for them it's just the clearest way of expression. The music is played thoughtful, precise, rather then slow. If you stop paying attention to the tempo and concentrate on the melody, composition and especially the lyrics, you'll discover a new dimension full of stories and images. Although you'll never discover what Radar Bros are truly singing about, everytime you think you understand the lyrics will turn back on you. Radar Bros are the masters of obscurity.

recommended: radar bros. (fingerpaint), radar bros. (restless), the singing hatchet (chemikal underground)

Stina Nordenstam

The first reaction of people hearing Stina for the first time is to giggle. It's her hushed mini mouse voice that is so unlike anything you might expect from a female singer. Many of these people will have been put off by it, but who listens beyond the voice will discover a world so rich in color and emotion. Stina Nordenstam has grown artisically from a simple melancholic crooner using awkward English and mostly standard melody she is now able to make anything into a complicated work of beauty using not only her voice, but a big range of instrumentation. On her own she has mastered the studio and the use of rough guitar as well as whole orchestras to paint her pictures. Proof of her multitalent is the most recent 'People are Strange' album where she covers popsongs (like Sailing and Purple Rain), that in the original form have lost their power and originality and she has turned it into something of her own. Most original European solo artist of the nineties by far.

recommended: people are strange (east west), dynamite (east west), and she closed her eyes (east west) official site

Bark Psychosis

When Talk Talk released Spirit of Eden they were ridiculed by most fans, who reacted furiously to the sudden change. But for once some band got it right, they showed the world that popmusic can be an artform, it can combine all musical influences together without having to necessarily label it. Bark Psychosis learned this lesson well and the fourpiece band from London worked hard on creating the most beautiful silent music ever made. When listening to their second album 'Hex'you discover how pale and shallow bands like Mogwai actually are. Bark Psychosis didn't seek tension in the obligatory softpart-loudpart-softpart routine, they made songs that flow like stories, themes bleeding into other songs, sudden twists and turns, like an abstract painting. After 'Hex' they split, leaving only Graham Sutton to go and make drum'n'bass under the name of Boymerang. You can still hear a bit of Bark Psychosis in that.

recommended: hex (caroline/3rd stone), game over (3rd stone) game over

Moonshake

Moonshake was a unique freak musical phenomenon. It is an absolute mystery how David Callahan, Margaret Fiedler, bassplayer John Frennet, drummer Mig and producer Guy Fixsen found each other and got along well enough to actually start a band together. It's a mystery because you can sense the tension of the band in the music they make. Everything seems to bursting at the seams, it's because of the acidic vocals of David, the sharp explosions of guitar and samples, the ever shifting beats of the 17/18th rhythms and the creeping whispering singing voice of Margaret. Moonshake was about life, relationship and society gone horribly wrong and there was never a band who was able to translate it to music better than them (or maybe Cop Shoot Cop). After one album and a minialbum the tension became too great, Margaret left with Guy and John, David continued Moonshake but all the tension was lost after the split.

recommended: eva luna (too pure), big good angel (too pure)

Seefeel

Another one that got pushed into the whole post rock scene and this time probably rightly so. Seefeel were a guitarband that found their way into areas no other guitarband had gone before. Legend has it that when they first contacted Too Pure they sounded too much like My Bloody Valentine so they didn't want to sign them. They changed their sound slightly, used more repetitive elements almost classical, like the works of Steve Reich and changed into something wonderfully unknown. Their first EP even got remixed by Aphex Twin and if you notice how little was changed from the original songs you realise that even he thought that this is one hell of a special band.

recommended: pure, impure (too pure), quique (too pure), starethrough (warp), succour (warp)

Laika

For some reason Laika got lumped in with the whole post rock thing, they are definitely not that. They are just the warmest electronic pop band there ever was. Guy Fixsen and Margaret Fiedler met eachother while she was playing with Moonshake and he recorded them. Together and with the help of one hell of an excellent rhythmsection they have perfected Margaret's search for organic compositions. They will use anything and try out everything to get there, by combining found sounds, looping rhythms, adding real instruments, the sound of a car alarm, stacking layers on top of layers of sound. The music is so rich in sound and emotion that Laika's music will never lose its power or magic.

recommended: antenna ep (too pure), sound of the satellites (too pure) interview

Earthling

Earthling started out at the same time as Tricky and Portishead, they also came from Bristol, they also made 'triphop', but unlike all the others nobody knows them. Earthling's music is closer to hiphop rather then triphop. It is more lyric based, but not like hiphop which will contain a statement most of the time, Earthling's music is all about feeling. The lyrics don't necessarily mean anything, but the words themselves and the context in which they are placed do make sense. The lyrics are in fact so strong that anyone who'll get hooked on Earthling will recite whole raps for years. Earthling will stick in the mind and never get away. Get hooked now.

recommended: radar (cooltempo), first transmission ep (cooltempo) interview

Spooky

Looking at the succes of electronic acts like Prodigy, Underworld, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers, electronic music has become very popular over the past ten years. It's all the more strange that English electronic duo Spooky got overlooked, because they fit right in. Judging on their albums there's no reason why nobody took notice, every song is crammed with ideas, they know how to write a good tune, use beautiful (found) sounds to full effect, many things you can even dance to. It has been silent around Spooky for years now, I guess they gave up.

recommended: stereo ep (Generic), found sound (Generic), gargantuan (Guerilla)

Cell

Right after the surprising succes of Nirvana and the rise of grunge rock, all the big recordcompanies were eager to sign any group of people capable of holding a guitar and able to write a raunching rock song. That's why these four guys from New Jersey got signed by Geffen. Although they had a big recordcompany backing them, succes didn't come. Cell's music was for many listeners a little too complicated and different. And that's what so great about the band, they didn't make any standard songs. Cell's songs are little adventures, rollercoaster rides, many tempo changes, sudden surges in guitar, thundering rhythms and the raw vocals of Jerry Dirienzo and Ian James singing. They worked so hard to be understood, to be liked, they didn't make it, but they were so good.

recommended: living room (GEFFEN/City Slang), slo-blo (GEFFEN/City Slang)

Monsterland

To many it may seem that there is too much guitarpop out there. True, and it is seldom any good. In the nineties, the genre has been clubbed to death by bands like the Presidents of the USA and Weezer. All they sang about was about fun times and happiness, but what they seem to have forgotten is that genuine pop isn't about that. True popmusic is about teenage angst, fear of rejection, rebellion, love, catastrophe. Monsterland was about the only band in the USA that did get it right. A threesome that was able to translate their own teenage fears and experiences into music and made a few fast, loud and fun records. Hunt those down in your local bargain basement.

recommended: destroy what you love (SEED), at one with time (SEED) monsterland

Evergreen

Evergreen have existed for a very short time. By the time their first and only album was released they had already split. And what a pity that is, because it's absolutely wonderful. They are the first band since the Stooges that capture that same energy. The record is loud, agressive and grooves like nothing else. Maybe it's because of the ex Slint members, I don't know. I'm still amazed that almost nobody knows about this record. It could become a Tweez of the nineties.

recommended: evergreen (hi-ball)

Two Dollar Guitar

While everybody is finally going totally gaga over Will Oldham and Silver Jews, nobody notices the efforts of Tim Foljahn. Together with ex-Cell bassplayer Dave Motamed and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley he has created some haunting music over the past years. Tim Foljahn has shown in four releases he's a true heir of American folk and blues singer tradition. His music breathes the sorrow and pain of poor small town Americans of yesteryear and that's quite an accomplishment for someone who has lived in New Jersey most of his life. On first listen the music of Tim might seem a bit too depressing and painful, almost like his putting the listener on. He's not. Life hurts and he knows how to sing about it.

recommended: let me bring you down (smells like records), burned and buried (smells like records), train songs (smells like records), la lengua asesina hotel opera (smells like records) smellslikerecords

Long Fin Killie

Long Fin Killie was a band unlike any other. Fronted by the enigmatic Luke Sutherland, who could silence a room full of people by his stage presence, they played a kind of music that was completely out of time. You could compare them to medieval folk music as well as jazz, classical music, rock and in the end drum'n'bass. Not that any of these comparisons would do the music justice. A typical Long Fin Killie song is fast paced, contains an unusual mixture of instruments such as violin, bazouki and saxophone. What it made special were the subtle ironic statements in the lyrics, the way Luke Sutherland describes his scenes. He's a writer and his band was for a long time the right group of people to complement that. They no longer exist, Luke is starting over now, in Bows.

recommended: buttergut ep (too pure), houdini (too pure), valentino (too pure), amelia (too pure), lipstick (too pure)

Shiva Affect

Like Pot Valiant, Shiva Affect is also a mystery. In the wake of bands like Slowdive and Bark Psychosis this little band must have thought that they could also make a quiet, atmospheric album. They did, they followed it up by a ten-inch and gone they were. The records of Shiva Affect are now impossible to find and if you find one, better be careful and play it only once because the horrible pressing will scratch so easily that it sounds like white noise after ten times playing. But even then, the music of this band is so perfect and beautiful, like an insect caught in amber.

recommended: yahweh (frog), road movie (frog)

Pot Valiant

Pot Valiant is a mystery, even to me. I've stumbled upon their first and only album transaudio just by accident and I'm o so glad that I did. The music this band makes is in the same league and ballpark as the music of Seam and June of '44, some would file it under "emo-core", but I can't stand that qualification. All I say is that this album is so intense and beautiful that it's a pity that they never had a chance. I don't know where they came from or where they've gone to. All I have is this album and one seven-inch single which I can't stop playing.

recommended: transaudio (Iteration), loud street 7" (Lookout)

Pram

Pram have been around for so long and trying so hard, but almost nobody who hears them or sees them understands the beauty of Pram. This band is able to create a sense of futurism, a feeling of history, space and time with just simple musical instruments, some toy casio keyboards, a trumpet and a theremin. Pram can recreate the feeling you get from the stories of Jules Verne. They sing about the deep sea, space travel, bugs, the northpole, shortwave radio, magic. Music should take you places, Pram's music does just that.

recommended: music for your movies (duophonic), iron lung ep (too pure), north pole radio station (wurlitzer jukebox), the stars are so big, the earth is so small, stay as you are (too pure) pram pictures

Lilys

Kurt Heasley and his ever changing troup of merry men and whenever they change, the sound of the band takes a u-turn. He's the master of applying the sound of another band and perfecting it. So the lilys started out as a very good My Bloody Valentine clone, changed briefly into Slowdive and at the moment ending up sounding like the Kinks. This band did get one break when the single Nanny in Manhatten was used as a soundtrack to sell some jeans. Sadly now they have fallen back in obscurity again.

recommended: in the presence of nothing (spinart), eccsame the photon band (spinart), better can't make your life better (ché), zero population growth (darla) interview