Dont know how underground it is, but
The Faint, Bright Eyes, Cursive.... pretty much every band on Saddle Creek is just awesome.
Feeling in a rap mood?
Check out - The Streets, and Jedi Mind Tricks.
Feeling in a artistic mood?
Check out- Sigur Ros, Godspeed you Black Emperor!
Now these are all underground in suburban Los Angeles, Im sure they are all pretty big in other areas
Ahem. Teardrop featured Elizabeth Fraser on vocals. Elizabeth Fraser of The Cocteau Twins, seminal dream pop innovators of the 80s. One of the groups Portishead ripped off wholesale (the other being Massive Attack, which could be why you think it's Beth Gibbons (hope no one notices that edit...) on Teardrop). It also features Risingson, Group Four, Angel and the greatest Massive Attack single ever (save possibly Karmacoma), Inertia Creeps. Inertia creeps, moving up slowly. <wicked sitar solo>dun dun dun da da</wicked sitar solo>.
Anyways, good recentish music you need to hear:
Basement Jaxx::Kish Kash
Not underground at all, but everyone can find something to like here. Cish Cash for all you punk/electro kiddies (Siouxsie sings on it and it's the most aggressive thing you'll hear all year). Good Luck for anyone disappointed that Speakerboxx/The Love Below wasn't combined into one hybrid album combining the best of Dre with the best of Big Boi. It's got crunk and woodblocks and a killer groove and everything else you love about wondertwins-activate-form-of-Outkast. Lucky Star's got all you fans of grime and eastern music covered, as well as those of you who'll listen to anything the NME likes. Plug It In for those of you wonder what Justin Timberlake would sound like if he wasn't trying so hard to be inoffensive. If I Ever Recover for fans of psych and spacey lap pop. Hot N Cold for, ummm, someone, surely. Right Here's The Spot for Prince worshippers. And finally, Living Room for anyone who only listens to music with guitars and drums and proper vocals and no @#%$ samples.
Quote:Ahem. Teardrop featured Elizabeth Fraser on vocals. Elizabeth Fraser of The Cocteau Twins, seminal dream pop innovators of the 80s. One of the groups Portishead ripped off wholesale (the other being Massive Attack, which could be why you think it's Beth Orton on Teardrop).
Portishead singer was Beth Gibbons, not Beth Orton.
I have to agree with Ten, I think the 'head were most excellent. I do agree on Mezzanine though, if you want to check Massive Attack that's the album to try first. Wasn't that impressed with their latest one tbh.
Queens of the Stone Age while being quite on the commercial side now after they hit it big time with their last album, have a bunch of side projects sprawling out, that are mostly underground. Such as:
Desert Sessions - really trippy music, especially the first two albums, out of five. Connection to QOTSA: Both Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri are on the Desert Sessions crew, as well as a bunch of rotating artists such as PJ Harvey, Mark Lanegan, the old Kyuss drummer and many others.
Mondo Generator - one of the heaviest bands I know, topping most of that death metal shiat. Connection to QOTSA: Nick's pet project
Eagles of Death Metal - Their name is the most misleading name in the history of rock. Kickass and fun, they define themselves as "Dancing Rock", quite a unique genre =) Connection to QOTSA: Josh's pet project. He plays on drums on this one.
Mark Lanegan solo albums - if you liked his work with the Screaming Trees you'll like his own albums. Most of his stuff is acoustic, moving, and powerful. Connection to QOTSA: Mark did vocals for some of the songs on albums 2 and 3 for the Queens.
Kyuss - Very heavy, pretty straightforward and kickass, blistering rock. They released 4 albums, with albums 2 and 3 (Blues for the Red Son and Welcome to the Sky Valley) considered absolutely legendary. Highly recommended! Connection to QOTSA: Josh's old band before he formed the Queens with Nick. Josh is on the guitar on all 4 albums, with Nick on bass on the 2nd album only (don't ask).
Currently known as Bagheera in Savage and Day of Defeat
I'll second all the suggestions by Skef5 and Lamil -- especially the Saddle Creek bands, Azure Ray is awesome too.
3 more: The Unicorns, Starlight Mints (both are very pop- oriented, but fun and idiosyncratic) and Don Caballero (instrumental metal that's actually *good* ... no, honestly).
Also, you can never lose by (re)discovering the early albums by Pavement and The Pixies (both from around 89-91). If you've never bought an album by either of those bands, definitely check them out.
edit: Oh, I always add this to my replies to threads on this topic -- start reading www.pitchforkmedia.com.
Not only are its music reviews/interviews/articles extremely entertaining, but it attends to mainly 'underground' (or 'indie') music. I've been reading it since I was in high school, and it's definitely changed the way I listen to music.
esty Edited by: estragon pare at: 3/21/04 10:58 am
The Unicorns are fantastic. I've been known to sing the 'I'm still a big big star' part of Child Star all day long at work, and I believe I Was Born is the best pure pop song of the century.
A similar group are Single Frame, who are a little more pretentious and serious, but write the same style of ridiculous pop songs.
It's actually a QOTSA song, but it's not on any one of their 3 albums. It's featured on an album called "Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age" which was released in 1997, before the Queens' first official album... It has 6 songs:
1 Into The Void - Kyuss
2 Fatso Forgotso - Kyuss
3 Fatso Forgotso Phase II - Kyuss
4 If Only Everything - Queens of the Stone Age
5 Born to Hula - Queens of the Stone Age
6 Spiders and Vinegaroons - Queens of the Stone Age
By the way the best - by far - fansite of Josh/Nick and the Queens is Born to Hula. It explains all about the band, all their rotating artists and guest stars, all their side projects, how everything connects, etc.
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