Favorite 90s rock artist to just miss the big time

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:00 pm

Boys:
 
 Remember the early 90s, when music talent scouts searched everywhere for the "next Pearl Jam or Nirvana?" Remember how alternative and rock radio played so many damn new bands all the time?
 
 Who was your favorite artist or band that got some airplay on alternative or rock radio but didn´t quite break through to the big time?
 
 Mine: Matthew Sweet.
 
 The dude could write some damn punchy or crunchy pop-rock songs while also writing some lovely ballads. His record "100% Fun" is a damn good pop-alt rock record. Ran the gamut from crunch rock like "Sick of Myself" to a beautiful ballad like "Smog Moon."
 
 How about you cats?
 
 Take care,
 PK

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:11 pm

I love Matthew Sweet´s music. I own "Girlfriend" (a classic), "Altered States", "100% Fun" and "Blue Sky on Mars."

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:18 pm

I have a really obscure ´band´ that I dug back in the 90´s.
 
 The ´band´ - Primitive Radio Gods.
 
 It was one guy who played all the instruments and had a few catchy tunes. He never panned out after his first album (or at least I never heard of a 2nd) so most people probably haven´t heard of him.
 
 I saw him live at the Bash on Ash in Tempe, AZ after I heard a few songs on the radio and it was a damn good show. I was kinda disappointed that he never got more play.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:33 pm

Good call on Matthew Sweet, PK. A solid pop songwriter who deserved wider fame. "Evangeline" from the Girlfriend album is one of my favorite songs of the 90s.
 
 My vote would be Guided by Voices/Robert Pollard. I personally think he is the best rock songwriter of the last 10 years. He´s a former Ohio schoolteacher who kept writing and recording and finally, at age 37, decided to pursue music full-time. Even though GbV´s major label albums were flawed, they had some awesome songs on them that should have been huge hits.

fatheadX · Post by **fatheadX** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:43 pm

My favorite to just miss the big time is Buffalo Tom. They just blow me away. "Sleepy Eyed" is one of my favorite albums of all time and I still listen to it every week.

fatheadX · Post by **fatheadX** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:51 pm

Whoops, my first double post. Excuse me. [ This message was edited by: fatheadX on 07-01-2004 13:54 ]

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:06 pm

Hmm...good question.
 
 Let´s go for these :
 
 1. The Fatima Mansions - Cathal Coughlan´s smooth voice, made somewhat jarring by the extreme bile and sarcasm of his lyrics
 
 2. Vic Chesnutt - early works got some airplay on the back of some support from Michael Stipe (which VC was somewhat equivocal about, as stated in his song ´Guilty by Association´), still makes great stuff.
 
 3. Grandaddy - Sophtware Slump got plenty of press coverage (and was great) - Sumday was great and got none.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:10 pm

If you guys like Matthew Sweet, check out the new band he´s in called The Thorns. It´s Sweet, and Shawn Mullins and another guy and the self titled album is awesome. It´s very reminiscent of the 70´s sound of the Eagles or even further back to the Byrds. Uncomplicated, tight harmonies, and great songwriting made this one of my favorite cds of 2003.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:28 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-07 13:46, sf_z wrote:
 The Pharcyde: Another gangsta rap victim
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 Good pick on that one, z. Everybody I have listen to Pharcyde ends up really liking them and wondering why they haven´t heard them before. I´ve heard their music isn´t as close to what it was before though, as Fat Lip (I think) left the group to go solo.
 
 They were pretty much straight up fun and easily accessible for a lot of different types of people.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:35 pm

Air, if you like Pharcyde, you definitely gotta check out the guys from Company Flow as well as a guy named Del the Funkee Homosapien.
 
 Del is my favorite rapper of all time, so if you haven´t heard of him, or heard him...check him out.
 
 Although if you´ve heard of Pharcyde then you probably have heard of Del.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:20 pm

Del Amitri.
 
 -Matt

lessthanme · Post by **lessthanme** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:35 pm

No Knife was a great one that toured with Sunny Day Real Estate, Jimmy Eat World (before they hit it huge), Get Up Kids, and Braid, but they never really broke through at all. All four of their albums are excellent. They had releases in 95, 97, 99 and 02 and they have a great sound! They just never really found much of an audience outside of San Diego.

Neckthai · Post by **Neckthai** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:42 pm

The Thorns disc is very good. To loosely quote baseball superstar Fred McGriff, "I was so impressed with the Thorns, I actually bought the CD"
 
 I agree with all the sentiments about Matthew Sweet and I really liked Buffalo Tom´s album, but the one band that had a great sound and great first album and then faded into obscurity with their second was the Toadies.
 
 They were from Fort Worth, so I heard them a lot in school. Thought they had enough beyond Possum Kingdom, which was their big "hit" but they didn´t seem to break the sophomore jinx commercially.
 
 Haven´t heard from them since.

Post by **Jared** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:48 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-07 14:35, dbdynsty25 wrote:
 Air, if you like Pharcyde, you definitely gotta check out the guys from Company Flow as well as a guy named Del the Funkee Homosapien.
 
 Del is my favorite rapper of all time, so if you haven´t heard of him, or heard him...check him out.
 
 Although if you´ve heard of Pharcyde then you probably have heard of Del.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 Yeah. The Deltron 3030 album is one of the top 20 rap albums of all time, IMHO.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:53 pm

What´s funny is that the Deltron 3030 album is my LEAST favorite of his albums.
 
 Personally, Both Sides of the Brain is my fav.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:57 pm

As far as Bay-area hip hop goes, I was always partial to Third Eye Vision by the Hieroglyphics, including the aforementioned Mr. Homo Sapien <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 9:19 pm

Great thread !!!
 
 1. Paw - Dragline was a GREAT CD !!!
 
 2. Archers of Loaf

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 9:43 pm

Guess it all depends on what you define as "big time," but a few underappreciated band. Actually all are still going strong so they could conceivably still maked it "big:"
 
 1. Cinerama - David Gedge is a effin´ songwriting god. He´s cranking out better stuff now than he did even with Wedding Present.
 
 2. Lucksmiths - quirky little Aussie band with some great pop tunes and solid writing.
 
 3. Spiritualized® - pretty close to the "big time," but really warrant a larger audience. Not to mention Spacemen 3, which were amazing in their time.

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:34 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2004-01-07 13:00, pk500 wrote:
 Boys:
 
 Remember the early 90s, when music talent scouts searched everywhere for the "next Pearl Jam or Nirvana?" Remember how alternative and rock radio played so many damn new bands all the time?
 
 Who was your favorite artist or band that got some airplay on alternative or rock radio but didn´t quite break through to the big time?
 
 Mine: Matthew Sweet.
 
 The dude could write some damn punchy or crunchy pop-rock songs while also writing some lovely ballads. His record "100% Fun" is a damn good pop-alt rock record. Ran the gamut from crunch rock like "Sick of Myself" to a beautiful ballad like "Smog Moon."
 
 How about you cats?
 
 Take care,
 PK
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 100 % agreed i have and loved this CD as well and pretty much worn it the F out ...roadtrip!!
 
 as i did with Girlfriend 3 or 4 years earlier
 
 but i mostly listen too Matthew Sweet Time Capsule 90-00 now
 
 i would nominate the Gin Blossoms as well not nearly as talented by any means and probably more popular at the time....but i will always dig Hey Jealousy and I found out about you [ This message was edited by: Cincinnati_Kid on 07-01-2004 18:36 ]

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:39 pm

Spooky:
 
 Ahh ... another Paw fan! What a great band. "Dragline" was fantastic, and "Death to Traitors" wasn´t bad, either.
 
 I saw Paw live with about 50 other people in a club in Syracuse in 1994. Fantastic show. Talked briefly with the guys in the band after the show, as they came out into the bar for a few beers. Cool dudes.
 
 Take care,
 PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:44 pm

Cinci:
 
 The Ginnies were a good band, but they definitely "made it." The record with "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You" -- was it called "Life´s Miserable Experience?" -- received massive airplay on alternative and rock radio in fall 1993 and spring 1994.
 
 I lived in Southern California at the time, and I can remember hearing songs from that record almost at will across the radio dial.
 
 Good stuff, though ...
 
 One of the bands from the Ginnies´ "jingle-jangle Southwestern" mold that didn´t quite make it was The Refreshments. "Banditos" was a summer radio anthem of either 1994 or 1995 -- can´t remember -- but then the band disappeared. I had the first disc, and it was solid. "Don´t Wanna Know" was a pretty ballad.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 07-01-2004 18:44 ]

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:49 pm

cool i will look that tune up......
 
 thanks...thats is in a nutshell why this community rocks
 
 we all share a ton of interest yet we open each others eyes too new experiences and / or other things we may not have known exsisted yet ...and may dig
 
 beyond what the populas promotes to us

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:53 pm

I say the Afghan Whigs. I´ve mentioned them before in various music threads but they are so damn good I can´t help but mention them.
 
 There is just something about alternative crossed with motown that is cool as hell. Greg Dulli is a god.