"Awesome Bands That Fell Off The Radar" or "The Great Musical Conspiracy"

[Seil]

Over the years, there've been quite a few awesome bands, that have churned out some awesome songs. Bands that people've seen live, bands that've released a few well-selling albums, good bands, great bands.

What happened to them? I don't expect everyone to go the Rolling Stones or The Who route and still bang out a couple of tunes 40 years after the drummer died of a heroin overdose and the bassist had a kid, but geez louise, some of these bands just disapeared. It's like in real life during the cold war, or one of those art house noir films that Barrel likes. No on listens to them anymore, record shops have stopped carrying their CD's...

So my question is where the crap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHxtOLfvIo&feature=related) is Hoobastank (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxwsu8JfvVU)?

[Flarecobra]

They're working on their 5th album.

[Seil]

The benefits of living in a small town on a small island in Canada is that we have small record stores. With lazy clerks.

...Still doesn't answer why I can't find anyone around town that listens to them... Though the average age in Qualicum is 50+.

[DarkDrgon]

WARNING!!! DRGON IS A MUSIC ELITIST!

Hoobastank sucks bro.

Bands that are awesome no one has heard of:

Thrice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2oS3LqqHb)
Battles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w)
Brand New (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zywmIuhllXE)
E-Town Concrete (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNlP3zAVF2c)
Defeater (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6E9mJmVRI)

Bands that have been going strong since the 90's/Early 00's, that people should listen to:
New Found Glory (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNFyt1mhrAc)
311 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWo-02Hsab4)
Foo Fighters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S7QpNIF2og)

[Seil]

You may be an elitist, (bro?) but you're missin' the point of the thread entirely. This is not to shout out bands that you know (If it was, Maya (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC8ygcovPmY) Isacowitz (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MayaIsacowitz) would be the first name in this thread.) It's for bands that have been eaten by Nessie, abducted by aliens, appeared on The X-Files, or, apparently, are alive and well in a recording studio somewhere.

Carry on.

[DarkDrgon]

Those are bands that were one hit wonders ten years ago that still make music (except for E-town, no one outside Jersey knows them.)

Also, did you know that the Foo Fighters dropped an album last month? I didn't until just now. Also NFG have put out some kind of release every 2 years since 2001, but it never gets noticed.

[synkr0nized]

"Music elitist" and those are bands you claim are good?




See how unnecessarily confrontational this thread now is? It's great (hint: it's not!)

[DarkDrgon]

I see what you did there!!

another interesting fact: marky ramone plays Ramones cover shows with a ton of punk bands. its as close as you can get to seeing them now, and if you get a chance to catch him with the misfits, do it.

[Magus]

Pretty sure Foo Fighters "DOA" has been played on the radio ten times a day for the past several years. They haven't exactly disappeared.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I either listen to music that's so prominent on the radar it makes for I big fat bleepdot thing, or stuff that flies so low under the radar to begin with. A second ago I was about to ask whatever the hell happened to Explosions In The Sky, then checked their 'pedia page and saw they released an album just a month ago.

Oh yeah, what happened to Emigrate, side project of, I think, Richard Kruspe? Didn't sound straight up awesome, I think, But pretty promising.

Don't tell me that guy is too busy making music with this other kinda popular band he's in, that doesn't count as a reason!!!!!

[Magus]

I think it is difficult to identify a band that was both insanely popular at one point in time and who I also cannot determine why they disappeared off the radar. Like if a person was a huge fan of Whitesnake, it would not be particularly hard to figure out why Whitesnake fell off the radar despite being super popular at one time.

As such many of us are basically stuck throwing out bands that were probably not insanely popular (not that they weren't not good, just not insanely popular, which is usually two different things--take Whitesnake, for example).

[Mondt]

Thrice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2oS3LqqHb)
Brand New (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zywmIuhllXE)
Woah, I love those bands. We should be friends! (I think we've had this discussion)E-Town Concrete (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNlP3zAVF2c)
Defeater (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6E9mJmVRI)
Battles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w)Obviously I should listen to these if they share a list with Thrice and BN.

Also, I would say that Thrice and BN did get eaten by Nessie. BN's high point was probably Sic Transit Gloria or Jesus Christ. Thrice's was that one album that started with a V despite the Alchemy Index being their absolute best thing ever.

Though I feel like this topic is bound to suffer from things like cult favorites because they often get mildly popular and then people get over them (Hurt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NThCh-_mgag), Vol.1 was an amazing album) which is less like getting eaten by Nessie and more like you should just youtube them because they've been making music for years and everyone who bothered is still eating it up. XD

EDIT: Seil, if you're down with Hoobastank, and this might seem like a silly question, how much do you listen to Incubus? I've found when I hear Hoobastank, I hear a more boring version of Incubus. Not that I'm never in the mood for some brainless catchy pop rock but occasionally there comes along a very... brainful catchy pop rock band like Incubus or Dead Letter Circus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTjF4aMFQtU).

To contribute something though, does anyone know what happened to Silvertide? I feel like they came out trying to be all modern drugssexnrocknroll and fell off the map really quick, to be replaced with Hinder who is now incredibly popular. Weird.

DOUBLE EDIT: From listening to those three linked bands, Drgon, I feel like Defeater would be better as an instrumental band a la Explosions in the Sky. It's a bit heavier, but it could still pass as ambient with drama. E-Town isn't really my thing, but i dug the acoustic idea. :P Battles sounds like it's cool though.

[Overcast]

Difficult for any band to really fall off the radar these days. Not when you have the power of the internet. Like Silvertide broke up, individual members attempted other groups including the Dave Pittinger Band(which also broke up) and SINAI.

But I do have plenty of groups that stopped existing when I was expecting another album that never did make it to prominence. Like Jurassic 5, a rap group with some of the most mystical flows out of the West Coast in a long time. Their lyrical content was at times a bit lacking, but they were always more a of a feel good group member than a deep thought one. Eventually though one group left and the rest slowly dissipated into their own work. They still make some good stuff on their own, but it'll never be quite like the five rappers that flow as one.

[Aerozord]

well obscurity is abit relative. For example if I mention one of my favorite bands to average person I get blank stares, but in internet circles, well when you do a music video with homestarrunner (http://www.homestarrunner.com/expfilm.html) hard to call you obscure

[Drownball-Champ]

well obscurity is abit relative. For example if I mention one of my favorite bands to average person I get blank stares, but in internet circles, well when you do a music video with homestarrunner (http://www.homestarrunner.com/expfilm.html) hard to call you obscure

Who is this? I like them.

[Archbio]

Who is this? I like them.

It's They Might Be Giants. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAMRTGv82Zo&feature=related)

[Seil]

Psht, Photosynthesis is the way to go. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgYPeeABoUs)

Also, Mondt, Incubus is pretty rad.

[Lumenskir]

I like how the 'conspiracy' in the thread title appears to be "I forgot to check out the band's Wikipedia page until just now."

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Whatever happend to Mozart. He did some bitching stuff but he hasn't put anything out in aggggggggesssssss

[BloodyMage]

Shinedown hasn't had an album out in about three years, and no word on a new album with new material unfortunately.

[DarkDrgon]

DOUBLE EDIT: From listening to those three linked bands, Drgon, I feel like Defeater would be better as an instrumental band a la Explosions in the Sky. It's a bit heavier, but it could still pass as ambient with drama. E-Town isn't really my thing, but i dug the acoustic idea. :P Battles sounds like it's cool though.

Defeater... well, I personally listen to them for their story. every album follows the life of one character. if you don't like the yelling style vocals, check out his accoustic stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE1l7RGa5uc

E-town are hit or miss. if you live in Jersey and are in the hardcore scene, you love them. if you don't.... you don't care.

[Seil]

Whatever happend to Mozart. He did some bitching stuff but he hasn't put anything out in aggggggggesssssss

Check with Salieri.

[Magus]

They Might Be Giants never went off the radar, they were on Conan last year if I remember correctly...it is more that they were never insanely popular, like say, Weird Al Yankovic.

[Lumenskir]

They Might Be Giants never went off the radar, they were on Conan last year if I remember correctly...it is more that they were never insanely popular, like say, Weird Al Yankovic.
Yay, the "You thinks that's obscure?" dick measuring contest is back!

[Aerozord]

that was my point though, obscurity is kind of relative. Yea they were on Conan, and from what I hear no one had any clue who they were and dont now. In the mainstream they are off the radar, but in other circles they are well known.

[Magus]

that was my point though, obscurity is kind of relative. Yea they were on Conan, and from what I hear no one had any clue who they were and dont now. In the mainstream they are off the radar, but in other circles they are well known.

Yeah, that's true. I remember the audience wasn't even sure whether to clap when they got done singing. Luckily Conan saved them and was like "The legendary They Might Be Giants, everybody!"

[Overcast]

Which is awful because they are a really great group. I am almost constantly amused and astounded by whatever they release. It is always a little bit different and very fun.

Also Lumen, here's a challenge for you. Whatever happened to that 80's rap group, The Skinny Boys. They were a fun habit my dad had both their albums of that had that analog that went with the times along with The Fat Boys, the Beastie Boys, Run DMC. It was a good time for rap, but I have no fucking clue what happened to them.

[Krylo]

The Skinny Boys actually are The Fat Boys. Time catches up with us all.

[Mondt]

that was my point though, obscurity is kind of relative. Yea they were on Conan, and from what I hear no one had any clue who they were and dont now. In the mainstream they are off the radar, but in other circles they are well known.The Cast Pattern is a pretty popular local band here, but I'd throw down money 99% of everyone hasn't heard of them.

I think it counts.

I'm pretty sure saying "in certain circles" implies cult popularity or, in other words, general obscurity.

[Japan]

Behind the music scene are a coterie of maligned mathematicians churning out numbers and figures that represent the probability of success for a particular album or band at any given point in the space-time continuum. If bands don't meet certain exacting mathematical standards then they don't benefit from the efforts of the world-beast that is the musical advertising industry.

Or rather, if it doesn't sell to teenagers it probably won't get too much air time.

[Seil]

Behind the music scene are a coterie of maligned mathematicians churning out numbers and figures that represent the probability of success for a particular album or band at any given point in the space-time continuum. If bands don't meet certain exacting mathematical standards then they don't benefit from the efforts of the world-beast that is the musical advertising industry.

Math Metal?

[Aerozord]

THE METAL OF MATH (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xVVCYH63qQ)

[DarkDrgon]

mathcore? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Twokr090WM)