What bands 'should' have been bigger?

[The Hypno-Toad]

The Delays.

[Johnnytheboy]

A couple of 90s gems. My old firm used to work in the offices of a couple of the big record companies and we'd basically nick demos out of the bin, so I have quite a few 'might have been' CDs at home. The first came by that route.

1. The Montrose Avenue. Super harmonious late 90s guitar pop. Did a couple of really good EPs from which these tracks are drawn... the following album was - frankly - a let-down by comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJrTSEcmn60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3s-f_zHMcQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn3K0G_O3kA


2. Pooka - mid 90s folk pop. Two acoustic guitar playing female singers whose very different voices harmony perfectly.

Made one utterly ethereal album in 94 from which this utter gem is drawn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fA2kylVHQE

Next album was a slightly poppy effort, from which:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcF6-LE94W0

...then they vanished for years, produced an excellent self-published CD, then a bizarre electronic album and died. Both singers produced solo work afterwards, but they were less than the sum of their parts. God I loved them!



You do wonder if the people in these bands even know someone somewhere is still listening to their stuff.

[AdeTuono]

The Hypno-Toad said:

The Delays.

Greg Gilbert died today. Or is that why you used the 'cry' emoji?

Only 44...

[Super Sonic]

Liaisons Dangereuse, German electronic new wave band, recorded an albums worth of material. Los Minos Del Parque is a club classic.

[Supercilious Sid]

AdeTuono said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

The Delays.

Greg Gilbert died today. Or is that why you used the 'cry' emoji?

Only 44...

I would imagine that's why HT used it.

[The Hypno-Toad]

Supercilious Sid said:

AdeTuono said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

The Delays.

Greg Gilbert died today. Or is that why you used the 'cry' emoji?

Only 44...

I would imagine that's why HT used it.

Yep.

One of my favourite ever bands. I was listening to them in the way into work this morning and there seemed to be a lot of grit in the car for some reason.

[maddog993]

The Hypno-Toad said:

Supercilious Sid said:

AdeTuono said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

The Delays.

Greg Gilbert died today. Or is that why you used the 'cry' emoji?

Only 44...

I would imagine that's why HT used it.

Yep.

One of my favourite ever bands. I was listening to them in the way into work this morning and there seemed to be a lot of grit in the car for some reason.

- The Delays, The Crimea & Gaslight Anthem all could have/should have been huge (I mentioned them in the RIP Greg Gilbert thread, before I noticed this one)

[anonymous-user]

maddog993 said:

- The Delays, The Crimea & Gaslight Anthem all could have/should have been huge (I mentioned them in the RIP Greg Gilbert thread, before I noticed this one)

Gaslight Anthem deserved to be huge, Fallon is a great songwriter and frontman.

[Sebastian Tombs]

The Hypno-Toad said:

The Delays.

They did a Tim’s Twitter Listening Party last year and I hadn’t listened to my copy of Faded Seaside Glamour very much, and not at all for years. I was surprised at just how damn good it was. Superb songs, musicianship and production.

[Sebastian Tombs]

Supercilious Sid said:

Of a broadly similar style but better My Life Story

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz1W9EWTdVY

I liked them, and have met Jake Shillingford a few times. Mostly at Rialto gigs, funnily enough. The last time was when they split up and Jake formed ExileInside. He told me that basically it was way too expensive recording and touring with so many musicians so MLS never made any money. ExileInside was all computers & synths so much cheaper!

He had grandiose ideas, a great songwriting ability and a keen ear for arrangement and production but I think the thing that let both bands down was his idiosyncratic yodelly vibrato-heavy singing style

[Supercilious Sid]

The DC 10s possibly as they didn't release much else but as a first single this is a corker
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CYanvmG78I

[Trophy Husband]

Stick Legs said:

Somebody mentioned Rialto. Yup, they deserved more.

Idlewild, a band that never seemed to break out of the ‘NME Darlings / Student’ trap.

Belle & Sebastien. Exquisite song writing & real musical cleverness. A 2000’s Smiths.

I'm a huge Belle and Sebastien fan.
The Stars of Track and Field mentions my home town and is a fab song!

[rover 623gsi]

Supercilious Sid said:

Colourbox later to become MARRS

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=colourbox&pr...

brilliant band

[Supercilious Sid]

Sebastian Tombs said:

I liked them, and have met Jake Shillingford a few times. Mostly at Rialto gigs, funnily enough. The last time was when they split up and Jake formed ExileInside. He told me that basically it was way too expensive recording and touring with so many musicians so MLS never made any money. ExileInside was all computers & synths so much cheaper!

He had grandiose ideas, a great songwriting ability and a keen ear for arrangement and production but I think the thing that let both bands down was his idiosyncratic yodelly vibrato-heavy singing style

If only there was a way to 'like' a post on here.

[zygalski]

Ultrasound were quite good.
Floodlit World & Stay Young are cracking tunes.
They were never going to get the popular vote with a 20 stone lead singer with a penchant for lip gloss & mascara.

[Kingdom35]

Anyone mentioned The Rifles yet? Id say 80-90% of their songs are bangers :-)

[TCX]

Savatage,did transform into Trans Siberian orchestra,but prefer the original
https://youtu.be/Ubmft9_LeE8

[PurpleTurtle]

Trophy Husband said:

Stick Legs said:

Somebody mentioned Rialto. Yup, they deserved more.

Idlewild, a band that never seemed to break out of the ‘NME Darlings / Student’ trap.

Belle & Sebastien. Exquisite song writing & real musical cleverness. A 2000’s Smiths.

I'm a huge Belle and Sebastien fan.
The Stars of Track and Field mentions my home town and is a fab song!

I get the feeling that B&S are happy with the level they are at - a dedicated fanbase, continually releasing and touring, yet Stuart Murdoch can still very likely go to Tescos on his own without anyone in there having a scooby who he is.

I last saw them headline End Of The Road, brilliant set. I've been hearing The Boy With The Arab Strap on the radio a lot lately, always reminds me of the great TV show 'Teachers'.

Prompted by this post I've just teed up 'What To Look For In Summer' on Apple Music, live album released last year but seems to have passed me by in the whole Covid chaos, enjoying it. I see they are back on tour in Jan/Feb, I might get a ticket for their Roundhouse show.

[PurpleTurtle]

pablo said:

maddog993 said:

- The Delays, The Crimea & Gaslight Anthem all could have/should have been huge (I mentioned them in the RIP Greg Gilbert thread, before I noticed this one)

Gaslight Anthem deserved to be huge, Fallon is a great songwriter and frontman.

I saw them loads touring the first two albums, and indeed saw their last pre-hiatus show at Reading Festival 2015.

I haven't really followed Brian's solo work, will give it a look.

[Ultuous]

PurpleTurtle said:

I get the feeling that B&S are happy with the level they are at - a dedicated fanbase, continually releasing and touring, yet Stuart Murdoch can still very likely go to Tescos on his own without anyone in there having a scooby who he is.

Indeed - the lyrics to 'Seymour Stein' probably say it say it all.

Getting Carey Mulligan to sing on one of your tracks and yet still be relatively anonymous is pretty much winning at life!