Most Underrated Music Artist (1 Viewer)

[Kristian]

Seconded, she's one of my favorite artists. I have to thank the show Gilmore Girls for introducing me to her work. Can't wait til her next album.

Other underrated faves:

Eisley (Their debut was one of my favorite albums of last year. Fun music.)
Loreena McKennitt (Some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard.)
Kim Richey (Some may be familiar with her moving song "A Place Called Home" from a pivotal episode of Angel.)
Shakira (Yes, I know she's a big name, but it's mostly for her looks. In reality, she's a very talented singer/songwriter. "Donde Estan Los Ladrones" is a great album.)
Sixpence None the Richer (More than just a Christian one-hit-wonder band.)
Emiliana Torrini (Those who loved "Gollum's Song" should check out her cover of "If You Go Away". It never fails to move me.)

 

[buttmunker]

I think Crowded House is extremely underrated. Their hit song Don't Dream It's Over dwarfed their self-titled album, despite the album having some really kick-ass songs. Ya ever heard the track Mean To Me? You should. You really should.

 

[JohnRice]

I'll second a few recent choices...

Porcupine Tree
Loreena McKennitt - Have you heard Kate Price?

Stevie Ray Vaughan? Underrated? What is the definition of the word? No, definitely not underrated. Nobody (deservedly) worshiped like Stevie can be underrated.

I'll toss in...

Happy Rhodes
Fairground Attraction (Scottish buskers who hit it big in the late '80s, then promptly self-destructed)
Magenta (Welsh prog rock band). Metamorphosis is one of the best new albums I've heard in years.

 

[Rachael B]

Now these guys might be a bit off the radar Derek. Belle & Sebastian I have enjoyed but the other two I have never listened to or heard of for that matter. The others on your Blue list are pretty well known.

My favourite low on the radar artist is Marc Benno. He had a brief period of popularity in the 70's. He made 4 albums for A & M. He played with Leon Russell as the Asylum Chior in 1968. He was the guitar that made the Doors' L.A. Woman sound different than their earlier albums. He played with a very young Stevie Ray Vaughn in the mid-70's in Marc Benno & The Nightcrawlers. That album is out on CD but hard to find. He made an 80's album in Europe called Snake Charmer. It took me 4 years of looking to find a copy. He stille makes indie albums to this day. He sells on CD Baby and a few other locales.

My favourite album by him is '73's Ambush. 72's Minnows is quite good. His S/T'ed album from '69 is his weak link, IMO. He made his forth and last A & M album, Lost In Austin in '79. It's my seconcd favourite album by him. Eric Clapton played on it. Mmarc was one of the founders of the Austin scene but never gained widespread popularity or much wealth for his trouble.

I think Marc's sound in the 70's was too funky and bluesy to gain the appeal that most of the public wanted. Side 1 of Ambush could pass for an R & B album with slightly different lyrics on a couple of the songs. Side 2 is very bluesy and even has a duet with Bonnie Bramlett.

The list of musicans on Ambush is quite impressive:

Keyboards- Mike Utley
Bass- Carl Radle
Drums- Jim Keltner
Saxophone- Bobby Keys

Booker T. Jones plays on 2 cuts
Jesse Davis plays guitar on 2 tracks
Ray Brown plays bass on 1 song

Ambush is an album that can ambush ya, I think....

 

[Gary Seven]

Yeah.. I saw him twice... great shows... quite a bit of Hendrix influence there.