Underrated Music - a simple website dedicated to great songs and the writers of great songs

UNDERRATEDMUSIC.NET
a simple website about bands & artists who write great songs consistently

about this page: I would love to eventually make this a fully detailed website about bands that NEED to be heard and talked about..... but for now, since I don't have much time, I'm going to put a small blurb about bands I feel are extremely deserving of their success because of their stellar (and consistent) songwriting.... please feel free to email me at THEMELODIES AT GMAIL DOT COM with any positive feedback! Links to each band coming soon (or just search google!)

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The Arrogants
My god, what a VOICE!!!!!!!!!! Awesome, tongue-in-cheek humor.... all of their music is available for free from their website, arrogants.com - My personal favorite songs "Nobody's Cool", and "Why T.A.N.G. Is My Favorite Band"

Azure Ray
Pleasant, soft melancholy...... gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.... with a tinge of creepy.... stellar vocal harmonies, absolutely heartbreaking and relatable lyrics... simple and extremely effective songs that pierce right through your fuckin' heart. My fave album: Azure Ray (2000).

Fountains Of Wayne
Few albums are as great as Welcome Interstate Managers. And no, it's not because of Stacy's Mom. It's about all the other album cuts - Hackensack, Hey Julie, Fire Island, Valley Winter Song, etc.

Ivy
1997's Apartment Life changed my life. Did it do the same to yours? How about 2001's Long Distance? Pure, elegant pop at its finest (and connected to Fountains Of Wayne via their bassist, who is also Ivy's bassist)

Jets To Brazil
Three albums that blew the fucking indie/hipster world away. Jawbreaker fans were pissed that our man Blake Schwarzenbach abandoned the punk sound in favor of mellowing out and writing perfect, new wave-inspired rock songs.... and blissful, melancholy piano ballads. My favorite band of all-time.... and here's proof: www.jets-to-brazil.com. My fave album: Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1998).

Minipop
My god....... this band.......... I can't even find the words. The best female voice EVER..... simple, dreamy and fuzzy pop songs.... depressing lyrics.... amazingness. I think their founding member and guitarist quit, though, unfortunately.... you're lucky if you live in San Francisco as you can see these guys whenever you want.

The Mysteries Of Life
Ex-members of Blake Babies and Antenna..... first album was kinda blah but as a reviewer on amazon.com once said (reviewing their 2nd album).... "holy SHIT! What HAPPENED??! This guy did a complete 180 and wrote some of the best pop songs ever!" (I'm paraphrasing)..... but yes, their second album (1998's Come Clean) is one amazingly crafted indie pop/folk record. Highly, highly recommended.

Critic review from Amazon: On their second album, the Mysteries of Life accomplish a remarkable feat: every song sounds instantly familiar and immediately hummable. It's almost as if Jake Smith were channeling some ancient pop tunes from the collective unconscious, and what makes the whole thing doubly special is that, even after repeated listens, the songs still sound fresh. Though individual songs are a little less memorable than on the band's debut, Keep a Secret, there are still plenty of winners here: the earnest pleading of "Kiss Me Goodnight," the sweetly rendered heartache of "Wish You Well," the revenge-minded "Your Face Betrays You," even the haunting, Howard Jones-ish ballad "That's How Strong My Love Is." It's not just the melodies that make the Mysteries of Life one of the best pure pop bands around--it's their ability to convey a full spectrum of emotion while keeping your head nodding. --Randy Silver

The Rocket Summer
Bryce Avary has got to be one of the catchiest songwriters ever. And he plays EVERYTHING himself (on all his studio albums)! Stellar pop songs... sure, he's got a nasaly voice, but so what. If you can see past that, and listen to the pop bliss beneath, you would worship the guy as much as I do. Essential listening: 2007's "Do You Feel." Well-produced and extremely well-written amazingness.

The Smiths
People who get them..... GET them. Many hate Morrissey's voice but I think he's one of the best British singers of all-time. His voice also perfectly fits their music. What a band!! Johnny Marr's guitar work is so layered, intricate, arpeggiated, interesting... it's impossible to not get lost in the swirly goodness that is his guitar playing. Andy Rourke - one of the most underappreciated bassists EVER. And Mike Joyce's drumming... simple but yet complex in places... great pocket groove that locks their music down tightly. Johnny Marr is hands-down my #1 guitar influence. My fave album: The Smiths (1984).

The Sundays
Three albums of pop perfection... SOARING vocal melodies and a voice (and face) that can melt the douchiest of douchebag men..... haven't made any new music since 1997, but.... Harriet Wheeler (singer) is well-aware of Sundays fans... and she even put up four b-sides on the official Sundays myspace page a while back, to hold us over in case any new music would come about in the future.... we're all waiting with baited breath.... The Sundays saved my fucking life. My fave album: Reading Writing and Arithmetic (1990).

Third Eye Blind
I know. Everyone hates them because they had an annoying single "Jumper" and everyone hated the "Do do do" song in 1997 because it was all over the radio. So what?! Have you really LISTENED to their albums in their entirety? Let me give you a quick lesson in perfect songwriting: The Background, Motorcycle Drive-By, Graduate, How's It Going To Be, Narcolepsy, Blinded, Forget Myself, Never Let You Go... etc. Such CREATIVE guitar work (especially on the first album).... stellar lyrics and KILLER, upbeat and unique vocals and vocal melodies.... tight instrumentation, you name it. These guys do not deserve to be lumped into the Matchbox 20 / 90s alternative band pile of poo. They rise far, far above..... ignore what you've heard..... listen to the albums from start to finish, and then agree with me that this band is truly one of the most underrated bands of all time. No question.

band blurbs coming soon:
L'Altra
Gregory and the Hawk
Angus & Julia Stone
Bird & The Bee / Inara George
Colbie Caillat (yes, really.)
Keane (only their first two albums)
Eisley
Bat For Lashes
Velocity Girl / Sarah Shannon
Death Cab For Cutie
The Notwist
Acceptance
Jimmy Eat World
Ashton Allen
Matt Costa
Band of Horses
Belle & Sebastian
Ben Folds
Ben Lee
Ben Kweller
Mary Lou Lord
Copeland
dada
Emiliana Torrini
Hum
Ida
Husky Rescue
Jem
Kaki King
Kings of Convenience
Low
Lovebugs
Mae
Magnetic Fields
Metric
My Morning Jacket
Nada Surf
The National
Pinback
Shiny Toy Guns
Stellastarr
Sondre Lerche
The Stills (especially the 1st record)
Stretch Princess
Sunny Day Real Estate
Superdrag
Teen Idols
Tegan & Sara
Tex La Homa
Imogen Heap / Frou Frou
Wheat
Wheatus
Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer
Phantom Planet (1st album especially)
The Cardigans
Crowded House
Erasure (especially the I Say I Say I Say album)
Jason Mraz (people that get it, get it)
John Mayer (yes, really..... the guy writes some great songs. And he plays guitar better than you.)
Mazzy Star
Red House Painters / Mark Kozelek
Snow Patrol
Rogue Wave
Neil Halstead
Eels

and much more!!!!!!!!!!!