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Underappreciated artists and albums
I'm listening to Jason Eady's new album, "When The Money's All Gone." It's every bit as excellent as his previous CD, "Wild-Eyed Serenade," and, like that album, his new one is likely to receive far, far less attention than it deserves.
Which got me thinking about underappreciated artists and CDs. To get things started, here's a list of some of the artists I think are top-notch but who don't get nearly the attention they deserve. (Note that Sam Baker would ordinarily be at the top of my list, but he's starting to get more attention, including in another thread here.)
What artists and albums do you think are criminally neglected? Here are some of my choices:
Jason Eady. If there was any justice, he'd be in heavy rotation on the "country" stations. But he's too country and way too smart to get that sort of attention.
Bap Kennedy. I'm still not sold on his newest, "Howl On," but his Irish/Van Morrison-inflected brand of alt-country is as good as any alt-country ever produced in the U.S.
Lance Mills. His first release last year, Wore Out Shoes, was pitch perfect.
Paul Burch -- His newest, "Still Your Man" is, like his previous work, awesomely solid. What will it take for this guy to get the attention he deserves.
Which got me thinking about underappreciated artists and CDs. To get things started, here's a list of some of the artists I think are top-notch but who don't get nearly the attention they deserve. (Note that Sam Baker would ordinarily be at the top of my list, but he's starting to get more attention, including in another thread here.)
What artists and albums do you think are criminally neglected? Here are some of my choices:
Jason Eady. If there was any justice, he'd be in heavy rotation on the "country" stations. But he's too country and way too smart to get that sort of attention.
Bap Kennedy. I'm still not sold on his newest, "Howl On," but his Irish/Van Morrison-inflected brand of alt-country is as good as any alt-country ever produced in the U.S.
Lance Mills. His first release last year, Wore Out Shoes, was pitch perfect.
Paul Burch -- His newest, "Still Your Man" is, like his previous work, awesomely solid. What will it take for this guy to get the attention he deserves.
Tags: Bap, Burch, Eady, Jason, Kennedy, Lance, Mills, Paul, alt-country, underappreciated
Views: 39
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chaz Brackx on -
I think The Buzzcocks are as good as The Beatles.
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Permalink Reply by Roscoe on -
I Agree with You on Paul Burch I own Every Album and actually still your man is the best to Me
And Otis Gibbs is somebody who deserves way more attention then what He gets
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Permalink Reply by Jack on -
David, I've seen Paul Burch a few times and just do not get him. What is it that strikes you?
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Permalink Reply by David Haskin on -
All a matter of taste, of course. And I haven't seen him in person, which we all know can change how we feel about an artist (sometimes for better, sometimes for worse).
But ... I thought East to West was a pitch-perfect roots/rock-and-roll album that was very reminiscent of (but not derivative of) T-Bone Burnett's early solo albums from the 80's, which are still, in my opinion, roots landmarks. Still Your Man is very different. It's very music-revivalist, which normally I don't care for, but he put a lot of energy into it and the album is quite skillfully played, sung, produced and recorded and I like it quite a bit.
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Permalink Reply by Jack on
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Rick Shea: Sawbones - an older record later added to, remixed and reissued as Bound For Trouble. I have the original version, a gem of songwriting, singing and musicianship. When people lament the current state of country music, this is exactly what they wish they were hearing instead. www.rickshea.net
Detroit Cobras: Mink Rat Or Rabbit and Life, Love and Leaving - two great records. Not quite sure how to describe their sound; let's say revved up garage/r&b/punk. Just dynamite. www.detroitcobras.org
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Permalink Reply by John Apice on -
A few artists & songs that impressed me -- yet, they remain relatively unknown or under the radar:
Peter Himmelman - Only You Can Walk Away (Lots of Himmelman is excellent. Bob Dylan's son-in-law)
David McWilliams - Don't Need Your Blues (Frank Sinatra would have had a hit with this saloon song no doubt) --
McWilliams sole signature tune was "The Days of Pearly Spencer." Many great tracks.
Teddy Randazzo - Let the Sunshine In (not the song from Broadway show Hair -- but a great early 60's blues
track by the man who wrote "Goin Out of My Head" and tons of other songs)
Kit Hain - Waiting for the Gypsies & Parting Would Be Painless (many songs by Kit covered by Roger Daltry)
1994 w/ Karen Lawrence - Once Again, Bring It On Home & Don't Give It Up - fantastic powerful vocals -- later
became a fulltime blues singer with Blue By Nature.
Chubby Checker - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah -- Chubby Checker -- listen to Twenty Miles or more recently his ignored
country tracks -- Rowdy Country Boys Like Me, Take Me Back to Oklahoma or Honky Tonk
Girls -- he ain't Garth Brooks or Johnny Cash but he's better than 75% of what is out there.
Don Nix - Anything -- this is a musician's musician. Pros know who he is.
Cindy Bullens - sinfully under appreciated. Every song melodic, powerful & sincere.
Carrie Newcomer - anything -- this mid-western artist has sung with Mary Chapin Carpenter & is excellent. Top
shelf. Nicklecreek covered her & she has performed on Alison Krauss bills.
Robert Hazard - anything in recent years was Americana. He started out like country singer/songwriter Robert
Ellis Orrall with new wave music & his transition to Americana was remarkable.
Big Back 40 - Blood (from the Bested album) - The entire album has great tracks.
Mark Germino - Fields of Man's New Order - The album Rank & File is a masterpiece.
Shona Laing - Walk Away (42nd Street) - great New Zealand singer -- New On Earth is the lp.
Heather Nova - Majority of her lps excellent. London Rain, Heart & Shoulder and Like Lovers Do -- beautiful
stuff.
Eleanor McEvoy - All of her lps are excellent. "Only A Woman's Heart" (this is the original that Parton, Harris &
Ronstadt covered)
The Paladinos - Only one album but the tracks Rockin The Black Road & I Won't Be Going South - incredible
Low & Sweet Orchestra - Only one album all tracks excellent -- Sometimes the Truth Is All You Get & Miss Her
Anyway -- some clever playing.
Allison Moorer - Cold in California -- sounds like what the Beatles' producer George Martin would do if he
produced country music.
I've taken up too much space. Sorry. Just believe me -- if you do hunt some of these artists or songs down the majority won't disappoint you. Many can be found in the 99 cent bin now.
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Permalink Reply by hyperbolium.com on -
Cindy Bullens' Neverland is extraordinary.
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Permalink Reply by John Apice on
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Hyperbolium -- I find all of Cindy's albums from "Somewhere Between Heaven & Earth" to her latest album excellent. But you are right, "Neverland" is one extraordinary album. I think she may have written the majority of those songs when writing "Somewhere Between Heaven & Earth." I always make the mistake of thinking "The Right Kind of Goodbye" is from SBHE and it's actually on "Neverland." I placed both cds into a double cd container -- they just belong together like a double album.
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Permalink Reply by chris sweeney on
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John, I like your list. I'm going to check out some of these I don't know.
Cindy Bullens' "Jellico Highway" has been stuck in my head since I first heard it a couple of years ago.
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Permalink Reply by John Apice on
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Glad to hear you liked the list Chris. Cindy Bullens is an incredible performer & songwriter. I discovered her by taking a chance & picking up her "Somewhere Between Heaven & Earth." Songs were primarily written after the death of her 11 year old daughter Jessie. A beautifully intense album. The LP credits are a who's who in Americana. All follow up albums were equally compelling. Nothing but jewels. I met her briefly when she sang in Ringwood, NJ with her cohorts Deborah Holland & Wendy Waldman. Some tracks mentioned in my list can be previewed on YouTube. Most of these songs are never too far from my ears. Hope you find something you can appreciate from that batch.
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