Since I made my Most Overrated Bands list, many have called for a Most Underrated treatment. Well, I say, let it be.

 

These bands/individual artists are the ones who deserved/deserve the fame, recognition, critical praise, and album sales that the ones on the other list didn't/don't.

 

Perhaps they want people to think they "stink;" maybe they said, "'don't tell a soul' about our music." Or maybe people are just stupid. Whatever the case, these bands could rock any hootananny harder than just about anybody else.

 

So here they are, the best musicians who still need their proper credit.

 

The shit is about to hit the fans.

 

 


25. Liars

This international group of lads may well jump out of the "underrated" category when their forthcoming (August 28th) LP, Liars, hits stores. Right now, though, they've been flying under the radar with their first three discs -- all of which are excellent. They just keep getting better and better and weirder and weirder.

 

 

 



24. Jay Bennett

 

Everybody gives Jeff Tweedy all the credit for Wilco's sound, but Bennett was the one who pushed for the experimental creations heard on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (as well as Being There and Summerteeth). His solo releases are good, but don't be surprised if you see this guy release a classic in the near future.

 

 

 

 



23. Karen Dalton

Dalton's name was inevitably raised when Joanna Newsom hit it big last year, but she stands alone as a great female folk singer and writer with a voice all her own. Her 1971 album, In My Own Time, is a masterpiece.

 


 


 

 

22. McCoy Tyner

 

Long in the shadow of other jazz pianists like Theolonious Monk and Bill Evans (and his onetime bandleader, John Coltrane), Tyner has never garnered the respect he has earned.

 

 

 



21. Gang Starr

Guru and DJ Premier killed it for 10 years. Some know, many more should.

 

 

 


 

20. Great Lake Swimmers

Tony Dekker has crafted three of the best albums of the decade, hinging on his ethereal voice and sparse melodies.

 


 


 

19. Mudhoney

Mudhoney's early career was overshadowed by other Seattle acts like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, but they were right up there with them.

 


 



 

18. Silver Apples

These guys (Simeon and Danny Taylor) basically started electronic music with their two albums in the late 1960s.

A taste:

 


 


 

17. Ween

Sure, a lot of people like to get really drugged out and go to their really long concerts, but their studio recordings have stood and will continue to stand the test of time. Gene and Dean's weirdness is most certainly an asset to their creativity.

 

 


 

16. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Will Oldham knows how to do it: Minimal backing tracks, great lyrics, and a wonderful voice. 1999's I See a Darkness will go down as a masterpiece.

 


 


 

15. MF Doom

Any dude who wears a mask at all times in alright in my book. Beyond that, Daniel Dumile's rhymes are about as complex as they get.

 


 


 

14. Tenacious D

Oh, I'm dead serious. Jack Black and Kyle Gass have a real band that's smart, funny, and totally rock 'n' roll.

 


 

 


13. Animal Collective

The boys from Baltimore have continuously stretched the boundaries of sound on their solo and collective efforts. The forthcoming Strawberry Jam may well garner the group the respect they deserve, but that remains to be seen. Check the album:

 


 


 

12. The Meat Puppets

Completely overshadowed by their partners in crime, Nirvana, the brothers Kirkwood constantly crank out ill tunes. Meat Puppets II and Too High to Die are classic...but don't overlook their most recent LP, Rise to Your Knees.

 


 


 

11. Dead Prez

Public Enemy for the 21st Century. 'Nuff said.

 


 

 

 

10. The Microphones/Mount Eerie

Phil Elvrum will pick up a guitar, start singing, and change your life. Okay, maybe it's not that drastic, but he's good, real good. Pick up Song Islands for a taste of his delicious treats.

 




 

9. Mission of Burma

One of the best punk bands ever, Boston's Mission of Burma is still absolutely killing it -- most notably with last year's The Obliterati.

 

 

 



8. The Flying Burrito Brothers/Gram Parsons

Without Gram Parsons, there would be no Ryan Adams, no Wilco. Well maybe there would be, but they would be shittier.

 


 


 

7. Gary Numan

Numan brought electronic music and pop music together, successfully, with his masterpiece, The Pleasure Principle.

 

Pretty sure that Daft Punk stole the pyramid idea from this (or maybe it was the Egyptians):

 


 

 

 

6. Built to Spill

Old Doug Martsch and his Idaho boys have been cranking out solid tunes since 1992. Their past four LPs are particularly excellent, including their most recent, You in Reverse. Catch them live, if you can.

 


 


 

5. Cocteau Twins

As far as this guy is concerned, the Cocteau Twins made shoegazing what it was/is. But, that's sort of beside the point, which happens to be that they made unbelievable music. Treasure is a dream in music.

 


 


 

4. Guided By Voices

Robert Pollard makes more albums than anyone, ever, but the two that really, really mattered were 1994's Bee Thousand and 1995's Alien Lanes. Classic.

 


 


 

3. Hüsker Dü

All of Hüsker Dü's albums kill it, but Zen Arcade, New Day Rising, and Flip Your Wig murder it. Constantly overlooked; one of the best punk bands ever.

 


 

 

 

2. Kraftwerk

 

The most influential electronic band (and one of the most influential bands period) of all time, Kraftwerk's canon remains unknown to many, if not most. Do yourself a favor and go buy Trans-Europe Express right now.

 



 

 

 

1. The Replacements

 

The Mats' entire catalog deserves the same reverence that is given to artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. The albums all speak loudly to where the band was at that point in time and are rich front-to-back.

 

My personal favorite is Tim, followed by Let It Be, Hootenanny, and Don't Tell...let's get serious: Get them all. Listen to them all. Love them all.

 

Best music video ever: