Dug into them thanks to this post. As a power pop fan, Skylarking checks a lot of boxes. In fact I’m a little embarrassed that I missed out on it for so long. Thanks!
awesome!!! todd rundgren actually produced skylarking. its a great album, although they hated working with rundgren. if you like that one then also check out english settlement - that one is probably my favorite xtc album. and black sea is the other one id recommend...they started off in the late 70's doing more jittery post-punk and were tourmates with the police around that time. its very different than skylarking, but lots of great songs on there too.
? and the Mysterians. How did five Latino dudes from Texas end up playing rock and roll in Michigan in the mid 1960’s? I don’t know. Sure, they are remembered by some as a one hit wonder. But, they had other good songs too. They were a bit twisted for sure. I think they were cool. They definitely were influential and underrated in my opinion.
Was just googling some related stuff and came across this interview if you you haven't seen it: Why couldn't he have done this before the pandemic when I would have paid many several greenback dollars to go see it live on Broadway?
The mother of all underrated bands, ignored by everyone except musicians and soon to be musicians. As influential as The Beatles (who Lou Reed disliked) , Bob Dylan (who Lou Reed liked) or Bowie (who convinced Reed to start recording again) and whose first album flew in the face of the Summer of Love with songs about paranoia, buying drugs, heroin use, and Sadomasochism. My personal favorite for underrated band would be The Replacements. They never cracked the top 50, they were their own worst enemy, they were functional drunks of the highest order, and would consciously piss off executives and fans alike when the mood was right...or wrong, it depends on who you ask.
OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVELS These guys are awesome. Some people may think of them as two-hit wonders, but they had a bunch of good songs. I remember them from back in the 70’s, but I never bought any of their records, and I really didn’t know much about them. What an interesting and fun band this is. They are compared to the other country rock bands of that time. But with multiple song writers, they are kinda all over the map musically, and I love it. Their first four records are really solid and just entertaining. Underrated for sure.
