Underrated Classic: Jonathan Fire*Eater 'Wolf Songs for Lambs'

Last month, the music world was stunned by the sudden passing of musician Stewart Lupton, the enigmatic frontman of New York via D.C. indie pioneers Jonathan Fire*Eater. The 43-year-old help put New York rock and roll back on the map in the mid-to-late 90s when Jonathan Fire*Eater relocated to the Big Apple from the capital and caused one of the largest label bidding wars in history at the time. Jonathan Fire*Eater had a sound unlike many others at the time with jingle-jangle guitar hooks, thumping rhythms, and sinister and dark lyrics that were showcased via Lupton's unique voice. Dreamworks eventually won the band on their label after the bidding war and they released their critically acclaimed but commercially flopped Wolf Songs for Lambs in 1997. After they signed their lucrative deal with Dreamworks, the L.A. Times called the band "possibly the most hyped young group that nobody has ever heard of," in the era before social media that was a bold but accurate statement to make. The album would basically set the standard for New York City bands of the early millennium like Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes, and Secret Machines. Wolf Songs for Lambs would be the template that those artists would use for their respective debuts and early styles. Wolf Songs for Lambs now sounds just as fresh as it did 21 years ago and the oral history of the record was displayed in Lizzy Goodman's brilliant 2017 book, Meet Me in the Bathroom. A year after the record was released, the band split and members Paul Maroon, Matt Barrick, and Walter Martin would later form the critically acclaimed indie band The Walkmen. While Jonathan Fire*Eater received their acclaim from critics and the NYC and DC audiences that flocked to see them and not from the masses, the influence they had is something no one can argue and their legacy is a testament to that.

Underrated Classic: Afghan Whigs 'Gentlemen'

Nearly 25 years ago, one of America's most underrated bands -- The Afghan Whigs, released their fourth and possibly best record with Gentlemen. The album, which was recorded in Cincinnati and Memphis between May and June 1993, arrived that fall and like most Whigs records, was unfairly lumped with the Seattle grunge bands and rock acts of L.A. as just a Midwest ripoff. However, the Whigs were always more than just a rock and roll band. The band combined funk, R&B, soul, as well as themes of sex, death, crime, made them not just a darker and more curious band than their contemporaries but far more creative and boundary pushing. Gentlemen is a testament to that. Produced by their frontman and leader Greg Dulli, the record has stood the test of time and goes far beyond what a 90's rock band would have released during the heyday of radio friendly days on the terrestrial platform. Gentlemen, which featured a cover of a boy contemplating his life at edge of a bed while a young girl lay in the bed was inspired by "Nan and Brian in Bed, New York City" by Nan Goldin. It is a cover that if it were out today, would have social media divided on if it is art or outrageous. After it was released, the album was a critical success with the Village Voice giving it an A-, NME giving it a 9/10, and Rolling Stone rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Propelled by the title track, "Debonair," and "What Jail is Like," peaked at 13 on Billboard's "Heatseekers" chart in the spring of 1994. In 2014, the band released Gentlemen at 21, a celebration of the record which featured a reissue and second disc of bonus material including B-sides, covers, and outtakes. The band split in 2001, and reunited for a one-off show in 2006, before reactivating in 2012 and releasing two brilliant albums -- 2013's Do to the Beast and last year's Album of the Year -- In Spades. 

Listen to Our Essential Afghan Whigs Playlist on Spotify

Underrated Classic: The Roches 'Nurds'

In the early 70s, long before the trio of sisters in HAIM were dominating the airwaves, a three member sorority from New Jersey was turning heads with their quirky and oddball lyrics and alternative take on folk music. The Roches, formed by three sisters, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy, released a string of albums during their heyday but their third album, 1980s, Nurds, heard them becoming more off the wall and unique than ever before. The Irish-American sisters never strayed from their roots and they took the music of their heritage and found a way to make it punk and rather nontraditional and the best use of that came on Nurds. The 10-song record, which was an inside look into their mind, made listeners and critics rather frightened by the disturbing images they portrayed in their lyrics.  On "The Death of Suzzy Roche," Suzzy writes about her own demise and on "My Sick Mind," the sisters discuss what it is like being a woman in the early 80s and having to make sure they need to look their best at all times or else they will be judged. On "This Feminine Position," the sisters sing about being with a man and what their past sexual exploits while letting him know he might not be as good as he thinks he is. It was music way ahead of its time and in the wake of the "Nasty Woman" movement, these three ladies were showing how it was done with songs that will still resonate nearly 40 years later. Nurds peaked at 130 on the Billboard album charts but for The Roches, it was never about Billboard position as much as it was being able to speak their minds.

Underrated Classic: Band of Horses 'Cease to Begin'

Band of Horses have announced they are recording a new album and it will be released later this year. As they chip away at new material, we look back on their second record, 2007's Cease to Begin, which was the lush follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Everything All The Time. Cease to Begin didn't have the singles like its predecessor had but it certainly had the passion and masterful storytelling that the band would become known for. The record was also a transition album for the band as three of the founding members left the group after the tour of the debut, leaving singer Ben Bridwell to find people to plug the holes. As they learned to sew their oats and become the band they set out to, the record displays that. It is a bit more folky and country than their debut but also showcases Bridwell's play on words with songs like "No Ones Gonna Love You," "Detlef Schrempf," and "Cigarettes, Wedding Band." The album was a hit in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark and peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Top 200 chart in the U.S. As the years have gone on, the record sometimes gets overlooked but sustains its grace and like a fine wine, gets better with age.

Listen to Our Essential Band of Horses Playlist on Spotify

Underrated Classic: The Gaslight Anthem 'Sink or Swim'

As The Gaslight Anthem announce a 10 year anniversary tour of their breakthrough and brilliant record, The '59 Sound, we look back at their debut which helped put the New Jersey punks on the map. Mixing rockabilly, punk, garage, and straight up rock and roll, The Gaslight Anthem's debut, Sink Or Swim, allowed the emo and indie scene of the early 2000s to take notice to the four lads from The Garden State. Released in 2007, the album is a tribute to their home state and their influences like The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Bouncing Souls, and Tom Petty. The record is chock full of tunes of a band wanting to be bigger than the bars and clubs they are playing. It is 12 songs of a band who know they can craft anthems that will evoke a feeling in audiences around the globe that will sing along forever with them. Sink or Swim wasn't just a record, it was a statement -- if people took to this album, wait until they hear what we have next or if no one cares, at least we tried. For the band, luckily they were able to swim and a decade on, they are supercharged and ready for more.

Underrated Classic: Madonna 'Bedtime Stories'

Madonna was the single most influential artist of the 1980s by the time the 1990s rolled around, she was the biggest solo artist in the world and the most controversial. By 1994, Madonna wanted to get serious and released the acclaimed record Bedtime Stories, to prove that she wasn't just the queen of pop but could branch out into the alternative and slower tempo ranges to prove that she wasn't just someone who could release radio singles but make serious art. Linking up with producers Dallas Austin, Babyface, Dave "Jam" Hall, and Nellee Hooper, as well as songwriters Bjork, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Massive Attack, Madonna put out the intimate Bedtime Stories. She took influences from Bjork, Massive Attack, Portishead, and the trip-hop sound that was dominating London underground at the time and helped thrust it to the mainstream. The album produced four massive singles -- "Secret," "Take a Bow,""Secret," and "Bedtime Stories" and later went 3X platinum in America. As Madonna's musical cannon goes, it is the most intimate she has ever been and most inviting. There is something for everyone on this record and now, 24 years later, it still sounds as fresh today as it did then.

Underrated Classic: Morrissey 'Ringleader of the Tormentors'

In the mid-2000s, Morrissey went through a sort of career revival with the release of You are the Quarry in 2004. Two years later, he followed up on his success with Ringleader of the Tormentors. An indie rock opera of sorts as Moz enlisted longtime David Bowie producer Tony Visconti to work with him in Rome, Italy, on the album. The record would become the most personal, lyrically, for the former Smiths singer and the grandest in terms of production thanks to Visconti's vision. When the album arrived in the spring of 2006, it was well received by critics and fans and was propelled by the singles, "You Have Killed Me," "In The Future When All's Well," and "I Just Want to see the Boy Happy."  In the 11 years since, it has fallen off the radar among listeners. As the singer now tours in support of his new record, Low in High School, fans can look back at this as a turning point for the British musician. With a record full of lush philharmonic strings, clear cut themes and stories but also, such a different sound for someone who has been so miserable for a majority of his life.

Underrated Classic: Fratellis 'Costello Music'

In the middle part of the 2000s first decade, it felt as if there was a third British invasion as bands from the UK like Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, The Libertines, Babyshambles, were all kicking down America's door. One of those bands, Scotland's The Fratellis came onto the scene like a firecracker and were everywhere. The trio released their fantastic debut, Costello Music in 2006 in the UK, nearly six months later, it arrived across the pond and was inescapable. The band's single, "Flathead" was everywhere from iPod commercials to shopping malls to commercial radio, and no one seemed to get tired of it. The record which the song came from also was just as catchy and solid as the single. Costello Music was the perfect garage rock album with catchy hooks, fun choruses, and an energy that wasn't seen in many of the new bands coming from England. They referenced Oasis, loved the Stones and Stone Roses, it was everything people loved about the generation of Britrock before them and put out in a loud package. Now, a decade later, the band's popularity seems to have plateaued but are still putting out quality records, however, none have failed to capture the market like Costello Music. 

Read Our 2015 Interview with The Fratellis

Underrated Classic: Propellerheads 'DecksandDrumsandRockandRoll'

Almost 20 years ago, one of the coolest, slickest, and funkiest records to come out of the 1990s was released. British producers Will White and Alex Gifford teamed up for their only studio album under the moniker Propellerheads. In January 1998, they released their debut,

 DecksandDrumsandRockandRoll. The record, which captured the mood of a James Bond film, mixed it with the cool of the Britpop movement of the mid 90s, and tied in with the new digital sounds emerging from London like trip hop and techno, the duo captured it all in an album which spans nearly 70 minutes. Featuring vocals by  Shirley Basey, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul, as well as production by Prince, Propellerheads in many ways laid the foundation for Gorillaz and helped mix hip-hop and electronica in a smart fashion. While the album produced a number of moderate hits like "Take California" and "History Repeating," it helped showcase what two guys with some decks, drum machines, and rock and roll attitude could do.

Underrated Classic: New Order 'Waiting For the Sirens' Call'

Call it the right place at the right time. As the neo-New Wave moment of the mid 2000s started happening with bands like The Killers, The Bravery, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Editors, Scissor Sisters, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, were breaking through, the godfathers of the genre returned to show the kids how it was done. New Order released Waiting for the Sirens' Call in 2005 at the height of his new movement brought on by the younger bands and the veterans were putting a stake in their territory. The record, which would be the band's last with bassist Peter Hook and first without Gillian Gilbert on keyboards, was textbook New Order but had a subtle modern twist. Featuring vocals from Anna Matronic from Scissor Sisters, the band were pushing themselves to a whole new audience and decade. When the record arrived, it received polarizing reviews but over time, it has showed what they were not only trying to do but give a blueprint as to how you can last so long as a band. The band would go on hiatus a few years later and Hook was later fired from the group, forcing him to go solo. In 2012, New Order reunited with Gilbert and without Hooky, and continued to tour and make new music, including the fantastic Music Complete in 2015.

Read Our 2017 Interview with Peter Hook

Underrated Classic: Everything But The Girl 'Amplified Heart'

In 1994, Everything But The Girl went from being UK indie darlings to worldwide icons thanks to their eighth record, Amplified Heart. The record, which saw the mild-electronic duo strip down to nearly all acoustics on the album, saw their success propelled by the global smash "Missing." The dance remix of the track made them club and radio favorites and a newfound celebrity was bestowed onto band members Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt. The duo, who matured and paved their own way in the years prior became the center of the music world following the anticipated release of the record. Amplified Heart became their biggest and best received album, scoring nearly perfect scores from critics in the UK and the US. While they were never able to repeat the success of what Amplified Heart brought them, the duo disbanded in 2000 and have hinted over the years they could eventually reunite. While they may be gone, their music continues to live on in British groups like London Grammar, The xx, and Skepta, who have all taken influence from Everything But The Girl. In 2012, the album was reissued in a two-disc set which featured B-sides, bonus tracks, remixes, and outtakes.

Underrated Classic: Ronnie Wood 'Gimme Some Neck'

A year after releasing the acclaimed Some Girls, in 1979, just a few years after joining the Rolling Stones, guitarist Ronnie Wood released his third solo album, Gimme Some Neck. With the release of his latest solo offering found the footing he needed to show he can do it all on his own. Wood, who started out in The Faces, was one of England's best blues guitarists and in 1975, he replaced Mick Taylor in the Stones and fit right in. Maybe it was because of the confidence he got from playing with Mick and Keef, his third solo offering arrived and became his best work on his own. Much of the record is actually a Stones record with him fronting the band as Charlie Watts provided drums on most of the album, Keith Richards helped with rhythm guitar, and Mick Jagger sang backing vocals, as well as Bobby Keys playing sax. Gimme Some Neck spent 13 weeks on the Billboard charts and Wood proved to the music world that he could do it on his own --- with a little help of his friends. With the solo record and tour under his belt, which he brought Richards out for as part of his backing band, Wood and the Stones would then return to record Emotional Rescue which was released a year later. Gimme Some Neck proved to be the solo spark and creative vein that needed to be struck in order for both acts to move on.

Underrated Classic: The Living End

In 1998, the punk world was set on fire thanks to a trio of Australian's who broke the mold of what contemporaries in the genre were doing. The Living End released their self-titled debut 19 years ago and combined old-school punk tactics mixed with rockabilly and the fury of The Clash to create something that Joe Strummer would have been proud of.

Listen to Our Australian Mixtape!

The Living End kicked down the door of the mainstream with the hit single, "Prisoner of Society," which became a global smash and solidified them as the real deal in an era of punk winding down with only Green Day carrying the torch of what the genre was. The album went 4X platinum and brought them universal acclaim. It has been named as one of Australia's 100 best albums and received mainly favorable reviews when it arrived. The record, now album 20 years old, not only holds up, but features the songs we need today. They are tracks of resistance, hope, and clawing your way through the world while taking it on the chin. It is a record about never giving up and after all this time, and the band being together for 23 years -- they never ceased their fire.

Underrated Classic: Blur 'Think Tank'

By the turn of the century, Damon Albarn was expanding his musical tastes. Maybe he always had but by the time 2001 rolled around, he wanted to experiment with everything but Britpop. In that year, he formed Gorillaz with Jamie Hewlett, and started working with the world's first animated band which was a alternative rock / rap hybrid. Little did anyone, including the creators, know how big it would become. But Blur was Albarn's first band and first love and he had some unfinished business with them. At that start of what would become their seventh album, Think Tank, guitarist Graham Coxon went into rehab for alcoholism, and Albarn and the band tweaked their sound. Instead of just guitar driven music, Think Tank features electronic sounds and songs produced by William Orbit and Fatboy Slim. It features African influence, something the leader would later explore in his solo work and with Africa Express and Rocketjuice and the Moon, it also had elements of dub and jazz -- styles Albarn would play with in The Good, The Bad, and The Queen. Basically, Think Tank was becoming his resume for a solo career and it wasn't a Blur record the way the band had put out in the past. By the time Coxon got out of rehab, the band had some internal strife and he split. It would take two years for the album to arrive and once it did it was hit with mixed reviews. The artwork was done by a rising British street artist named Banksy, maybe you have heard of him now. Everything about the album didn't feel like a Blur record even though it said it was. After the release of the album, the band toured, then split. The would reform six years later and in 2015 released the brilliant, Magic Whip. While everything about Think Tank at the time wasn't as good as it should have been, in hindsight, it was Albarn telling us where music would go as if he had some Magic 8 ball, it also showed the directions he wanted to explore.

Listen to Our Essential Blur Playlist on Spotify 

Listen To Our Essential Gorillaz Playlist on Spotify

Underrated Classic: Living Colour - 'Vivid'

In 1988, one band from New York City broke down every barrier and conception as to what rock and roll is supposed to sound like. That band, Living Colour, would release the breakthrough record, Vivid, and solidify their position as one of America's best bands - ever. Period. With it's lead off track "Cult of Personality" the band would travel the world and every radio in between. The song, an instant classic, still gets rotation today on major rock radio stations. Living Colour became the first African-American metal / rock band that proved they had the chops to go up against their counterparts and legends like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. With a rhythm section that defined all logic plus the guitar work of Vernon Reid and vocals from Corey Glover, Living Colour were also mixing funk, jazz, and soul into a genre that stole from their heroes. Vivid was a document of life about growing up and trying to make it in New York City as a young black man. Songs like "Open Letter (To a Landlord)," "Middle Man," "Which Way to America?," and "What's Your Favorite Color," they were challenging the system and making an audience really pay attention to what they had to say. As the years went on, many have brushed the band off as a novelty but tastemakers and fans prove otherwise. They were some of the pioneers of 90s alternative and to this day, blow the roof off any venue they perform in. Nearly 30 years later, the message in Vivid is still clear and resonates more than ever.

Read Our 2009 Interview with Living Colour

Underrated Classic: Wire 'Pink Flag'

As punk exploded in 1977 in New York and London, one band released their debut as part of the scene and almost went unnoticed. Almost. British band Wire released their debut, Pink Flag, amid the roaring years of The Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, as they were all coming into fruition at the same time. As it came out, many critics didn't know how to categorize Pink Flag, with many attributing the album as the birth of post-punk, but as it failed to chart on its initial release, history as been far kinder to the record as it has been hailed as one of the best punk records ever released. Each generation of new punk fans have dusted off Pink Flag to learn a lesson -- fuck everyone else but yourself. Through each generation continuing to discover the record, Pink Flag still waves and has gotten the praise and love it fully deserves -- 40 years later. As Wire prep their new album, Silver Lead, their audience is ready for new material but still look to their debut as the benchmark to all of the albums they have released since.

Underrated Classic: Temple of the Dog

A year after Mother Love Bone singer Andy Wood died of a drug overdose, his roommate, Chris Cornell, formed a band with some of the members of the group he was in along with Soundgarden drummer, Matt Cameron. That band would become Temple of the Dog. In 1991, the band released their only record as a tribute to Wood. The record was a songs inspired by him, unfinished tracks he had, and a way for his friends to heal following his death. The record also featured an unknown singer named Eddie Vedder on backing vocals and the lead single, "Hunger Strike." The band of course became the root of what Pearl Jam would be since it featured Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who played in Mother Love Bone, as well as a Seattle-area guitarist and friend of Wood's Mike McCready. After the album was released it would go on to become platinum. The rest of the members would go on and become Pearl Jam with Vedder, and later would bring in Cameron on drums. Soundgarden would call it quits in the late 90s but would reactivate in 2010. While the light of Temple of the Dog would dim, it was turned on again last year as the band toured for the very first time to support the 25th anniversary of the album.

Read Our Live Review of Temple of the Dog at Madison Square Garden

Listen to Our Essential Pearl Jam Playlist on Spotify

Underrated Clasic: Mother Love Bone 'Apple'

Before Pearl Jam was even a thought, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament were in the Seattle grunge anthem band Mother Love Bone. Fronted by the charismatic Andy Wood, Mother Love Bone became one of the local heroes of the early Seattle scene. The band's live shows were the talk of the town and Wood was poised be to rock and roll's next big hero. After gaining national critical attention with their debut EP, Shine, in 1989, they signed with Mercury Records and headed to northern California to record their debut Apple, with a then-unknown producer Terry Date, who would later go on to work with Deftones, Pantera, Soundgarden and Slayer. Apple was one of the year's most anticipated releases and days before it arrived to the world, Wood was found by his girlfriend after he overdosed on heroin, he later succumbed to his addiction after falling into a coma in the hospital. The band came to a crashing halt. The album peaked at No. 34 on the charts and later Wood's roommate Chris Cornell, along with his Soungarden drummer Matt Cameron brought Ament, Gossard together with Seattle musician Mike McCready and formed Temple of the Dog. They crafted a record in tribute to their late friend. Within a small amount of time, Ament, Gossard, McCready formed Pearl Jam with Eddie Vedder. As Pearl Jam continue to feel the success of their music, it all started with this tragic story and record that displayed wasted talent at its fullest. In 2016, a special box set marking the 25th anniversary of the record was released.

Underrated Classic: Terminator X & The Valley of the Jeep Beats

In the early 90s Public Enemy were at the top of their game and along with NWA were leading a charge of bicoastal hip-hop that was conscious, raw, powerful and aggressive. Striking while the iron was blazing, Public Enemy DJ Terminator X released his solo debut that featured samples from Black Flag and guests like Chuck D, Sister Souljah. In 1991, Terminator X and the Bomb Squad produced the 47-minute Terminator X and the Valley of the Jeep Beats. The album, full of break beats, instrumentals, early drum and bass, was something for every car in every city and suburb to blast while driving down the highway. Producing two successful singles, "Homie Don't Play Dat," which went to No. 1 and "Buck Whylin," the debut from the DJ was simply the perfect hip-hop record for the summer when it arrived in May of that year. As young hip-hop seems to be looking for wisdom from the founding fathers of the genre as each new era begins, here is a hidden gem to relisten and learn from.

Underrated Classic: Arrested Development '3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...'

Before Southern rap was a thing, Arrested Development may have coined the term as well as crafted the genre but never get enough credit for it. The Afro-influenced hip-hop collective released their debut, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of..., in 1992 and was propelled by the success of the single "Tennessee." While the record was a smash for the year, over time the group and record have collected dust and not referenced. In our current era of uncertainty, looking back and listening to this record, the issues of acceptance, love and struggle still resonate. The album and group arrived at the height of gangsta rap but also during the time of Native Tongues, A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah who all had the same common core principles in their sound and never rapped about murdering someone. For the 90s, when hardcore rap and grunge was king, the debut from the rappers was an alternative for the new and popular genres. Now, as racial profiling, discrimination and racism is very much alive, this record of Black pride can be released now and show how far we have not come.