Head Automatica

They were the by product of an angsty hard rock band started by teenagers (Glassjaw) and a producer who was famous for working with one of the most cult following bands of all time (Gorillaz).

They had it all.. crazy, eccentric lead singer, tons of dance worthy and toe tapping beats, riffs, hooks, catchy songs, but still tons of fresh creativity.

Between Darryl's Chrohn's disease and the constant shuffling of band members (likely because he's an ass to work with), and legal trouble while working on their 3rd album, they never took off.

I felt like they were one big hit away from headlining festivals, instead of opening for 30 Seconds to Mars.

Don Henley's solo career! I remember going to see him in the Woodlands for his "End of the Innocence" tour -- he even played a few new songs from his forthcoming album that never came

GreasenUSA said:

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Them Crooked Vultures

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Hearing rumors of another album. Hopefully they tour, but don't stand next to the speakers if you go. Could cause temp deafness.

Gigem314 said:

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Vertical Horizon

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I thought of this one too, but realized they were not bigger because they went away from their sound. Of course, they were never big with their original sound.



PM Dawn
Terrance Trent D'Arby

Aust Ag said:

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GreasenUSA said:

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Them Crooked Vultures

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Hearing rumors of another album. Hopefully they tour, but don't stand next to the speakers if you go. Could cause temp deafness.

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Yeah, I saw what Dave Grohl said last week about them and have a little bit of hope. Their show at ACL in 2009 was one of my top 10 favorites at ACL of all time.

GreasenUSA said:

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Aust Ag said:

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GreasenUSA said:

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Them Crooked Vultures

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Hearing rumors of another album. Hopefully they tour, but don't stand next to the speakers if you go. Could cause temp deafness.

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Yeah, I saw what Dave Grohl said last week about them and have a little bit of hope. Their show at ACL in 2009 was one of my top 10 favorites at ACL of all time.

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Taylor Hawkins said there should be a new Foos record in 2020 so I don't know when Dave could fit in a new TCV album/tour. I'm supposed to be hanging with him this weekend so I'll have to ask.

HtownAg92 said:

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Gigem314 said:

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Vertical Horizon

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I thought of this one too, but realized they were not bigger because they went away from their sound. Of course, they were never big with their original sound.

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Their second album wasn't so different in terms of sound, it just took them a few years to get it out...and then I think they ran into label issues.

Their newer stuff, particularly their latest, is very different...I agree.

They were another one of those late 90's post-grunge bands with a great rock/alt sound...but then the industry flipped in the early 2000's and things went too heavily toward pop. They weren't heavy enough to fit the rock genre, but didn't fit where pop music had headed. Which sucks, because most of the bands I grew up liking fit in that area...and they were pretty much squeezed out.

And thus began the decline of 'new' rock...to the point where it's unrecognizable today.

Gigem314 said:

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HtownAg92 said:

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Gigem314 said:

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Vertical Horizon

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I thought of this one too, but realized they were not bigger because they went away from their sound. Of course, they were never big with their original sound.

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Their second album wasn't so different in terms of sound, it just took them a few years to get it out...and then I think they ran into label issues.

Their newer stuff, particularly their latest, is very different...I agree.

They were another one of those late 90's post-grunge bands with a great rock/alt sound...but then the industry flipped in the early 2000's and things went too heavily toward pop. They weren't heavy enough to fit the rock genre, but didn't fit where pop music had headed. Which sucks, because most of the bands I grew up liking fit in that area...and they were pretty much squeezed out.

And thus began the decline of 'new' rock...to the point where it's unrecognizable today.

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Yeah, I was talking about the change from Running on Ice /Live Stages to "Everything You Want". I lost interest in them at that point.

Txmoe said:

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PatAg said:

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Txmoe said:

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Usher - he had his moment but I thought he would be relevant for a long time
Nelly
Blues Traveler
Spin Doctors

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Usher was pretty big for a decade

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...but I thought he'd be relevant for 11 years.

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He had songs chart from 1994 to 2016. He had #1 hit as early as 1998 and as late as 2010. I would argue he's had a longer run at the top than most R&B/Hip Hops Acts.

Farmer1906 said:

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Txmoe said:

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PatAg said:

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Txmoe said:

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Usher - he had his moment but I thought he would be relevant for a long time
Nelly
Blues Traveler
Spin Doctors

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Usher was pretty big for a decade

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...but I thought he'd be relevant for 11 years.

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He had songs chart from 1994 to 2016. He had #1 hit as early as 1998 and as late as 2010. I would argue he's had a longer run at the top than most R&B/Hip Hops Acts.

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Farmer, I was going for the joke but I take your point. He had a better run than I implied. Maybe it was just me but I really thought he was going to be the next MJ or Stevie Wonder. Granted those are lofty expectations but I would've still expected that he'd be relevant today, like Beyonce.

Also, similar to the one-hit-wonder debates on here, we're getting into that area of having different definitions of 'big' or 'relevant'.

Tanya 93 said:

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The Sundays

Her voice was just so pure

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Totally forgot about them. Such a great sound.


So this inspired me to createed a Pandora radio station with The Sundays. So far, it is that perfect timeframe (1990ish) to pick up later albums from New Order, Depeche Mode and The Cure toward the end of synth pop wra, and also include earlier albums from similar alternative 90's bands. Give it a try.

Tears for Fears.

ok_ag95 said:

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Tears for Fears.

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Did any 80s bands in that synth genre really continue on past the 80s? A few had a hit or two in 90s.. but they all pretty much died.

Depeche Mode dominated that scene.

ok_ag95 said:

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Tears for Fears.

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They had 3 big albums in the 80's and a couple of mildly successful albums in the 90's after Curt Smith left. I remember he rejoined in the early 2000's and they released another album around '04 or so.

Ritchie Valens

Nine Inch Nails

Well, I have a lot of Cheap Trick hot takes, but in sum:

Without question of one the most underrated rock bands of all time. Zander can literally sing anything, and is a top 5 rock singer of all time. The original 4 are as good as it gets, let down by record companies, the buying public, allowing bad and dated production, and allowing outside writers in. Their first 4 - maybe 5 - albums are a top tier run of all time in rock (and I'll defend the next 2).

ROCK FANS LET CHEAP TRICK DOWN BUT THEY ARE STILL ROCKIN'

1). Eddie Trunk (yes the KISS obsession is annoying) has a lot of great answers to this question.

2). Anyone who says Oasis doesn't know what the hell are talking about (and I love them). They were the biggest band on the planet for a couple of years, sold many truckloads, and could have headlined anywhere if not for choosing to act childish.

3). Cowboy Mouth

4). Better Than Ezra an important answer here. No question. Great writer for Meat Loaf too
TESTIFY

Had AC/DC fans been blessed with long-time Bon (and anyone who says anything negative about Johnson is not a true fan) ....

he would be remembered as probably the best rock frontman of all time

So sad, I miss you Bon

Redstone said:

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Well, I have a lot of Cheap Trick hot takes, but in sum:

Without question of one the most underrated rock bands of all time. Zander can literally sing anything, and is a top 5 rock singer of all time. The original 4 are as good as it gets, let down by record companies, the buying public, allowing bad and dated production, and allowing outside writers in. Their first 4 - maybe 5 - albums are a top tier run of all time in rock (and I'll defend the next 2).

ROCK FANS LET CHEAP TRICK DOWN BUT THEY ARE STILL ROCKIN'

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A band with several huge hits and in the hall of fame doesn't belong on this post.

Typical Redstone post.

INXS was on track to a legendary career

So sad - and so tempting for Conspiracy Redstone
edit - look into it, not a stretch

Uh, playing private events and serving as second fiddle in bookings consistently means what....I'm following the thread title exactly, doesn't it?

Oyster DuPree said:

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Ritchie Valens

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Redstone said:

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Uh, playing private events and serving as second fiddle in bookings consistently means what....I'm following the thread title exactly, doesn't it?

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https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/raiders-watch-party-cheap-trick-lead-downtown-las-vegas-events-1831638/

kraut said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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Blind Melon would have been significantly bigger, but not hard to see why they didn't last longer... Hoon's voice was the band.

BTE still tours pretty regularly and draws good crowds. Kevin Griffin makes enough off his songwriting royalties that any touring he does now is just for fun.

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Well I feel like a schmuck - I listed Blind Melon without remembering why they weren't successful later...

I loved Better Than Ezra and thought they were the next big thing back in the day.

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I always loved Norm Macdonald's Weekend Update joke about BTE:

"Topping the College Billboard charts this week: Better Than Ezra.

Coming in at #2: Ezra."

BCSGrubber said:

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Puddle of Mudd is actually playing a bar in Katy in the next couple of weeks.

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I just saw they'll be at the Wildcatter Saloon on Saturday. I don't know where they were at their peak, but they're at the Wildcatter Saloon in the suburbs now.

Cheap Trick deserves to headline festivals and co-headline arenas, not what they've been doing since the 80s, so yeah my point holds 100%

As for another entry, Mother Love Bone

Puddle of Midd was an attempt to blend the ear piercingly awful vocals of nirvana with nu metal.

They ran the exact course they should have run and disappeared appropriately.

Social Media Influencer said:

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BCSGrubber said:

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Puddle of Mudd is actually playing a bar in Katy in the next couple of weeks.

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I just saw they'll be at the Wildcatter Saloon on Saturday. I don't know where they were at their peak, but they're at the Wildcatter Saloon in the suburbs now.

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hah.

To be fair though, they are playing house of blues Dallas just before Houston.. and with saliva, tantric and trapt. Not a bad bill for a fan of 2000s hard rock.

Someone clearly dropped the ball on the Houston booking lol. WTF is wildcatter saloon?

Redstone said:

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Cheap Trick deserves to headline festivals and co-headline arenas, not what they've been doing since the 80s, so yeah my point holds 100%

As for another entry, Mother Love Bone

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It really is amazing how every band that had a singer die and not replaced.. the band's career just kinda ended!

Would loved to had seen what lynyrd skynyrd would had done if not for crash.

HtownAg92 said:

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Gigem314 said:

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HtownAg92 said:

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Gigem314 said:

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Vertical Horizon

---

I thought of this one too, but realized they were not bigger because they went away from their sound. Of course, they were never big with their original sound.

---

Their second album wasn't so different in terms of sound, it just took them a few years to get it out...and then I think they ran into label issues.

Their newer stuff, particularly their latest, is very different...I agree.

They were another one of those late 90's post-grunge bands with a great rock/alt sound...but then the industry flipped in the early 2000's and things went too heavily toward pop. They weren't heavy enough to fit the rock genre, but didn't fit where pop music had headed. Which sucks, because most of the bands I grew up liking fit in that area...and they were pretty much squeezed out.

And thus began the decline of 'new' rock...to the point where it's unrecognizable today.

---

Yeah, I was talking about the change from Running on Ice /Live Stages to "Everything You Want". I lost interest in them at that point.

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Interesting. 'Everything You Want' was what got me hooked on them in the first place. But yes, that was a major change from their previous acoustic-driven sound...which I also like, I just didn't discover it first.

Listening to London Calling this morning, the Clash's only near flawless album and a rival to Exile on Main St. for best double album of all time....

they could have done more. Like the Smiths, more than the sum of its parts, and gone too early.

I'll say Gotye. Dude had one mega hit (the song you're probably still sick of hearing on the radio, Somebody that I used to Know), but plenty of good songs across 3 albums. It's been about 7 years now, since that song went big, and I think he's finally bailed on the idea of doing a follow-up album and is playing drums for his old band or something like that.

Dude is super talented, just sucks that, in the U.S., he's a one-hit wonder.

Aaron Tippin. There aint nothin' wrong with the raaaadio.