If you listen to radio stations that play “Classic Rock,” you may have noticed by now that they play the same two dozen bands all the time. Likewise, so-called “Alternative” stations also seem to have surprisingly truncated playlists. And as for today’s “Country” music, well, it sounds nothing like music played by serious mountain musicians.
There are many bands who fall through the cracks, not quite fitting into the corporate-controlled, focus-group approved bands deemed acceptable by those who control the airwaves. They may be cross-genre bands, or may be so unique they don’t really fit neatly and easily into any one category.
Nevertheless, there are ample opportunities to familiarize yourself (or to become re-familiar) with musical artists who’ve slipped through the cracks in recent years. These tend to be the under-appreciated performers who may have a modest cadre of hardcore followers, or, as often as not, revel in the live performance venue outside of the radio mainstream.
Robert Cray in concert, 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Here, then, are ten bands / artists whose lack of airplay has been, unfortunately, limited to the small, rapidly disappearing Indie stations or college radio programs you may be lucky enough to find around the dial.
1) The Robert Cray Band
2) Lucinda Williams
3) Tom Waits
4) Los Lobos
5) The Pogues
6) Elvis Costello
7) The Mekons
8) Jonny Lang
9) Mike Ness
10) Indigenous
As an added bonus, here’s Robert Cray performing, “I Was Warned.” This one is a great showcase for his smooth as silk vocal style as well as his signature guitar style.
And here’s one from The Mekons, “Club Mekon.”
Now here’s a cut from Mike Ness (lead singer / songwriter for Social Distortion) solo album, “Cheating at Solitaire.” He does an excellent cover here of the Dylan tune, “Don’t Think Twice.”
And if this one by Lucinda Williams doesn’t send a chill down your spine, you’re probably not even fucking alive.
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