It’s easy to see why some bands are really successful despite releasing consistently average music. Take Coldplay, the worse they get the bigger they get.
And then there are bands who despite consistently releasing excellent music always seem to fly under the radar, no matter how good their material is.
In Hidden Pleasures one of our writers introduces you to 5 of their favourite acts who deserve more credit than they get.
This time it's the turn of Deputy Editor Frank Hughes.
Melkbelly
Coming on like Sheer Mag meets The Breeders, Chicago's Melkbelly eschew frenetic noise rock that is fuzzier than a wool jumper put through a twenty hour spin cycle. If that combination of comparisons sounds too good to be true, pinch yourself because it isn’t.
Unlike most noise rock which can be abrasive, Melkbelly pepper their songs with immediate melodic hooks. Fronted by Miranda Winters who exudes an insouciant cool, Melkbelly are a tight unit comprising of Winters, her husband Bart Winters, his brother Liam Winters and drummer James Wetzel.
Their debut album ‘Nothing Valley’ was one of the hidden gems of 2017 and is packed with teeth rattling percussion, acerbic guitar and Miranda Winters' hazy layered vocals.
Sloan
Can a band with eleven albums be considered unknown? Though a mainstay in their native Canada, Sloan have for some strange reason never made much of splash on this side of the Atlantic.
With all four members democratically contributing as songwriters and swapping vocal duties, the whole thing could be disjointed but Sloan maintain a remarkably consistent classic power pop sound that has influences including The Beatles, Big Star & Cheap Trick.
Sloan are showing no sign of slowing down with their twelfth album ‘12’ being released in April this year. They have a rich back catalogue to explore. There is hardly a bad place to start but try any from Navy Blues, Action Pact, or Parallel Play and you won’t be disappointed.
Alpha Male Tea Party
The genres of math rock /post rock mean that bands who frequent in these circles are pretty much going to exist on the fringes of the wider music world. It’s an injustice that means one of the UK’s premiere exponents of this music, Alpha Male Tea Party, largely remain unknown to a bigger audience.
Although a three piece, Alpha Male Tea Party produce a sound that combines sheer heft with dynamic timings and finger shredding guitar playing. The Liverpudlian's third album ‘Health’ was released in 2017 and saw them mix in lighter tones which provide extra contrast to the harder rocking elements.
There is also a small matter of some wonderfully creative song titles like You Eat Houmous, Of Course You Listen to Genesis. Seriously what's not to love about that?
H.Grimace
The London based four piece H.Grimace craft thrilling distorted, dark post punk. Their songs contain a heady mix of reverberating intertwining guitars, chugging bass and rumbustious drums. There are swathes of Sonic Youth, Interpol and early PJ Harvey at play in their music.
Singer Hannah Gledhill's distinct low key singing style (think Kim Gordon) places emphasis on the socially aware lyrics. For instance the outstanding Call It Out is a response to one of Gledhill's friends who had been drugged at a party but couldn't name the perpetrator.
A couple of highly regarded EP’s in 2012 and 2015 paved the way for last year's’ stellar debut album 'Self Architect'. Listening to it only confirms the feeling that this is only start of something leading to greater things for H.Grimace.
Kevin Devine
Thought provoking lyrics inter-meshed with hooky soaring choruses ought to be a winning mix that sends you into the mainstream, Kevin Devine somehow sits on the fringes.
Songs about topics as varied as Chelsea Manning (Private First Class) to Financial crises (Fiscal Cliff) shows Devine has an edge to him, though his message never gets in the way of his endorphin laced melodies. The Brooklyn native has nine albums, various collaborations and numerous EPs to his name.
The latest of which, 2016's 'Instigator', was another strong effort from Devine, who is a compulsive song writer, perpetually making new material. Do yourself a favour and jump on the bandwagon now.