seeking near misses (musically speaking)
August 26, 2012 10:18 PM

What's your favorite NON-hit these days (musically speaking)?

There is so much great music out there. I can't even stay up on the bands/artists/etc I'm into. What's the best SINGLE overlooked gem you've come across lately?

I'd say "album track" but what does that even mean anymore?
posted by philip-random to Media & Arts (29 answers total) 29 users marked this as a favorite
"Autumn Leaves", a bonus track off "+" by Ed Sheeran.
posted by dotgirl at 11:11 PM on August 26, 2012


What kind of music do you like, and what's your definition of a hit?

Lately I've been really loving the song "Clementine" by Sarah Jaffe. I think it was a moderate hit but I only recently heard it (through a friend's Spotify playlist).
posted by lunasol at 11:11 PM on August 26, 2012


I'm likin' just about anything by Bahamas lately, even if it's just a post-Folk Fest glow.
posted by mazola at 11:13 PM on August 26, 2012


What kind of music do you like, and what's your definition of a hit?

I don't really have favorite genres. A hit would be a song I've heard too much of via radio, TV commercials, overall cultural over-exposure.

I guess what I'd really like to hear is your current fave non-overexposed record.
posted by philip-random at 11:23 PM on August 26, 2012


Tough choice! I know that every time this song plays, energy get sucked from the air and charges my body like bulls on a parade:

"Major", off the album "Out of Frequency" from The Asteroids Galaxy Tour.
posted by Giggilituffin at 11:25 PM on August 26, 2012


I'd vote for Killer Mike's Reagan. Without a doubt the most powerful song I've heard this summer.
posted by mannequito at 11:51 PM on August 26, 2012


Irish chanteuse Camille O'Sullivan's cover of Nick Cave's "The Ship Song". A slow burner for sure, but it sucks everything else out the room and Camille pulls every eye and ear to the stage (when you see it live). The single version is just chills all round.
posted by ewan at 2:14 AM on August 27, 2012


I recently became aware of wee Orla Gartland and a fan of her song The Ground. (She's only 17 so I'm sort of hoping I got in on the ground floor with this one...)
posted by DarlingBri at 3:05 AM on August 27, 2012


I'm a huge fan of The Chap - when I were a lad thirty years ago at least one of their silly, ridiculously catchy pop songs would have been some kind of a hit, but no longer
posted by Grangousier at 4:56 AM on August 27, 2012


This record. This record times a thousand.
posted by youandiandaflame at 5:01 AM on August 27, 2012


Sat. Nite Duets, "All Nite Long" is a slack pop masterpiece and not enough people outside Wisconsin are listening to it.
posted by escabeche at 6:09 AM on August 27, 2012


Masters of Reality (W. Ginger Baker) She Got Me
Masters of Reality, The Great Spelunker.
Steven Wilson Harmony Korine

And an oldie I'd forgotten about until last month:
Todd Rundgren Black Mariah
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:38 AM on August 27, 2012


Holy wide-open question, batman.

My favorite non-overexposed music would be the great local stuff for bands that haven't exploded yet. (Get thee to the local scene!)

These days, that band is bloodnstuff from Minneapolis. My favorite tune by them off their new album is this one.
posted by jillithd at 6:43 AM on August 27, 2012


Gods Robots (India meets SF), Stay.
posted by ambient2 at 6:55 AM on August 27, 2012


My newest favorite song is "Impregnable Question" by Dirty Projectors. Pitchfork review of the album.
posted by ephemerista at 7:10 AM on August 27, 2012


My current favorite is by an Austin band, the Black and White Years. I love the whole album but Luck and Timing is my auto-repeat song.
posted by immlass at 7:16 AM on August 27, 2012


Alabama Shakes and their new release Boys and Girls. Great stuff, but unlikely to be heard on Top 40 radio any time soon.
posted by tommasz at 7:21 AM on August 27, 2012


From a person you might have heard of: the new Childish Gambino mixtape.

From someone you might not have heard of: Doomtree (really just Dessa) - Sadie Hawkins

Big in Japan: The Birthday - S and R
posted by koucha at 8:35 AM on August 27, 2012


More guitar rock from the criminally-neglected Mike Keneally: Pride is a Sin. When I first got this CD, I hit repeat on this song while driving my car for about a week.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:37 AM on August 27, 2012


I'm all about the Scissor Sisters, Let's Have a Kiki. Really, how could you not be?
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:01 AM on August 27, 2012


The past couple of weeks I've discovered the album Badlands by Dirty Beaches (wiki). But I guess it's been out since 2011.


Also I've been liking Kimmo Pohjonen (songs) who according to wikipedia is "a Finnish accordionist who has revolutionized accordion sounds and performance with his custom-made electrified and modified instrument."
posted by czytm at 9:35 AM on August 27, 2012


JJ DOOM - Guv'nor
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 9:44 AM on August 27, 2012


From Daniel Romano's recent Sleep Beneath the Willow, a country-rock album in the tradition of Gram Parsons and Musicor-era George Jones, I won't let it...
posted by Lorin at 9:54 AM on August 27, 2012


In an alternate universe, it is 1977 forever and Everything That You Took by Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires is blasting out of the t-top of every Pontiac Firebird in the Friday night parking lot. Off the excellent new album, There Is A Bomb In Gilead. CAUTION: contains unapologetic Southern rock. May also contain white-boy soul, guitar solos, singable choruses, and moderate tambourine abuse. Sets no trends, pushes no envelopes, challenges no paradigms. It's just a straight-ahead twangy rock record. And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

In a similar vein (that is, smart rock bands playing guitar-forward music), The Ike Reilly Assassination. Good stuff. Start with Salesmen And Racists.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:21 AM on August 27, 2012


I don't think this qualifies as a hit, (but I'm not really sure) and it's at least a year old, but I'm going with Portugal. The Man's Sleep Forever.
posted by cnc at 1:56 PM on August 27, 2012


Following up - fair warning, toward the end, the Sleep Forever video above has some gory scenes in it, as do some of their other videos.
posted by cnc at 2:00 PM on August 27, 2012


I love "Paper-Hanger" by MeWithoutYou. It's a bit older now, but their new stuff is quite good still.
posted by tacodave at 4:22 PM on August 27, 2012


Blu & Exile - Dancing in the Rain. It's changed, but the top comment used to be "wow best accidental click of my life." This whole album is amazing, honestly - and apparently it made no money, either. I follow hip hop regularly, and I had never heard of this (it came out in 2007) until a few months ago - it blew me away, and I listen to it semi-weekly. I've also heard since that Blu is seriously considering leaving the music industry entirely - which, if it's true, would be the saddest thing ever. But at least he left us this [incredibly under-appreciated] album. More Greatness from Blu.
posted by sidi hamet at 5:02 PM on August 27, 2012


Thanks all. Best answers for everything because it's all good. Music's like that, I guess.

so much to listen to
posted by philip-random at 6:35 PM on August 31, 2012


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