Thanks so much for all the great comments and recommendations! Obviously, no list of 10 underrated post-punk bands will even cover the really, really good ones, and I have every intention of doing a "Part II"... not right away, but in a bit! When I watch this one, I remember how sick I was while writing, recording, and editing it, and I see all the spots I could've made better, so I appreciate the positive feedback it's gotten. Usually, I use this spot to mention any corrections to the content. I wish I'd mentioned Neue Deutsche Welle when I brought up Fehlfarben, since they were certainly part of a German wave that was sonically connected to post-punk but had its own identity as well. That's the only correction so far. Also, for those of you who don't think of U2 as a post-punk band... go listen to "Boy" and "October". I'm not sharing a hot take, this is a fact!
@JimJWalker I was very fortunate to support them in 'Second Skin' at the O2 in London and (forgive me) somewhere in Glasgow (thanks to John Lever) at a venue where 'Bats for Lashes' where playing the same evening. There were huge cues outside which I initially thought were for us, 😊. They were very generous with us and it was a lovely experience (2009/10,?). Addled, apologies, 🔥😎
Nice job giving some attention to the Sound and the Chameleons, amongst others. A few other post-punk era bands who are “under-rated” and often overlooked include New Model Army, Comsat Angels, The Wipers, The Pop Group, The Teardrop Explodes, For Against, and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, as well as a couple more that are even more obscure: Crispy Ambulance, ESG, and 23 Skidoo.
I think our tastes match up pretty well since all of those other than ESG were on my longer list... and with them, it's only because they have too many listeners! They were a good 30K over The Sound, which really caught me off guard. I expected them to be very overlooked.
ESG isn't obscure at all. 23 Skidoo and Crispy Ambulance (Factory Records) on the other hand... for sure. For Against was good. I think they were from Indiana.
Strange Times is my favourite Chameleons album, too! Thanks for giving them some love. I'm also surprised by Fad Gadget's low-ish listener count. But the coolest thing is that some of these bands have only been on the periphery of my awareness & now I have several I want to explore. Thank you! Looking forward to your eventual Part II...
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :) Yes, I'm surprised how rarely that one's brought up as a favourite from the Chameleons, although I feel like those first three are all pretty well respected. I'm glad you found a few new ones in here to explore! Enjoy, and I'll definitely have some more post-punk/goth videos soon... A new one came out today, in fact
Simple Minds first four albums are superb post punk however their eighties sound transformation made everyone forget how amazing their early stuff is.Also 999 have pretty much been forgotten and Punishment of Luxury too..... Essential Logic! Beranek! Oh dear, its endless...
Simple Minds' early albums are indeed essential. Funny that they could be considered underrated in that regard, but I reckon that's true! 999 was straight up punk to me, friends used to cover "Homicide," my fave. I need to circle back to Punishment of Luxury, never really clicked with those records.
@@Fastnbulbous1969 yeah 999 were much like Chelsea , Vibrators ,UK subs & others, but did have some great tracks . The early Simple Minds were really good ,but like Psychedelic Furs ,John Lydon, got lost in the '80s overproduction sound . I don't know if Punishment of Luxury actually fitted into any genre .
@deegee8645 I was going to support them in 'Bats over Milan', but we arrived late due to delays at Manchester airport, and they very graciously went on before us. Before we played, they all sincerely wished us good luck, and afterwords congratulated us despite the fact that I made a garing mistake at the start of ' Thursday's Child'. I have nothing but good things to say about them, 😊.
Glad to see the Chameleons on this list! Was a big fan in the 80s, but was then bewildered by the fact that I seemed to be the only one who knew about them. Saw them last year in Ardmore, PA: I was absolutely ecstatic to hear them live and they did not disappoint!
Wonderful video. Our bands sound is directly influenced by The Sound, The Chameleon, Xmal Deutschland and Lowlife. We actually got to directly open for the The Chameleons in October and godamn was it magical
Although Fad Gadget's overall sound was more synth punk and dark post punk, his technique and approach was respected by the industrial scene. In fact, he and Boyd Rice recorded one of my favorite industrial albums, "Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing". First wave industrial and post-punk had a lot in common, and in some cases were largely indistinguishable. Some artists who were part of the no wave scene, like Liquid Liquid and Annie Anxiety, were friends and collaborators with industrial musicians and had a similar vibe.
Thank you that serendipity coalesced with RUclips yet again to broaden my interest and research. Subscribed off the journalistic integrity of this one video. Listed some of these bands for necessary research amd inspiration for my artistic endeavors in Hip Hop. Intend to immerse in further videos at my leisure. Furtherance of prosperity to you.
And also to you! Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you found some new artists to check out. Through a hip hop lens, if you haven't already explored the Argentinian band Sumo, you may want to check them out... very groove-heavy post-punk with a unique sound!
@@eclecticism-uk Wow! No, I never heard of Sumo, but I intend to check them out at my leisure. Appreciate yet another put on. Each one, teach one. If you have any interest, my latest single/video for my upcoming LP, When Art Becomes Ugly Vol. 2. ruclips.net/video/BPWb3IwlPsw/видео.htmlsi=KiZVpa5rzOJa6L5S
Great video. I knew some, not others, and I learnt a lot. Please share more post-punk bands. Dog Faced Hermans, Dub Sex and King of the Slums,three British bands, are my suggestions for a future video.
Fad Gadget was very popular in the 80s as i remember and very influential to bands like Depeche Mode. Id also add Bill Nelson to your list, who had a remarkable solo career in the 80s.
I saw this page on my feed so I decided to drop by & OMG...I'm glad I did! I'm now a suscriber & I'm now exploring all bands on this list (especially Anja Huwe). THANK YOU! I thoroughly enjoyed the content.
Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you find some of my other videos you enjoy! Yeah, Xmal Deutschland is excellent... I still need to listen to her new solo album, and I keep letting other things distract me from it :D
I recommend Play Dead (the First Flower and From The Promised Land), The Passions, Modern Eon, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Theatre Of Hate, Crispy Ambulance, Southern Death Cult, and early Parade Ground falls under post-punk and their later 1980's stuff combined post-punk with EBM. Parade Ground around 1988-89 sounded like Echo & The Bunnymen meets Front 242.
Excellent work sir - only knew of about half of these. If you have time check out Swell Maps, Television Personalities and Alternative TV - they all fit the rubric, influential on later bands and still performing.
Thank you, and thanks for the recommendations! Swell Maps is great, and I also like Television Personalities. I've not heard Alternative TV, though. Is there an album you recommend starting with?
How did A Certain Ratio not make this list? If you haven't listened to them, the first three albums are a must. So many connections to Joy Division, it's never made sense to me that people don't know about them.
Oh yeah, they're great! They made the longer list, just not the 10 in this video... I was already thinking I'd need at least two videos to just cover my very favourites.
Enjoyed this video. The Chameleons' "Swamp Thing" is the greatest song ever recorded in my wee humble opinion. It still gets some play at your local goth watering hole, usually near the end of the set when the dancefloor has cleared out. Dancing alone to "Swamp Thing" beneath fog and flickering lights is among the most cathartic moments of my entire life.
Oh yeah, that's definitely a major standout! From the first guitar riff throughout the whole gradual buildup, it's so good. It was one of the first songs I put on the playlist for this video!
I know all the bands mentioned - thanks a lot for reminding them for fans of good music ... I had the pleasure of seeing X Mal Deutschland live - one of my favorites on this list! There are still plenty of non-English postpunk bands worth mentioning. Waiting for part II ;)
Thanks! Based on the response to part 1, it's safe to say there will be a part II :) And yes, I've seen a lot of non-English bands in the comments I wasn't aware of, so I've got some studying to do...
@@eclecticism-uk 213 / 5 000 thank you for your quick reply, I'll try to post a list of my suggestions - maybe you'll find something there that you can use for your and your listeners' joy by producing the next parts of postpunk diamonds ;)
Thanks! Since post punk is my favourite genre (on most days) there's a good chance I'll cover some more of the early overlooked bands like these... and some modern ones, too!
@@coughcool3 Funny enough, I was listening to "No Rest for the Wicked" yesterday. But you're right, I only know about of them because of a history of goth I read last year... I can't remember ever having them recommended to me!
Lowlife's Permanent Sleep and Diminuendo were big albums for me. The music on this video is live, but on record they had a deep, rich sound. Do a second video! My suggestion is AC Marias and their album "One of Our Girls Has Gone Missing" from 1988. AC was Angela Conway and this, her only album, was made with Wire's Bruce Gilbert. It's a haunted, minimalist, dream poppy sound and beautifully produced by the Mute Records gang.
Worth checking out (if you haven't already) - The Comsat Angels "Sleep No More", Minimal Compact "Raging Souls", Modern Eon "Fiction Tales", And Also the Trees (self titled). Sleep No More is probably my favorite album of all time - dark, moody, minimalistic... Minimal Compact had quite a few albums, and Raging Souls is my favorite - Produced by Colin Newman (WIRE) who was married to the bass player. Modern Eon released a few singles, and only one album in 1981 (a fantastic year for music) and last, And Also the Trees actually formed with the intent of opening for The Cure, and were very heavily influenced by Pornography - Their song "Impulse of Man" is absolutely worth a listen!
I feel so lucky I was able to see the Comsat Angels, Modern Eon, the Sound, Kowalski, the Cramps, Frank Tovey, and so many others, live, when they were just starting.
That's a good find! So far I've never come across them on vinyl, but when I do, any of those first 3 albums would be an instant buy. While working on editing this video I was listening to Tocsin a lot, and now I'd say it's probably my favourite!
@@eclecticism-ukAt the time, no one was really comparing Anja Huwe (pronounced HOO-vuh) and Siouxsie. There was more interest in them being a NDW band (like Fehlfarben) being signed outside Germany (unlike Fehlfarben). Saw Xmal Deutschland perform at Danceteria (1982? 1983?). They were great live; precise and austere.
Addendum: if I recall correctly, the real comparisons being made were between Xmal Deutschland and fellow NDW band Malaria! (exclamation point is part of their name).
I just want to point out that when Xmal Deutchland's "hit" is played in goth clubs, it's usually the remake, Incubus Succubus II, that is played, and not the original version.
Nice list. Thank you for the work that went into that. Fehlfarben Fan here. "Monarchie und Alltag" is widely considered as one of the most important and influential records recorded in german language - there is no later work that compares to that, but nevertheless I recommend "Glücksmaschinen" (2010), which I think is the best of the later albums with Peter Hein and it features some great songs like "Vielleicht Leute 5" or "Stadt der 1000 Tränen". I think they never came closer to MUA than on this album.
Thanks for sharing that, I'll give that album a spin! And I still need to listen more to "Monarchie" since it's still quite new to me, but they capture such an impressive range of styles. They're one of those bands that make me regret not being able to speak the language, since I've heard he's an amazing lyricist as well!
I feel like I never hear people talk about them, so I honestly don't know how I found out about them. But yes, way better than you would expect given how few people know about them!
Fad Gadget definitely underated these days. I saw him live when he was doing a comeback in 2002 , shortly before his unexpected death. Check out Lady Shave, originally released as a b-side but his best track imho.
@@Morphstock O! The magnificence of Fad Gadget...a thousand new ideas on each album. He lost some of the magic when he dropped the Fad Gadget moniker and recorded under his real name Frank Tovey, but...nothing can tarnish the luster of those Fad Gadget recordings. His early death felt particularly cruel to me.
Also should be heard... Scottish band, The Wake. Initially (1982), on Factory Records, and with Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie on bass. Early stuff comparable to a gothy NewOrder, circa Movement. 2nd album.. some beautifully melancholic, melodic guitar/synthy stuff. Later releases (1988) on indie-guitar label, Sarah Records.
whilst Mark Burgess & John Lever were the gothy dark The Sun & Moon , The Chameleons’ guitars Dave Fielding & Reg Smithies & Gary Lavery as vocals became THE REEGS whom were def more upbeat & 90s Manchester Baggy meets Art Pop . Fielding & Co add a dark heartfelt vibe to acoustic guitar heavy tunes ,strong on catchy tunes /gorgeous melodies / poppy hooks over drum machine . a compilation of their 2 albums has Daves’ unmistakable artwork. that’s all i need to add to your great work .best of luck for growing this channel fella 😃❤️from nr Bournemouth sw england 🍒
How about The Gun Club, Pere Ubu, The Residents, Wire, Magazine, Cabaret Voltaire, Lydia Lunch, Tuxedomoon, Big Black, Danielle Dax, or The Cassandra Complex? Also Polish band Sikiera and their great album Nova Alexandria, recorded from behind the Iron Curtain in 1986! Edit: How about doing a video on the influences that led to Postpunk and Goth: The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Nico/John Cale, Roxy Music, Modern Lovers, Can, Neu etc.
Thanks for the idea, that would be a fun one to do! I'll definitely find an opportunity to cover a lot of those bands... I was stunned The Gun Club had few enough listeners to qualify for this list, but I'd also like to get around to bands you'd want to explore when first getting into post-punk.
I definitely thought about both of them for this one! There will likely be a follow-up to this, though. I could also see Mission of Burma fitting into a video on the development of alternative rock in the 80's. Thanks, glad, you enjoyed the video!
Check out Danse Society. They were a great mix of goth, synth, dub and tribal dance beats. They were fine until they tried to become famous (with a Stock Aitken Waterman produced single), which obviosly was the beginning of the end for them. Their first singles Clock and There´s No Shame In Death is a classic. Their first two albums Seduction and Heaven Is Waiting are also very good.
Yeah, they're quite good, and were definitely considered for this list! I think I've only heard "Heaven is Waiting," though, so I'll need to explore them some more... maybe a consideration for part 2 of the list :)
Great list! Thrilled to see Xmal Deutschland mentioned - one of faves from those days... first heard them on college radio in '87 with 'Crescent Moon'. Consider checking out Gene Loves Jezebel's first two albums - 'Promise' and 'Immigrant' both before their sound got too commercial... they're among my faves from that time.
Excellent video. Fills in a ton of gaps I didn't even know existed, much of it, (to my shame), from a period in which I was a music journalist(!) For some reason I rejected Sonic Youth early on. Now I've no idea why. And some of the asides... 'Godspeed You! Black Emperor' I'd never heard of. I'm now hooked.
Well, if I got someone new started on exploring Godspeed You! Black Emperor with this one, I'm gonna call it a success! If you're looking for more, also check out a side project of the band called Silver Mt. Zion. They have some terrific stuff! When it comes to Sonic Youth, I feel like their artsiness (especially early on) might've kept some people from giving them a chance, but the album EVOL is a really good balance of their experimental side and some genuinely excellent songwriting. That one and Bad Moon Rising tend to fight for my choice of favourite by them!
Post punk, No-Wave, and Goth rock bands I like who are even more underrated than the ones you listed are: I'm So Hollow, Dolly Mixture, Glaxo-Babies, Jonee Jonee (two great songs, Bolex Camera and I Like Rich People), Vertigo, No Trend, Anemic Boyfriends, Scott Puffer, The Hand Grenades, Wilma, Emily XYZ, Lounge Lizards, Swinging Madisons, The Model Citizens, Pink Section, and Noh Mercy.
Another criminally underrated post-punk band I failed to mention is The Pop Group with only 14.3K monthly Spotify listeners. Also what’s the deal with “Strange Times” by The Chameleons not available on streaming in America?? Thank God I have the record at least
I can't believe The Pop Group have so few listeners. They are essential listening for this genre. Maybe it's because those of us that like them all have their vinyl releases?
dude, you know you did the list right when it attracts comments from thoughtful, learned folks! i got a chance to see the chameleons in tucson, in small club= mental. truly cured my depression for months. also, to find some on spotify is rad.
That sounds like an amazing show! I've still not seen The Chameleons live, but it's definitely a goal... and now that I'm in the UK, I feel like my odds are much better than they used to be :D
Great video and really well researched. Will be giving some of these a listen, particularly The Sound. I can appreciate the early days for the influence and tailwinds, but generally like those bands/projects who were influenced by them, sometimes more than 2 generations distant. Another band that contributed early on, but ended up going in different directions, was The Cult / Southern Death Cult. They had a lot of influence on both the postpunk and big arena rock phenomena.
I learned about Southern Death Cult pretty recently, and I do still need to spend more time exploring them, along with the later stuff as The Cult. Somehow The Cult was always on my radar, but I never took the time to get into them!
The Creatures, Dali's Car, The Glove, Easterhouse, Fun Boy Three, Grauzone, Half Man Half Biscuit, It's Immaterial, The Jazz Butcher, The Neats, New Model Army, the Primitives, Red Guitars, Rose of Avalanche, The Very Things, Wipers.
I'm surprised that this is (I think?) the first time someone has mentioned Wipers! Along with The Gun Club, they're one of my very favourites that aren't either too popular or included in this one. New Model Army is also a terrific band!
It's nice to see that there are so many groups on this list I actually know - Fehlfarben, X-mal Deutschland, The Chameleons and Fad Gadget. Would I like to see more of underrated Goth and Post-Punk bands? Certainly! Yes, please!
Good list, All solid choices. Xmal, Au Pairs & Liquid Liquid are fantastic. For me I would have Bush Tetras, Pylon & Delta 5 in there. Among a bunch of others.
Yeah, it's great to see that she's active again! It's interesting how it feels from this comments section like a lot of people love them, yet I feel like I've rarely heard them mentioned. Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Love it! Great job. The Rateyourmusic page actually does a good job of covering The Astronauts' discography (first two and a comp are on Bandcamp), all the way up to 2023! Another recent discovery for me is Orchestre Rouge, French band with American vocalist, who went on with Passion Fodder in a Bad Seeds direction. Fehlfarben was recommended to me by the same bloke. Of their first three albums, I like the debut Monarchy and Everyday Life the most. Music For Pleasure, Kowalski and KaS Product are also new to me. Modern Eon has a lot of listeners now because their album was reissued on Cherry Red in '22 and there's a Musical Guide by Andrew Keeling that came out around the same time, along with one on Comsat Angels. Strange, I featured The Au Pairs heavily on my post-punk radio show in the late 80s and people seemed clued into them due to CD reissues, and bands citing them as an influence. I guess there hasn't been reissues or attention on them for a while. Since you included, as you say, the most well known of the underated, The Chameleons (who just played Strange Times in it's entirety at Levitation two weeks ago, good show, with March Violets opening), I'd add The Comsat Angels, who are often grouped with The Sound (Renascent was the first to reissue both bands on CD for the first time in early 00s). Comsats were originally a bit higher profile, with their first three albums charting in the UK top 100 when The Sound never did. However, The Sound are benefitting from multiple reissues, a documentary and two books. I recommend the recent book on Adrian Borland by Simon Heavisides, Destiny Stopped Screaming. Also the first three Sound albums are being reissued by Rhino on colored vinyl on Nov 29. Apparently UK only but you can pre-order on Amzn for domestic prices. I first learned about Ludus from Simon Reynolds, who I was corresponding with while he was working on his Rip It Up book. Them and The Passage (who he also covers in his book) are very cool, but can be a bit tough to get into, like The Pop Group. My faves: 1. The Sound 2. The Comsat Angels (21,524) 3. The Chameleons 4. Opposition (2,304) 5. Modern Eon (20,731) 6. And Also The Trees (17,332) 7. Sad Lovers and Giants (136,112) 8. Breathless (1,399) 9. Lowlife 10. For Against (7,790) 11. Orchestre Rouge (not on Spotify) 12. Scars (1,577) 13. Asylum Party 14. Music For Pleasure (207) 15. The Passage (1,070) 16. Sort Sol (82,236) 17. Crispy Ambulance (1,625) 18. Fehlfarben 19. The Stockholm Monsters (2,104) 20. Nyam Nyam (111) Bubbling under: The Sleepers, The Method Actors, Tuxedomoon.
Funnily enough, I found out about Ludus from Simon Reynolds as well! I read that book a few years ago and found a lot of great bands through it... I've only seen anyone mention Ludus one time outside of that, when discussing another band that was almost included here, Paraf. Your list has quite a few I was thinking about including. The Comsat Angels have several great albums. And Also the Trees is excellent, and For Against is very under-known! Ooh, thanks for pointing out the reissues of those albums by The Sound. I only have one album by them in my collection, and it's the "Counting the Days" comp. Which is fine, but definitely not as necessary as those first three!
@@eclecticism-uk Paraf from Croatia, I gotta check them out, thanks! I'm excited for all the people who will hear The Sound for the first time. If you're in the UK, the reissues can be pre-ordered at Rough Trade and Piccadilly. Don't sleep on the third album, All Fall Down, which is also vastly underrated. It's more experimental, but still great. The Borland book, Destiny Stopped Screaming, is great for some deep listening of the entire catalog.
@@Fastnbulbous1969 God, those Rough Trade prices.... I'm so used to buying used, but I'll probably still get those first three. I never see them for a good price used anyway!
The Astronauts... Mark was a good friend, many of them have been over the years. So sad he passed away last year, hard working and inspirational human being. He almost single handedly nurtured every band from welwyn for years
Saw Xmal Deutschland around 84 and they were superb. I was pleasantly surprised to see Lowlife featured. I was in a band in the 80s on the same label as them (Nightshift).😊
The Astronauts were a surf rock band from Boulder Colorado, formed in 1961. Originally formed as The Stormtroupers before adding two members and the name change.
Fad Gadget: The first name on this list I recognised, at least right away! I don't know what that says about me! 😆 Listening to it now, I realise I may have found Fad Gadget through industrial and EBM! Gonna keep watching now, this is a wonderfully interesting video! ❤
Thanks, glad you enjoyed this! I discovered industrial music before goth, now that I think back on it, although I didn't understand the differences well enough to really know. Some of the first early 80's bands I was aware of were Bauhaus, Ministry, and Cabaret Voltaire, probably through my interest in Nine Inch Nails... as much hate as he gets from a lot of people into industrial, NIN was a gateway for a lot of 90's kids like I was :)
I still want to see them live, the timing just hasn't worked out yet (despite being in the UK now). From what I've seen online, it looks like they're still amazing live!
Check out the Shop Assistants. They were a punk band but perhaps 5 years too late. Their lead singer sadly died and only 10 years later did the music world find out. Safety Net and Somewhere in China are 2 great singles. Another great band was the Young Marble Giants - very distinctive sound.
I'm not familiar with the Shop Assistants. Thanks for the rec, I'll look into them! And yes, Young Marble Giants are a very unique group. "Colossal Youth" is excellent!
Great video. This is the type of video I love to see. I agree with you. How in the world can the Au Pairs have such a low listener count? I think the band Stockholm Monsters is criminally underrated/underlistened to.
Wow, I've never heard of Stockholm Monsters before. But I feel like if I came across the record sleeve for Alma Mater in the wild, I'd buy it just out of curiosity, it's got a great cover! This is on the queue to try out, thanks for the rec!
@@eclecticism-uk Have you heard of *Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons?* Yes, that was a real band, from Sweden in the early 80s. Hard to describe, sort of low-fi humorous goth music. Very catchy and endearing. Their short discography was compiled on "Screams to God" and "Best Off" (basically the same tracklist on both records).
Great list! Nice to see Au Pairs on there especially, as they don’t get talked about nearly as much as they should. I’ve been into post-punk since back in the day and have dug very deep over the years. A few hidden UK gems would include the Passions (“Michael and Miranda”), the Passage (“Pindrop”), Blue Orchids (“The Greatest Hit”), Artery (“Oceans”), Nightingales (“Pigs on Purpose”), Section 25 (“Always Now”), and the first Modern English album (“Mesh and Lace”). But where it got even more interesting for me was discovering some amazing post-punk bands from such far flung places as Brazil, Iceland, Japan, and Eastern Europe. Also quite a lot more hidden gems from various European countries, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. I’ll put together a list & follow up here if you’re interested.
Thanks for the comment! I'm definitely interested in learning about more artists from outside of the US/UK. I thought about including Sumo on here until I realised they actually have a huge number of listeners, but my knowledge of bands other than them are very focused on the UK for early post punk. Any good recs or playlists would be appreciated!
A very difficult topic as there were so many of these bands/artists who deserved so much more! Regardless, job well done and have to agree with Jim….The Comsat Angels would have fit nicely into your set!
I'm enjoying your videos, thank you. So happy to see the Au Pairs on this pass--fucking fantastic band! (BTW "Au" is said more like "oh" being French and all). I'd say Liquid Liquid was solidly in the Post Punk category--though that wasn't a handle that was much used at the time. It was a big tent and it had to be to contain the variety and explosiveness of that time! I too think you should continue with some more of these bands. I don't understand how you are measuring your criteria for "underrated" but check out the Fire Engines (Scotland), Virgin Prunes (Ireland), Carsickness (Pennsylvania), Mission of Burma (Massachusetts), Medium Medium (England), Kleenx (Switzerland--renamed Lilliput after a law suit), Human Sexual Response (Massachusetts), the Bush Tetras (NYC), and I'll second (or third?) the call for early Siimple Minds (Scotland)--absolutely phenomenal stuff. Please keep up the good work. Thanks very much!
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying them! Haha, I was worried about mispronouncing the German, and then I messed up on the French, too... For this one, it was just "Do they have less spotify listeners than The Sound?" and everyone below that was fair game. A few of those are on my longer list, like Virgin Prunes, Mission of Burma, Kleenex, Bush Tetras. I've not heard of a couple, though, so I'll have to check them out! And yeah, one problem with this system of measurement is that it doesn't take into account that bands like Simple Minds or The Human League are known for their later, more commericial sounding stuff, and many people might not know about their earlier more experimental work. I wonder if that could be a topic in itself, actually!
I totally agree with Paul ist tot. Yet I like their album 33 Tage in Ketten a bit more, maybe because the songs are not so popular (ie more underground) as maybe Ein Jahr
Pleasantly surprised to see The Astronauts on the list, I lent the money to put out the Mirrors album, Mark was a lovely bloke if a little scatter-brained. Most post-punk bands only released singles but it was a very fertile time for music.
The first half of the 80's feels like an amazing time to have been involved in music, especially because of the various developments that came from punk. It does seem like an incredibly fertile time in music. How did the album do at the time?
@@eclecticism-uk Their gigs were always very well attended back then! I had a copy of both the albums and listened to them a lot, as well as going to all the gigs I could.
I wish I'd really understood what it was while I was still enough to listen.. I owned a Smashing Pumpkins 'Peel Sessions' EP and some other stuff from Peel sessions without realising what the name was even referencing. He definitely gave more exposure to a lot of amazing bands for decades.
I discovered Liquid Liquid when I was a club DJ. "White lines" was a big club song, and I eventually learned where the melody came from. Didn't know about the lawsuit, though. I guess I should blame Sugarhill mire than Mellie Mel, but it does put a bit of a damper on my feelings about "White Lines". It's a shame it turned out that way.
Yeah, I don't think Melle Mel really deserves blame, since he wasn't even the composer of the beat. To me, it's more or less just a culture clash... you have Sugar Hill making choices when sampling law wasn't super-clear, and even having the music re-created with a new band (not technically sampling). But also obviously copying the music quite closely. Then you have 99 Records pursuing it to the point of not being able to keep their label afloat. I feel like both labels share a bit of the blame for how things happened, and it's just a shame that bands went down with the labels.
Very cool video! I recommend the Italians Diaframma (on Spotify, about 32000 listeners) and in particular their first album Siberia (1984) and the eponymous song.
Excellent video man!! I’m so happy you included The Sound and The Chameleons. Two of my all-time favorite bands! Great list! Here’s a couple other HIGHLY underrated post-punk bands from the late 70s/early 80s. I also included Spotify monthly listeners. 1. The Passage - 1,081 listeners 2. The Opposition - 2,296 listeners 3. Theatre of Hate - 7,942 listeners 4. Modern Eon - 21K listeners 5. The Comsat Angels - 21.7 listeners 6. Pere Ubu - 29.8K listeners 7. Sad Lovers & Giants - 136.9K listeners 8. Orange Juice - 192.9K listeners
Wow, are The Comsat Angels really that low? I should've looked them up apparently. They're great and pretty accessible too, so I would've thought they'd be up in the 70 or 80,000's. I've seen a couple people recommend The Passage and I don't think I've heard them before, so I'll have to check them out!
@ Oh dude The Comsat Angels are phenomenal! Funny enough I’ve made my wife a fan haha. I can tell you exactly why they don’t have more monthly Spotify listeners, none of there studio albums are available… There are only 2 volume compilations of their “Lost Session” demos. Doesn’t help the sound quality is HORRIBLY muddied and rough to listen to. Instead I just pull them up on RUclips or put on one of their records.
The Passage was an incredibly quirky and schizophrenic English band that made a brief splash by only dropping 4 studio albums from 1980-1983. This group was a trio of dudes that mainly played synth and bass driven music with a manic percussionist who really fueled that unhinged chaos. They rarely added guitar if ever to their sound. The best way to sum up their unique sound is “suspenseful.” Hope you enjoy them!
@@venezoom They're awesome, part of the touching pop movement among Mary Goes Round and Little Nemo, great bands! I so want the transparent red Boderline vinyl! Have you listened to any of the modern wave of bands inspired by them? Agnes Circle, Palissade or Topographies?
Sad Lovers and Giants were VERY close to being on this list, and I should probably add at least one track to the playlist. When I do a follow-up, I'd be surprised if I don't include them! I've never heard The Snake Corps, though, thanks for the recommendation...I'll check them out!
@eclecticism-uk a couple of them split from SLAG including the guitarist, they're very good! Calling You and Colder than the Kiss are a couple songs, they also have their version of In Flux as well. For SLAG I would say Imagination is my favorite, many great tunes also.
Great list. The Chameleons don't get anywhere enough attention. If you haven't already heard of them, check out Hangwire. They are a new post-punk band from Uruguay. I stumbled across them earlier this year and absolutely love their music.
Thanks for covering Fad Gadget, I was a huge fan and got to see him live back in the day too, unfortunately Frank died back in 2002. Another couple of bands definitely worth checking out are Positive Noise (from Scotland) and Get Smart! (from the USA).
@@eclecticism-uk You got it perfectly right to my French ears, don't worry about that. ("Au" will be pronounced like you do with an open "o" sound - like in "off" or "love" - in the South of France and with a closed "o" - like in "pause" - in the North, including Paris, basically. Everybody will understand you no matter where.)
Fun video! If you like Liquid liquid and Ludus, you have to check out The Ex (active for 40 years so far: try Blueprint for a Blackout and Rambling at the Lock [with jazz 'cello], but many other great ones as well), and Laibach (highly heterogeneous, but some gems). Also consider Eyeless in Gaza for more wavy act. LOVE Fad Gadget (Under the Flag is so great) as well as X-mal. Also surprised with low count on Au Pairs.
Oh, Eyeless in Gaza is great! I was listening to them a lot while working on this video, actually, but since they're still pretty new to me I decided to hold off on talking about them for now. Laibach is another band I only heard about recently, and so far I've struggled to get into them, but I'm not giving up yet :) I know a few people have mentioned The Ex, so they're on my short list to try out soon! Blueprints for a Blackout has a great cover... I wonder if the similarity to "Dirk Wears White Sox" was intentional.
I do like Comsat Angels, but for whatever random reason, they didn't stay on this list as I kept cutting it down. They're likely to make it into the follow-up, whenever I get around to making it!
I’d add Psyche and UK Decay to this too. I’ll definitely be checking out some of the bands listed. I already love The Chameleons and know a few others but not well so will go back to listen more.
I've heard UK Decay come up before but haven't heard them yet. I'll have to check them out, and Psyche is new to me too. Thanks for watching, I hope you like some of the bands that are new to you!
Месяц назад
Every list like this is incomplete if you don't include And Also The Trees, who started in the early 80s, became associated with Cure, but always flew under the radar. They never stopped making great music, have always had a distinct style and are one of the best live bands around. Definitely worth checking out!
You could've also stopped after the first six words and been correct :D Yeah, they're excellent, I've been listening to their first four albums a lot lately. Before making this one, I was already thinking it would have to be at least a 2-parter, so I left out some of my very favourites that could have fit the topic. I held off on And Also the Trees so I'd have time to explore more of their later albums, which I've ignored for too long!
Fine job sir. The Astronauts tune you played in the end sounded pretty much like straight Punk. Funny that the band looked like your typical 70's band. Only knew half of the bands you listed, though Fad Gadget has been one of my favorites for decades. Low Life is another great pull. Further evidence and proof that the 80's were the best decade for music.
I thought the same thing about that Astronauts song... the studio version of that song sounds completely different! I definitely respect Mark's approach of just doing whatever he wanted to do musically. I'm always torn between the 80's and the 70's as the best decade for music, but my recent fascination with goth and industrial has definitely made the 80's feel like it's in the lead!
Thanks so much for all the great comments and recommendations! Obviously, no list of 10 underrated post-punk bands will even cover the really, really good ones, and I have every intention of doing a "Part II"... not right away, but in a bit!
When I watch this one, I remember how sick I was while writing, recording, and editing it, and I see all the spots I could've made better, so I appreciate the positive feedback it's gotten.
Usually, I use this spot to mention any corrections to the content. I wish I'd mentioned Neue Deutsche Welle when I brought up Fehlfarben, since they were certainly part of a German wave that was sonically connected to post-punk but had its own identity as well. That's the only correction so far. Also, for those of you who don't think of U2 as a post-punk band... go listen to "Boy" and "October". I'm not sharing a hot take, this is a fact!
The Comsat Angels is another great forgotten Post-Punk band
@JimJWalker I was very fortunate to support them in 'Second Skin' at the O2 in London and (forgive me) somewhere in Glasgow (thanks to John Lever) at a venue where 'Bats for Lashes' where playing the same evening. There were huge cues outside which I initially thought were for us, 😊.
They were very generous with us and it was a lovely experience (2009/10,?).
Addled, apologies, 🔥😎
I was thinking exactly the same.
As heard on the “Real Genius” soundtrack, and practically nowhere else!!
Nice job giving some attention to the Sound and the Chameleons, amongst others. A few other post-punk era bands who are “under-rated” and often overlooked include New Model Army, Comsat Angels, The Wipers, The Pop Group, The Teardrop Explodes, For Against, and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, as well as a couple more that are even more obscure: Crispy Ambulance, ESG, and 23 Skidoo.
I think our tastes match up pretty well since all of those other than ESG were on my longer list... and with them, it's only because they have too many listeners! They were a good 30K over The Sound, which really caught me off guard. I expected them to be very overlooked.
Saw NMA a few years ago. And I have a 12" of She is Byond Good and Evil by The Pop Group. Very jarring sound!!!
ESG isn't obscure at all. 23 Skidoo and Crispy Ambulance (Factory Records) on the other hand... for sure. For Against was good. I think they were from Indiana.
Love the Sound and the Chameleons!!
Two of the greatest bands of their time, and they're so often mentioned in the same breath that they SHARE a Facebook community!
@@meatrace The Chameleons are still the greatest band even now.
Strange Times is my favourite Chameleons album, too! Thanks for giving them some love.
I'm also surprised by Fad Gadget's low-ish listener count.
But the coolest thing is that some of these bands have only been on the periphery of my awareness & now I have several I want to explore. Thank you!
Looking forward to your eventual Part II...
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :) Yes, I'm surprised how rarely that one's brought up as a favourite from the Chameleons, although I feel like those first three are all pretty well respected.
I'm glad you found a few new ones in here to explore! Enjoy, and I'll definitely have some more post-punk/goth videos soon... A new one came out today, in fact
Simple Minds first four albums are superb post punk however their eighties sound transformation made everyone forget how amazing their early stuff is.Also 999 have pretty much been forgotten and Punishment of Luxury too..... Essential Logic! Beranek! Oh dear, its endless...
Simple Minds' early albums are indeed essential. Funny that they could be considered underrated in that regard, but I reckon that's true! 999 was straight up punk to me, friends used to cover "Homicide," my fave. I need to circle back to Punishment of Luxury, never really clicked with those records.
@@Fastnbulbous1969 yeah 999 were much like Chelsea , Vibrators ,UK subs & others, but did have some great tracks . The early Simple Minds were really good ,but like Psychedelic Furs ,John Lydon, got lost in the '80s overproduction sound .
I don't know if Punishment of Luxury actually fitted into any genre .
Same with early OMD
Simple Minds, really? Dull, middle of the road pop rock.
@@jayeee2756 Yeah really. Remove yourself from 1985, go back to 79-81 and report back.
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, 80s postpunk from Leeds UK, should be heard
Oh yeah, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry is excellent!
Only here to nag about people not talking about The Lorries enough 😛
@deegee8645 I was going to support them in 'Bats over Milan', but we arrived late due to delays at Manchester airport, and they very graciously went on before us. Before we played, they all sincerely wished us good luck, and afterwords congratulated us despite the fact that I made a garing mistake at the start of ' Thursday's Child'. I have nothing but good things to say about them, 😊.
I clicked on this video thinking to myself "will he say red lorry yellow lorry?"
Saw them support Killing Joke in the 80s.
Glad to see the Chameleons on this list! Was a big fan in the 80s, but was then bewildered by the fact that I seemed to be the only one who knew about them. Saw them last year in Ardmore, PA: I was absolutely ecstatic to hear them live and they did not disappoint!
Wonderful video. Our bands sound is directly influenced by The Sound, The Chameleon, Xmal Deutschland and Lowlife. We actually got to directly open for the The Chameleons in October and godamn was it magical
chameleons were such an influence on me too.
Discovered your music through this comment, you guys are great!
shameless plug, you're goooood
Nobody cares about your band
Just checked out your stuff.. Bravo.
Although Fad Gadget's overall sound was more synth punk and dark post punk, his technique and approach was respected by the industrial scene. In fact, he and Boyd Rice recorded one of my favorite industrial albums, "Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing". First wave industrial and post-punk had a lot in common, and in some cases were largely indistinguishable. Some artists who were part of the no wave scene, like Liquid Liquid and Annie Anxiety, were friends and collaborators with industrial musicians and had a similar vibe.
Thank you that serendipity coalesced with RUclips yet again to broaden my interest and research. Subscribed off the journalistic integrity of this one video. Listed some of these bands for necessary research amd inspiration for my artistic endeavors in Hip Hop. Intend to immerse in further videos at my leisure. Furtherance of prosperity to you.
And also to you! Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you found some new artists to check out. Through a hip hop lens, if you haven't already explored the Argentinian band Sumo, you may want to check them out... very groove-heavy post-punk with a unique sound!
@@eclecticism-uk Wow! No, I never heard of Sumo, but I intend to check them out at my leisure. Appreciate yet another put on. Each one, teach one. If you have any interest, my latest single/video for my upcoming LP, When Art Becomes Ugly Vol. 2. ruclips.net/video/BPWb3IwlPsw/видео.htmlsi=KiZVpa5rzOJa6L5S
Thanks for your intro to the Chameleons! You have opened a can of worms…. Great channel 👍
Thank you! Enjoy, they've got a lot of great work to explore :)
Great to see Lowlife gets a mention. So underrated and often overlooked - never mentioned in any articles about Scottish bands.
Great video. I knew some, not others, and I learnt a lot. Please share more post-punk bands. Dog Faced Hermans, Dub Sex and King of the Slums,three British bands, are my suggestions for a future video.
Fad Gadget was very popular in the 80s as i remember and very influential to bands like Depeche Mode.
Id also add Bill Nelson to your list, who had a remarkable solo career in the 80s.
Sadly, Fad Gadget was set to open on DM's world tour when Frank passed away.
I saw Fad Gadget at my university back in the 1980s
Bill Nelson is a genius
From the list, The Chameleons, Xmal Deutschland, Fad Gadget, and Lowlife are bands I once loved, and still do. ❤
I saw this page on my feed so I decided to drop by & OMG...I'm glad I did! I'm now a suscriber & I'm now exploring all bands on this list (especially Anja Huwe). THANK YOU! I thoroughly enjoyed the content.
Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you find some of my other videos you enjoy! Yeah, Xmal Deutschland is excellent... I still need to listen to her new solo album, and I keep letting other things distract me from it :D
I recommend Play Dead (the First Flower and From The Promised Land), The Passions, Modern Eon, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Theatre Of Hate, Crispy Ambulance, Southern Death Cult, and early Parade Ground falls under post-punk and their later 1980's stuff combined post-punk with EBM. Parade Ground around 1988-89 sounded like Echo & The Bunnymen meets Front 242.
Lords of the New Church.
Excellent work sir - only knew of about half of these. If you have time check out Swell Maps, Television Personalities and Alternative TV - they all fit the rubric, influential on later bands and still performing.
Thank you, and thanks for the recommendations! Swell Maps is great, and I also like Television Personalities. I've not heard Alternative TV, though. Is there an album you recommend starting with?
How did A Certain Ratio not make this list? If you haven't listened to them, the first three albums are a must. So many connections to Joy Division, it's never made sense to me that people don't know about them.
Oh yeah, they're great! They made the longer list, just not the 10 in this video... I was already thinking I'd need at least two videos to just cover my very favourites.
Enjoyed this video. The Chameleons' "Swamp Thing" is the greatest song ever recorded in my wee humble opinion. It still gets some play at your local goth watering hole, usually near the end of the set when the dancefloor has cleared out. Dancing alone to "Swamp Thing" beneath fog and flickering lights is among the most cathartic moments of my entire life.
Oh yeah, that's definitely a major standout! From the first guitar riff throughout the whole gradual buildup, it's so good. It was one of the first songs I put on the playlist for this video!
I know all the bands mentioned - thanks a lot for reminding them for fans of good music ... I had the pleasure of seeing X Mal Deutschland live - one of my favorites on this list! There are still plenty of non-English postpunk bands worth mentioning. Waiting for part II ;)
Thanks! Based on the response to part 1, it's safe to say there will be a part II :) And yes, I've seen a lot of non-English bands in the comments I wasn't aware of, so I've got some studying to do...
@@eclecticism-uk 213 / 5 000
thank you for your quick reply, I'll try to post a list of my suggestions - maybe you'll find something there that you can use for your and your listeners' joy by producing the next parts of postpunk diamonds ;)
Always liked the heavy dark bass guitars in post-punk and goth. Darkwave too
I’m all for you doing more bands 🖤
totally agree
Thanks! Since post punk is my favourite genre (on most days) there's a good chance I'll cover some more of the early overlooked bands like these... and some modern ones, too!
@@eclecticism-uka band I’m fond of that I don’t think gets much attention is New Model Army. At least in the US no one seems to know them.
@@coughcool3 Funny enough, I was listening to "No Rest for the Wicked" yesterday. But you're right, I only know about of them because of a history of goth I read last year... I can't remember ever having them recommended to me!
Lowlife's Permanent Sleep and Diminuendo were big albums for me. The music on this video is live, but on record they had a deep, rich sound. Do a second video! My suggestion is AC Marias and their album "One of Our Girls Has Gone Missing" from 1988. AC was Angela Conway and this, her only album, was made with Wire's Bruce Gilbert. It's a haunted, minimalist, dream poppy sound and beautifully produced by the Mute Records gang.
Worth checking out (if you haven't already) - The Comsat Angels "Sleep No More", Minimal Compact "Raging Souls", Modern Eon "Fiction Tales", And Also the Trees (self titled). Sleep No More is probably my favorite album of all time - dark, moody, minimalistic... Minimal Compact had quite a few albums, and Raging Souls is my favorite - Produced by Colin Newman (WIRE) who was married to the bass player. Modern Eon released a few singles, and only one album in 1981 (a fantastic year for music) and last, And Also the Trees actually formed with the intent of opening for The Cure, and were very heavily influenced by Pornography - Their song "Impulse of Man" is absolutely worth a listen!
'Shaletown' by And Also the Trees is also a masterpiece...
for sure Minimal Compact is an excellent band and really underrated
B Movie, Modern English, Wire, Nasmak (Dutch band, their album 4our Clicks is fantastic), the Fall, Gang of Four etcetera
I feel so lucky I was able to see the Comsat Angels, Modern Eon, the Sound, Kowalski, the Cramps, Frank Tovey, and so many others, live, when they were just starting.
found modern eon by random chance a few weeks ago. theyre great and very obscure indeed!
Thanks for the call out for Xmal Deutschland. Great overlooked band. I recently purchase Tocsin on vinyl. Regret not seeing them back in the 80s.
That's a good find! So far I've never come across them on vinyl, but when I do, any of those first 3 albums would be an instant buy. While working on editing this video I was listening to Tocsin a lot, and now I'd say it's probably my favourite!
@@eclecticism-ukAt the time, no one was really comparing Anja Huwe (pronounced HOO-vuh) and Siouxsie. There was more interest in them being a NDW band (like Fehlfarben) being signed outside Germany (unlike Fehlfarben). Saw Xmal Deutschland perform at Danceteria (1982? 1983?). They were great live; precise and austere.
Addendum: if I recall correctly, the real comparisons being made were between Xmal Deutschland and fellow NDW band Malaria! (exclamation point is part of their name).
I just want to point out that when Xmal Deutchland's "hit" is played in goth clubs, it's usually the remake, Incubus Succubus II, that is played, and not the original version.
@@eclecticism-uk I am endeavouring to find an affordable copy of Fetisch on vinyl. They are like gold dust.
Nice list. Thank you for the work that went into that. Fehlfarben Fan here. "Monarchie und Alltag" is widely considered as one of the most important and influential records recorded in german language - there is no later work that compares to that, but nevertheless I recommend "Glücksmaschinen" (2010), which I think is the best of the later albums with Peter Hein and it features some great songs like "Vielleicht Leute 5" or "Stadt der 1000 Tränen". I think they never came closer to MUA than on this album.
Thanks for sharing that, I'll give that album a spin! And I still need to listen more to "Monarchie" since it's still quite new to me, but they capture such an impressive range of styles. They're one of those bands that make me regret not being able to speak the language, since I've heard he's an amazing lyricist as well!
I JUST found Lowlife on Spotify a few weeks ago. I don't know how I missed this band. They are great.
I feel like I never hear people talk about them, so I honestly don't know how I found out about them. But yes, way better than you would expect given how few people know about them!
Fad Gadget definitely underated these days. I saw him live when he was doing a comeback in 2002 , shortly before his unexpected death. Check out Lady Shave, originally released as a b-side but his best track imho.
@@Morphstock O! The magnificence of Fad Gadget...a thousand new ideas on each album. He lost some of the magic when he dropped the Fad Gadget moniker and recorded under his real name Frank Tovey, but...nothing can tarnish the luster of those Fad Gadget recordings. His early death felt particularly cruel to me.
Rickys Hand is my favourite. Bought the single back in the day.
Also should be heard... Scottish band, The Wake.
Initially (1982), on Factory Records, and with Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie on bass.
Early stuff comparable to a gothy NewOrder, circa Movement.
2nd album.. some beautifully melancholic, melodic guitar/synthy stuff.
Later releases (1988) on indie-guitar label, Sarah Records.
whilst Mark Burgess & John Lever were the gothy dark The Sun & Moon , The Chameleons’ guitars Dave Fielding & Reg Smithies & Gary Lavery as vocals became THE REEGS whom were def more upbeat & 90s Manchester Baggy meets Art Pop . Fielding & Co add a dark heartfelt vibe to acoustic guitar heavy tunes ,strong on catchy tunes /gorgeous melodies / poppy hooks over drum machine . a compilation of their 2 albums has Daves’ unmistakable artwork.
that’s all i need to add to your great work .best of luck for growing this channel fella
😃❤️from nr Bournemouth sw england 🍒
How about The Gun Club, Pere Ubu, The Residents, Wire, Magazine, Cabaret Voltaire, Lydia Lunch, Tuxedomoon, Big Black, Danielle Dax, or The Cassandra Complex? Also Polish band Sikiera and their great album Nova Alexandria, recorded from behind the Iron Curtain in 1986!
Edit: How about doing a video on the influences that led to Postpunk and Goth: The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Nico/John Cale, Roxy Music, Modern Lovers, Can, Neu etc.
Thanks for the idea, that would be a fun one to do! I'll definitely find an opportunity to cover a lot of those bands... I was stunned The Gun Club had few enough listeners to qualify for this list, but I'd also like to get around to bands you'd want to explore when first getting into post-punk.
Great call on Danielle Dax. Dark Adapted Eye is so underrated.
Great vid , a few I didn’t know. I only saw one mention of Pylon in the comments and none for Mission of Burma.
I definitely thought about both of them for this one! There will likely be a follow-up to this, though. I could also see Mission of Burma fitting into a video on the development of alternative rock in the 80's. Thanks, glad, you enjoyed the video!
Check out Danse Society. They were a great mix of goth, synth, dub and tribal dance beats. They were fine until they tried to become famous (with a Stock Aitken Waterman produced single), which obviosly was the beginning of the end for them.
Their first singles Clock and There´s No Shame In Death is a classic. Their first two albums Seduction and Heaven Is Waiting are also very good.
Not wrong - Still have all the vinyl knocking around somewhere. Absolutely loved Seduction.
Yeah, they're quite good, and were definitely considered for this list! I think I've only heard "Heaven is Waiting," though, so I'll need to explore them some more... maybe a consideration for part 2 of the list :)
Heaven is waiting and hold on.....eheheh
Thank you for this ❤❤
Great list! Thrilled to see Xmal Deutschland mentioned - one of faves from those days... first heard them on college radio in '87 with 'Crescent Moon'. Consider checking out Gene Loves Jezebel's first two albums - 'Promise' and 'Immigrant' both before their sound got too commercial... they're among my faves from that time.
Excellent video. Fills in a ton of gaps I didn't even know existed, much of it, (to my shame), from a period in which I was a music journalist(!) For some reason I rejected Sonic Youth early on. Now I've no idea why. And some of the asides... 'Godspeed You! Black Emperor' I'd never heard of. I'm now hooked.
Well, if I got someone new started on exploring Godspeed You! Black Emperor with this one, I'm gonna call it a success! If you're looking for more, also check out a side project of the band called Silver Mt. Zion. They have some terrific stuff!
When it comes to Sonic Youth, I feel like their artsiness (especially early on) might've kept some people from giving them a chance, but the album EVOL is a really good balance of their experimental side and some genuinely excellent songwriting. That one and Bad Moon Rising tend to fight for my choice of favourite by them!
@@eclecticism-uk Thanks for that. I'll check out Silver Mt. Zion now.
thank you for talking about Au Pairs! so great.
Post punk, No-Wave, and Goth rock bands I like who are even more underrated than the ones you listed are: I'm So Hollow, Dolly Mixture, Glaxo-Babies, Jonee Jonee (two great songs, Bolex Camera and I Like Rich People), Vertigo, No Trend, Anemic Boyfriends, Scott Puffer, The Hand Grenades, Wilma, Emily XYZ, Lounge Lizards, Swinging Madisons, The Model Citizens, Pink Section, and Noh Mercy.
Another criminally underrated post-punk band I failed to mention is The Pop Group with only 14.3K monthly Spotify listeners. Also what’s the deal with “Strange Times” by The Chameleons not available on streaming in America?? Thank God I have the record at least
I can't believe The Pop Group have so few listeners. They are essential listening for this genre. Maybe it's because those of us that like them all have their vinyl releases?
dude, you know you did the list right when it attracts comments from thoughtful, learned folks! i got a chance to see the chameleons in tucson, in small club= mental. truly cured my depression for months. also, to find some on spotify is rad.
That sounds like an amazing show! I've still not seen The Chameleons live, but it's definitely a goal... and now that I'm in the UK, I feel like my odds are much better than they used to be :D
@@eclecticism-uk no doubt!!
Great video and really well researched. Will be giving some of these a listen, particularly The Sound.
I can appreciate the early days for the influence and tailwinds, but generally like those bands/projects who were influenced by them, sometimes more than 2 generations distant.
Another band that contributed early on, but ended up going in different directions, was The Cult / Southern Death Cult. They had a lot of influence on both the postpunk and big arena rock phenomena.
I learned about Southern Death Cult pretty recently, and I do still need to spend more time exploring them, along with the later stuff as The Cult. Somehow The Cult was always on my radar, but I never took the time to get into them!
Good video! Thank you! 👍
Thanks for the recognition that it wasn't purely an English scene. Honorable mentions: Dif Juz, The Associates, Asylum Party (France), BÖHM (Japan)
The Creatures, Dali's Car, The Glove, Easterhouse, Fun Boy Three, Grauzone, Half Man Half Biscuit, It's Immaterial, The Jazz Butcher, The Neats, New Model Army, the Primitives, Red Guitars, Rose of Avalanche, The Very Things, Wipers.
I'm surprised that this is (I think?) the first time someone has mentioned Wipers! Along with The Gun Club, they're one of my very favourites that aren't either too popular or included in this one. New Model Army is also a terrific band!
Yes! I was hoping The Astronauts made it. Great list. Thanks!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed! The Astronauts are great, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of their music.
It's nice to see that there are so many groups on this list I actually know - Fehlfarben, X-mal Deutschland, The Chameleons and Fad Gadget. Would I like to see more of underrated Goth and Post-Punk bands? Certainly! Yes, please!
Based on the wonderful response to this one, I'm definitely planning to make a follow-up!
Good list, All solid choices. Xmal, Au Pairs & Liquid Liquid are fantastic. For me I would have Bush Tetras, Pylon & Delta 5 in there. Among a bunch of others.
Yeah, those would all be good additions, and I seriously considered Pylon for this first installment! Glad you enjoyed the list!
@@eclecticism-uk Might be interesting to see which bands got the least streams?
I forgot one of my all time favourite bands, Corpus Delicti.
Great channel! Wish you success!
Thanks a bunch for the comment, and for watching!
I discovered Xmal back in 1984. Their first albums were excellent.
Great video! I was happy to see XMal Deutschland being mentioned, they are not very well known and this year Anja Huwe is back making music.
Yeah, it's great to see that she's active again! It's interesting how it feels from this comments section like a lot of people love them, yet I feel like I've rarely heard them mentioned. Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Love it! Great job. The Rateyourmusic page actually does a good job of covering The Astronauts' discography (first two and a comp are on Bandcamp), all the way up to 2023! Another recent discovery for me is Orchestre Rouge, French band with American vocalist, who went on with Passion Fodder in a Bad Seeds direction. Fehlfarben was recommended to me by the same bloke. Of their first three albums, I like the debut Monarchy and Everyday Life the most. Music For Pleasure, Kowalski and KaS Product are also new to me. Modern Eon has a lot of listeners now because their album was reissued on Cherry Red in '22 and there's a Musical Guide by Andrew Keeling that came out around the same time, along with one on Comsat Angels.
Strange, I featured The Au Pairs heavily on my post-punk radio show in the late 80s and people seemed clued into them due to CD reissues, and bands citing them as an influence. I guess there hasn't been reissues or attention on them for a while.
Since you included, as you say, the most well known of the underated, The Chameleons (who just played Strange Times in it's entirety at Levitation two weeks ago, good show, with March Violets opening), I'd add The Comsat Angels, who are often grouped with The Sound (Renascent was the first to reissue both bands on CD for the first time in early 00s). Comsats were originally a bit higher profile, with their first three albums charting in the UK top 100 when The Sound never did. However, The Sound are benefitting from multiple reissues, a documentary and two books. I recommend the recent book on Adrian Borland by Simon Heavisides, Destiny Stopped Screaming. Also the first three Sound albums are being reissued by Rhino on colored vinyl on Nov 29. Apparently UK only but you can pre-order on Amzn for domestic prices.
I first learned about Ludus from Simon Reynolds, who I was corresponding with while he was working on his Rip It Up book. Them and The Passage (who he also covers in his book) are very cool, but can be a bit tough to get into, like The Pop Group. My faves:
1. The Sound
2. The Comsat Angels (21,524)
3. The Chameleons
4. Opposition (2,304)
5. Modern Eon (20,731)
6. And Also The Trees (17,332)
7. Sad Lovers and Giants (136,112)
8. Breathless (1,399)
9. Lowlife
10. For Against (7,790)
11. Orchestre Rouge (not on Spotify)
12. Scars (1,577)
13. Asylum Party
14. Music For Pleasure (207)
15. The Passage (1,070)
16. Sort Sol (82,236)
17. Crispy Ambulance (1,625)
18. Fehlfarben
19. The Stockholm Monsters (2,104)
20. Nyam Nyam (111)
Bubbling under: The Sleepers, The Method Actors, Tuxedomoon.
Funnily enough, I found out about Ludus from Simon Reynolds as well! I read that book a few years ago and found a lot of great bands through it... I've only seen anyone mention Ludus one time outside of that, when discussing another band that was almost included here, Paraf.
Your list has quite a few I was thinking about including. The Comsat Angels have several great albums. And Also the Trees is excellent, and For Against is very under-known!
Ooh, thanks for pointing out the reissues of those albums by The Sound. I only have one album by them in my collection, and it's the "Counting the Days" comp. Which is fine, but definitely not as necessary as those first three!
@@eclecticism-uk Paraf from Croatia, I gotta check them out, thanks! I'm excited for all the people who will hear The Sound for the first time. If you're in the UK, the reissues can be pre-ordered at Rough Trade and Piccadilly. Don't sleep on the third album, All Fall Down, which is also vastly underrated. It's more experimental, but still great. The Borland book, Destiny Stopped Screaming, is great for some deep listening of the entire catalog.
@@Fastnbulbous1969 God, those Rough Trade prices.... I'm so used to buying used, but I'll probably still get those first three. I never see them for a good price used anyway!
The Astronauts... Mark was a good friend, many of them have been over the years. So sad he passed away last year, hard working and inspirational human being. He almost single handedly nurtured every band from welwyn for years
Saw Xmal Deutschland around 84 and they were superb. I was pleasantly surprised to see Lowlife featured. I was in a band in the 80s on the same label as them (Nightshift).😊
Oh cool! What band were you in? (When I saw your username, I immediately thought of the Mike Scott from the Waterboys)
The Astronauts were a surf rock band from Boulder Colorado, formed in 1961. Originally formed as The Stormtroupers before adding two members and the name change.
Some weird likes: Polyrock, Vivabeat, Lets Active, Bush Tetras, The Plastics,
Let's Active is a name I haven't heard in a long time! A couple of these I'm not familiar with at all.. I'll have to try out Polyrock and Vivabeat
Section 25 - Always Now
Fad Gadget: The first name on this list I recognised, at least right away! I don't know what that says about me! 😆
Listening to it now, I realise I may have found Fad Gadget through industrial and EBM!
Gonna keep watching now, this is a wonderfully interesting video! ❤
Thanks, glad you enjoyed this! I discovered industrial music before goth, now that I think back on it, although I didn't understand the differences well enough to really know. Some of the first early 80's bands I was aware of were Bauhaus, Ministry, and Cabaret Voltaire, probably through my interest in Nine Inch Nails... as much hate as he gets from a lot of people into industrial, NIN was a gateway for a lot of 90's kids like I was :)
The chameleons are really cool. I saw them after the first lockdown in Brighton and they were amazing.
I still want to see them live, the timing just hasn't worked out yet (despite being in the UK now). From what I've seen online, it looks like they're still amazing live!
The Chameleons have been in my area twice in two years, and I've seen them both times. They were absolutely, positively amazing!
a very nice selection!
Thank you!
If Young Marble Giants fit your Spotify criteria, they would be worth including.
Ah, good suggestion! They're definitely low enough for inclusion with about 75K listeners. And a really good band.
Great vid , thanks!
I'd like to add This Heat, Tuxedomoon, MX-80 Sound, The Ex, Dog Faced Hermans, The Homosexuals.
Check out the Shop Assistants. They were a punk band but perhaps 5 years too late. Their lead singer sadly died and only 10 years later did the music world find out. Safety Net and Somewhere in China are 2 great singles. Another great band was the Young Marble Giants - very distinctive sound.
I'm not familiar with the Shop Assistants. Thanks for the rec, I'll look into them! And yes, Young Marble Giants are a very unique group. "Colossal Youth" is excellent!
Great video. This is the type of video I love to see.
I agree with you. How in the world can the Au Pairs have such a low listener count?
I think the band Stockholm Monsters is criminally underrated/underlistened to.
Wow, I've never heard of Stockholm Monsters before. But I feel like if I came across the record sleeve for Alma Mater in the wild, I'd buy it just out of curiosity, it's got a great cover! This is on the queue to try out, thanks for the rec!
@@eclecticism-uk Have you heard of *Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons?* Yes, that was a real band, from Sweden in the early 80s. Hard to describe, sort of low-fi humorous goth music. Very catchy and endearing. Their short discography was compiled on "Screams to God" and "Best Off" (basically the same tracklist on both records).
Great list! Nice to see Au Pairs on there especially, as they don’t get talked about nearly as much as they should. I’ve been into post-punk since back in the day and have dug very deep over the years. A few hidden UK gems would include the Passions (“Michael and Miranda”), the Passage (“Pindrop”), Blue Orchids (“The Greatest Hit”), Artery (“Oceans”), Nightingales (“Pigs on Purpose”), Section 25 (“Always Now”), and the first Modern English album (“Mesh and Lace”).
But where it got even more interesting for me was discovering some amazing post-punk bands from such far flung places as Brazil, Iceland, Japan, and Eastern Europe.
Also quite a lot more hidden gems from various European countries, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
I’ll put together a list & follow up here if you’re interested.
Thanks for the comment! I'm definitely interested in learning about more artists from outside of the US/UK.
I thought about including Sumo on here until I realised they actually have a huge number of listeners, but my knowledge of bands other than them are very focused on the UK for early post punk. Any good recs or playlists would be appreciated!
A very difficult topic as there were so many of these bands/artists who deserved so much more! Regardless, job well done and have to agree with Jim….The Comsat Angels would have fit nicely into your set!
The Chameleons🖤my favorite🤩
They're so good!
You are awesome!!!!
Thank you!!! If you're a Johnny Cash fan, definitely keep an eye out for the next video ;)
I'm enjoying your videos, thank you. So happy to see the Au Pairs on this pass--fucking fantastic band! (BTW "Au" is said more like "oh" being French and all). I'd say Liquid Liquid was solidly in the Post Punk category--though that wasn't a handle that was much used at the time. It was a big tent and it had to be to contain the variety and explosiveness of that time!
I too think you should continue with some more of these bands. I don't understand how you are measuring your criteria for "underrated" but check out the Fire Engines (Scotland), Virgin Prunes (Ireland), Carsickness (Pennsylvania), Mission of Burma (Massachusetts), Medium Medium (England), Kleenx (Switzerland--renamed Lilliput after a law suit), Human Sexual Response (Massachusetts), the Bush Tetras (NYC), and I'll second (or third?) the call for early Siimple Minds (Scotland)--absolutely phenomenal stuff.
Please keep up the good work. Thanks very much!
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying them! Haha, I was worried about mispronouncing the German, and then I messed up on the French, too...
For this one, it was just "Do they have less spotify listeners than The Sound?" and everyone below that was fair game. A few of those are on my longer list, like Virgin Prunes, Mission of Burma, Kleenex, Bush Tetras. I've not heard of a couple, though, so I'll have to check them out!
And yeah, one problem with this system of measurement is that it doesn't take into account that bands like Simple Minds or The Human League are known for their later, more commericial sounding stuff, and many people might not know about their earlier more experimental work. I wonder if that could be a topic in itself, actually!
Very cool!
"monarchie und alltag" is imho the best fehlfarben album... favourite song is "paul ist tot" which clearly was inspired by "a forest" by the cure
I totally agree with Paul ist tot. Yet I like their album 33 Tage in Ketten a bit more, maybe because the songs are not so popular (ie more underground) as maybe Ein Jahr
Pleasantly surprised to see The Astronauts on the list, I lent the money to put out the Mirrors album, Mark was a lovely bloke if a little scatter-brained. Most post-punk bands only released singles but it was a very fertile time for music.
The first half of the 80's feels like an amazing time to have been involved in music, especially because of the various developments that came from punk. It does seem like an incredibly fertile time in music. How did the album do at the time?
@@eclecticism-uk Their gigs were always very well attended back then! I had a copy of both the albums and listened to them a lot, as well as going to all the gigs I could.
This is very nostalgic. I miss the John Peel show.
I wish I'd really understood what it was while I was still enough to listen.. I owned a Smashing Pumpkins 'Peel Sessions' EP and some other stuff from Peel sessions without realising what the name was even referencing. He definitely gave more exposure to a lot of amazing bands for decades.
You can try the Polish band Siekiera (album "Nowa Aleksandria" and my favorite band ever New Model Army.
I discovered Liquid Liquid when I was a club DJ. "White lines" was a big club song, and I eventually learned where the melody came from. Didn't know about the lawsuit, though. I guess I should blame Sugarhill mire than Mellie Mel, but it does put a bit of a damper on my feelings about "White Lines". It's a shame it turned out that way.
Yeah, I don't think Melle Mel really deserves blame, since he wasn't even the composer of the beat. To me, it's more or less just a culture clash... you have Sugar Hill making choices when sampling law wasn't super-clear, and even having the music re-created with a new band (not technically sampling). But also obviously copying the music quite closely.
Then you have 99 Records pursuing it to the point of not being able to keep their label afloat. I feel like both labels share a bit of the blame for how things happened, and it's just a shame that bands went down with the labels.
Very cool video! I recommend the Italians Diaframma (on Spotify, about 32000 listeners) and in particular their first album Siberia (1984) and the eponymous song.
Thanks for the recommendation, that's a name I've not come across before. I'll check them out!
Excellent video man!! I’m so happy you included The Sound and The Chameleons. Two of my all-time favorite bands! Great list! Here’s a couple other HIGHLY underrated post-punk bands from the late 70s/early 80s. I also included Spotify monthly listeners.
1. The Passage - 1,081 listeners
2. The Opposition - 2,296 listeners
3. Theatre of Hate - 7,942 listeners
4. Modern Eon - 21K listeners
5. The Comsat Angels - 21.7 listeners
6. Pere Ubu - 29.8K listeners
7. Sad Lovers & Giants - 136.9K listeners
8. Orange Juice - 192.9K listeners
Wow, are The Comsat Angels really that low? I should've looked them up apparently. They're great and pretty accessible too, so I would've thought they'd be up in the 70 or 80,000's.
I've seen a couple people recommend The Passage and I don't think I've heard them before, so I'll have to check them out!
@ Oh dude The Comsat Angels are phenomenal! Funny enough I’ve made my wife a fan haha. I can tell you exactly why they don’t have more monthly Spotify listeners, none of there studio albums are available… There are only 2 volume compilations of their “Lost Session” demos. Doesn’t help the sound quality is HORRIBLY muddied and rough to listen to. Instead I just pull them up on RUclips or put on one of their records.
The Passage was an incredibly quirky and schizophrenic English band that made a brief splash by only dropping 4 studio albums from 1980-1983. This group was a trio of dudes that mainly played synth and bass driven music with a manic percussionist who really fueled that unhinged chaos. They rarely added guitar if ever to their sound. The best way to sum up their unique sound is “suspenseful.” Hope you enjoy them!
Remember that Theatre of Hate later changed their name to Spear of Destiny.
@@ThreadBomb When did they do that?? They must have changed it back to their original name at some point
Great segment indeed....................I highly recommend the French band "Asylum Party"......................Superb ..........
They're quite good! I really wish they were on streaming here in the UK.
@@venezoom They're awesome, part of the touching pop movement among Mary Goes Round and Little Nemo, great bands! I so want the transparent red Boderline vinyl!
Have you listened to any of the modern wave of bands inspired by them? Agnes Circle, Palissade or Topographies?
Love the Sound
Sad Lovers and Giants are phenomenal ‼️
The Snake Corps also!
Imo both deserve a mention on your follow up. Thanks for this video.
Sad Lovers and Giants were VERY close to being on this list, and I should probably add at least one track to the playlist. When I do a follow-up, I'd be surprised if I don't include them! I've never heard The Snake Corps, though, thanks for the recommendation...I'll check them out!
@eclecticism-uk a couple of them split from SLAG including the guitarist, they're very good! Calling You and Colder than the Kiss are a couple songs, they also have their version of In Flux as well.
For SLAG I would say Imagination is my favorite, many great tunes also.
Virgin Prunes comes to mind...
Virgin Prunes are great! They'd definitely fit in here, or in the sequel video
@eclecticism-uk a sequel video would be appreciated!
enjoyed this one immensely
Great list. The Chameleons don't get anywhere enough attention. If you haven't already heard of them, check out Hangwire. They are a new post-punk band from Uruguay. I stumbled across them earlier this year and absolutely love their music.
Thanks for you video, you dont forget LowLife, one of the best bands in the world. Chameleons, the Sound and Low life are in my top five bands ever.
@@pauloazevedo2740 It amazes me how rarely I hear people talk about Lowlife. They’re such a great band! Thanks for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Great job having The Sound and The Chameleons... though you inexplicably left out the Comsat Angels
Thanks for covering Fad Gadget, I was a huge fan and got to see him live back in the day too, unfortunately Frank died back in 2002. Another couple of bands definitely worth checking out are Positive Noise (from Scotland) and Get Smart! (from the USA).
I would've loved to see him live, the shows look wild! Thanks for sharing those bands, I've not heard either of them before. I'll check them out :)
@@eclecticism-uk Yeah, it was a great show. Feb 16, 1983 at the Venue in Victoria (London). Lots of shaving foam! :) The Blow Monkeys opened.
Au Pairs is pronounced O Pairs it’s French but we use the word in English too
You mean to tell me I got the German wrong AND the French? I don't know why I'm surprised :D
@@eclecticism-uk You got it perfectly right to my French ears, don't worry about that. ("Au" will be pronounced like you do with an open "o" sound - like in "off" or "love" - in the South of France and with a closed "o" - like in "pause" - in the North, including Paris, basically. Everybody will understand you no matter where.)
I was a teen in the early eighties so I love this genre. Happy to find new music!
Wonderful, I hope you enjoy some of the new-to-you bands from the list!
Fun video! If you like Liquid liquid and Ludus, you have to check out The Ex (active for 40 years so far: try Blueprint for a Blackout and Rambling at the Lock [with jazz 'cello], but many other great ones as well), and Laibach (highly heterogeneous, but some gems). Also consider Eyeless in Gaza for more wavy act. LOVE Fad Gadget (Under the Flag is so great) as well as X-mal. Also surprised with low count on Au Pairs.
Oh, Eyeless in Gaza is great! I was listening to them a lot while working on this video, actually, but since they're still pretty new to me I decided to hold off on talking about them for now. Laibach is another band I only heard about recently, and so far I've struggled to get into them, but I'm not giving up yet :)
I know a few people have mentioned The Ex, so they're on my short list to try out soon! Blueprints for a Blackout has a great cover... I wonder if the similarity to "Dirk Wears White Sox" was intentional.
Dude, you need to listen to Comsat Angels although 8 like your list especially the sound, chameleons and Xmal Deutschland
I do like Comsat Angels, but for whatever random reason, they didn't stay on this list as I kept cutting it down. They're likely to make it into the follow-up, whenever I get around to making it!
Liquid Liquid reminded me of Pigbag, a band that made a big blip then faded away fast.
The Sound are wonderful.
Awesome list. Have you heard of Ballerina Black,.. obscure LA band
No, this one's new to me! I've added them on Apple Music, though, and I'm going to give them a try :)
I’d add Psyche and UK Decay to this too. I’ll definitely be checking out some of the bands listed. I already love The Chameleons and know a few others but not well so will go back to listen more.
I've heard UK Decay come up before but haven't heard them yet. I'll have to check them out, and Psyche is new to me too. Thanks for watching, I hope you like some of the bands that are new to you!
Every list like this is incomplete if you don't include And Also The Trees, who started in the early 80s, became associated with Cure, but always flew under the radar. They never stopped making great music, have always had a distinct style and are one of the best live bands around. Definitely worth checking out!
You could've also stopped after the first six words and been correct :D Yeah, they're excellent, I've been listening to their first four albums a lot lately. Before making this one, I was already thinking it would have to be at least a 2-parter, so I left out some of my very favourites that could have fit the topic. I held off on And Also the Trees so I'd have time to explore more of their later albums, which I've ignored for too long!
More please! Thanks.
Based on the response so far, I think it's safe to say I'll be covering some more soon :) Glad you enjoyed!
Fine job sir. The Astronauts tune you played in the end sounded pretty much like straight Punk. Funny that the band looked like your typical 70's band. Only knew half of the bands you listed, though Fad Gadget has been one of my favorites for decades. Low Life is another great pull. Further evidence and proof that the 80's were the best decade for music.
I thought the same thing about that Astronauts song... the studio version of that song sounds completely different! I definitely respect Mark's approach of just doing whatever he wanted to do musically.
I'm always torn between the 80's and the 70's as the best decade for music, but my recent fascination with goth and industrial has definitely made the 80's feel like it's in the lead!