Underrated - A is for Apple iTunes

Trying to write more.
I have a novel working right now. I speak of it like it is a patty melt at a short order joint, so as to imbue it with a less daunting vibe.
In the meantime, figuring out why I gravitate towards music that is not as popular as it ought to be.

I like popular music. I just don't buy it until it is way past it's expiration date. Usually right before it becomes vintage or vinegar.

(When I say popular, I mean strong sales and high consumer traffic.)

I don't end up begrudging artists their success when or if they do become popular, but my attention tends to drift if they do start receiving the kudos I feel they deserve. Maybe subconsciously I fall into the crowd that wants to keep good, undiscovered music to themselves? Hopefully, this will be an effective way to subvert my inner hipster music-elitist.

In no particular order, except alphabetical, so yeah, in alphabetical order:

Adam and Dave's Bloodline - "Aftermarket Blues," Adam and Dave's Bloodline. These guys recorded two stellar albums as members of Marah and released this record on the Bielanko's label. The entire album is full of some good songwriting and strong performances from young artists. Nobody outside of Philly or the Marah circle has heard of these guys. But a song like "Aftermarket Blues" displays a clear savvy for marketable tunes written for fans of straigh-ahead Rock and Roll. They have truckloads of potential and a few very good songs, but they will probably never receive a ton of attention from the rest of the world.. Boilerplate underrated.

Atmosphere - "Panic Attack," You Can't Imagine How Much fun We're Having - Atmosphere got loads of attention from backpack wearing kids at all-ages venues all over the Midwest and Atlantic Coast and he's probably overrated in that demographic. But while Marshall Mathers got tagged as the Caucasian sensation, Slug (the primary MC/creative force) quietly continued to deliver intellectually complex, but still accessible, rap songs that spoke to the suburbs without exploiting anyone living in section 8. And some of his tracks are so simultaneously biting and catchy that late-model Dylan acolytes and REM fans should feel right at home. "Panic Attack" speaks to the large number of Americans who are dependent on their SSRI dealer. Check your WebMD, sucka.

Panic Attack - Atmosphere

The Avett Brothers - "Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane," Mignonette - These dudes are about to transition out of the underrated territory. Rick Rubin (Run DMC, Johnny Cash, Jay-Z, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers) just produced their latest record, I and Love and You. That kind of pedigree means that everybody who ought to have heard about you has, and they bought the t-shirt. But I saw these dudes just three years ago, toiling away in a sweaty smokey bar on a Wednesday night with 48 people in the crowd. And they played like they were going to win the lottery if they sweat hard enough. There are better songs on this record, which is an extraordinary Country recording - we could go on and on about what is actually Country, but let's just play the "I know it when I hear it card." Despite their bucolic pedigree, they have a whole thematic series of "Pretty Girl" songs that spans their entire catalog, a fact which makes them super modern art cool. Marcel Duchamp meets Ernest Tubbs. They will remain underrated emeritus even after they go platinum.

Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane - ...

I've got like sixty of these things, so I'll try to get to the B's tomorrow.