what's interesting about this band is that while raved about by from Time Out New York and SXSW, this album while great, hasn't even have a stateside record deal.

They do sell their concerts pretty good, but I think it's because they rarely tour the States. Their records, however, don't sell enough to make the chart, which is a shame.

I'll go with Matthew Good Band. Beautiful Midnight is one of my favorite albums of all time.

I'm a big fan of Augie March (from Australia). Much like Blur, they have the uncanny ability to switch styles or genres mid-album and make it work. Either of their albums (Sunset Studies or Strange Bird) is a great jumping-on point.

I'm ashamed to say, but I only just bought it tonight.

(I've had the original version for several years.)

More Canadian bands!

Sam Roberts

With Billy passing away on Thursday this will change the whole dynamics of GW.
They were big (in there own way) here even back when Eric Oblivian was chatting them up in 1994.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Deacon Blue

Lush (although they quit when the drummer killed himself) Spooky is a brilliant album. The songs "For Love" and "Covert" are perfect.....

Elbow
Sigur Rós
Zero 7

Helloween
Iced Earth (which is ironic since they are a US band)

turbonegro!!!!!

The Arcade Fire! (see: Neighbourhood#2 Laika, and Backseat)



And from Denmark, Junior Senior (see: Move Your Feet)

[QUOTE=SomethingMore]Tripwire - apparently, I'm told, they're HUGE in Australia.
QUOTE]

Don't believe everything you hear. I am in Australia and I can say I have never heard of them. No doubt someone, somewhere likes 'em a lot but as for HUGE in Australia - they're not even on the radar!

Your own Scissor Sisters - well New Yorks' won anyway - are pretty big here and the UK but barely recognised in the States. Shame. They are quite a band!

T

you can blame corporate radio since most radio programmers cant find underrated 'less heard' bands or songs.

US radio is bland, bland, bland, bland... bland

I hear ya loud and clear as it's the same here in Australia. There is nothing about the format of commercial radio here that is NOT stolen from the US.
And it's not interesting in the least.

T

YES. Anyone that is a fan of well-orchestrated pop-rock without a lot of kiddie filler needs to pick up Minor Earth Major Sky. It's glossy, polished, well produced, and damn good, despite the first two adjectives I used in this sentence. That, and Morten Harket's vocals are a nice change from anything that you hear stateside or from the UK. Lifelines is good, but not great. MEMS is great. I would almost universally recommend it to anyone.

The downside is that I believe it is only available as an import. If you want to try some songs, check out "Summer Moved On", "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count", and the title track. Most of the tracks on that album are excellent.

There was a docu on Norwegian tv just a week ago about their US tour this winter. Their new album is, from just a couple of listens, quite fun.