Over/underrated: a music podcast with Fran and Babs

We clearly never tire of going Down Under, so we're back discussing Aussie pop with Sophie Davies from the ⁠It's an S Pod Thing! podcast⁠ (who was previously on discussing S Club 7 and Liberty X with us).With the new Kylie Minogue documentary out on Netflix, we thought it was a good moment to analyse an Australian icon gone global - can we get her out of our heads or do we want her to get outta our way?Sophie chose The Veronicas as an underrated pop pick because while they are quite big in their home country - rating highly on Triple J charts and having their own reality TV show - they're definitely not as well known in other countries. We discuss whether they have a unique sound (or not) and whether, as often happens, record label shenanigans may have dented their full potential...Listen to Sophie's podcast ⁠⁠It's an S Pod Thing! - Babs has guested on there quite a few times! Sophie also has another podcast ⁠Smashed Prawns in a Milky Basket⁠, which celebrates the work of "comedy writer/performer/director/all-round genius Julia Davis". You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠- it includes the ten songs chosen by Sophie, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

If you've ever wondered what the origins of shoegaze are - and how it is used as a classification - then this episode is for you! We're joined for an interesting discussion by someone who was there as the scene was unfolding in the UK: author and music journalist Simon Reynolds.Simon began his career at Melody Maker in the mid-1980s and has contributed to publications such as Spin, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Pitchfork and others. He has also written a range of music books, his latest one being Still In A Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers And The Reinvention Of Rock, 1984–1994.In this episode, we discuss how Simon sees the arguably slippery label of shoegaze, what it was like to be an "inkie" music journalist in the pre-internet age and whether the role of the music critic has changed in recent years.We also asked Simon to provide five underrated shoegaze songs for discussion - listen to find out which one he describes as feeling "like standing in a wind tunnel and being buffeted by blossom petals" 🌸Simon is on Instagram and writes a range of blogs, including the most recent Blissblog. We recommend checking out his back catalogue, especially the book which now serves as a prequel to Still in a Dream, Rip it Up and Start Again: Post-punk 1978-1984.You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠- it includes the five songs discussed during the recording, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're back with another Album Showdown Special™! Having previously discussed their two favourite Radiohead albums back in 2021, this time Fran & Babs are discussing their favourite records from another band that originated in the 90s, Placebo. They've picked their five fave songs from each album (Fran - Black Market Music, Babs - Sleeping With Ghosts) and, as ever, try and convince each other they're right. Discussions include Placebo's time capsule music videos, homophobia in music reviews and why Brian Molko is such an important figure (who went to Babs's school! And knew her violin teacher!!).You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠- it includes all ten songs discussed on the episodes, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

This week we're tackling one of the UK's most sacred musical cows and a 90s band on a similar wavelength...We knew that one day we'd talk about The Smiths, which we discovered at different times in our lives, likely shaping our differing opinions of them. Fran's playlist aims to best showcase the breadth of their sound (and Johnny Marr's skills)....Underrated pick Gene were discovered by Fran after the height of their career, and he can't understand why they weren't better known at the time...can he convince Babs this British band - who weren't a fan of the term Britpop - should nevertheless be considered as a key part of that pantheon?You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

As we're halfway through the decade, we decided to each share our top five albums of the 2020s...We also talk about other great songs from 2025 that didn't make our Best Of shortlist and round up our year in gigs...You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Part II of our favourite songs of the year!In this episode, Fran & Babs discuss what they think is the best song to listen to live, fave song in a genre you don't normally like, best solo song, best new act discovered this year and fave song from outside of Europe.Surprisingly, songs by two previous Taskmaster contestants made the shortlist, plus there are some unexpected hip-hop and emo choices...Listen to our ⁠Best of 2024⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Best of 2023⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2022⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2021⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2020⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years. And stay tuned for a Part III of sorts...You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

For the sixth time, we're picking our favourite songs of the year!In this episode, Fran & Babs discuss what they think is the best collaboration, best song from a group, best non-English song, best sync track and the best rock song. There are more French songs in there than you would imagine - and find out which of Fran's picks Babs is DYING to try at karaoke.Listen to our Best of 2024, ⁠⁠Best of 2023⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Best of 2022⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2021⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Best of 2020⁠⁠⁠⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years. And stay tuned for Parts II & III where we expand out our faves.You can find ⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're back in North America discussing two Canadian music pioneers...These days, Grimes is unfortunately better known by her, er, associations than her music, so we tried to put her personal history aside - as best we could - and focus on her wide-ranging back catalogue. As often happens, we also talk about the complexities of separating the art from the artist...And Babs chose Peaches as an underrated artist because she feels that most people know her only from her biggest hit - it's clear that Peaches has many more arguably underrated bangers. Will Fran agree?For further viewing/listening, we recommend Peaches' very NSFW and funny video for Rub and Grimes' 2012 hypnotic KEXP set.You can ⁠⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by podcaster and YouTuber Joe from the Tastes Like Music channel, we're in Blighty discussing two modern rock bands...The 1975 are one of the few recent British indie bands who have broken through in the USA - and many other countries besides, with NME coining the term "Healywave" to describe the scope of their influence. But what do we think about their music - and does lead singer Matty Healy stop us from enjoying it as much as we could?Named after a now defunct chain of Indian restaurants, Bombay Bicycle Club were picked by Fran as underrated as they have received critical acclaim - and done collaborations with big acts - but he believes they should be better known, especially as they're "one of the most creative bands of their generation".Tastes Like Music's latest video coincidentally outlines the best albums from the year 1975, check it out here. You can listen to Joe and Dylan's podcast called Discovering Bob Dylan on YouTube. We also highly recommend watching Bombay Bicycle Club perform Carry Me live on KEXP.You can ⁠⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We are tackling a behemoth today! We've wanted to talk about Taylor Swift for a long time, so we collaborated on a playlist that broadly covers all of her eras...will we think she's a Mastermind or more of an Anti-Hero?For today's underrated pick, Fran chose South African artist Baby Queen. Her songs have been featured on the TV show Heartstopper and her music is somewhat adjacent to Taylor Swift, even if her lyrics are a little bit darker...with polished production and great music videos, Fran believes she should be much better known - will Babs agree?You can ⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by chap-hop pioneer Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer, we have a wide-ranging chat about his latest album B-Curious, what it was like for him supporting Sparks on tour, the realities of the UK live music scene and what five songs he thinks are underrated and worth sharing with a wider audience...Mr.B will be at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival - check out his show B-Curious, which will be on at 10.30pm from 5-9 August at The Ballroom at The Voodoo Rooms.You can find his album B-Curious on Bandcamp - as well as a lot of his back catalogue - and he is @gentlemanrhymer on Instagram and TikTok.You can ⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from Mr.B's playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're discussing two North American behemoths this month!"In 1988, the Pixies sounded like no other band. By 1991, every band sounded like the Pixies" - the Boston band's influence is undeniable, especially from the four albums they made in this time period. But how does the rest of their back catalogue sound - and are they nevertheless overhyped?And while Sonic Youth is another influential band, many of their songs sound arguably too dissonant for a mainstream audience - Babs argues that this is not the case for all of their songs and she feels the band should have better name recognition...Babs recommends watching this live performance of Kool Thing on Hangin' with MTV in 1992 on YouTube - Steve Shelley's drumming is exceptional.You can ⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from Fran's playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined once again by Helen Sadler from the ⁠Flixwatcher podcast⁠, we're being nostalgic about the 90's and assessing more recent British rock...Pulp are a quintessential Britpop band - with an arguably unique frontman spouting witty lyrics...but how do we feel about their smash hits - as well as the lesser-known songs from their back catalogue?And this month, Fran introduces us to a band he has long recommended on the podcast, Spector. Formed in 2011, they have released five albums so far, and drawn positive comparisons with other indie rock royalty like The Vaccines and Interpol - Fran believes they should have a much bigger impact, and hopes to bring Babs & Helen on board...Listen to Helen's ⁠podcast Flixwatcher⁠, which reviews films available on Netflix in the UK and assigns them a unique scoring system - Babs & Fran have both guested on it, talking about ⁠Beats⁠, The Edge of Seventeen, ⁠Superbad⁠ and ⁠School of Rock⁠. And check out our previous episode with Helen, where we talked about indie folk, specifically The National and Sharon van Etten.You can ⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from Fran's playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're back in the Southern hemisphere for the fourth time on this podcast (and apologise again for any attempts at an Aussie accent...)!Tame Impala, a.k.a. the brainchild of Kevin Parker, is currently in the top 200 most-listened to artists worldwide on Spotify - but will we think his particular flavour of psychedelic-electro-pop is original or bland?And Babs has been wanting to talk about Brisbane band DZ Deathrays for AGES - they've had a reasonable amount of acclaim in Australia, but she feels that they should be better-known in Europe and beyond - especially for fans of bands like Blood Red Shoes, Death from Above 1979 and be your own PET. You can ⁠find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠- it includes all the songs from Fran's playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We are back in Alba for the first episode of our latest season, which will continue to be released monthly!Fran has been a Simple Minds fan for a while - the band has 19 albums to their name, but Fran knows most people only know a few of their hits. He hopes his ten-track playlist introduces Babs and our listeners to lesser-known Simple Minds gems...Once touted as the 'next Coldplay', Idlewild made some impact on the UK's noughties indie scene, but their fame peaked with their 2002 album The Remote Part - despite making many more records since then. Can Fran convince Babs there are many more songs to enjoy from their back catalogue?You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- it includes all the songs from Fran's playlists, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and ⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ ⁠on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined for the second time by podcaster Matt Latham - whose output includes the Pick A Disc podcast - we are back in the biggest of apples to discuss two quite different bands... KISS have nailed the marketing of their band probably better than any other group - but what do we think about their music, especially as most people in Europe only know a few of their hits? And Matt picked Brooklyn-based Teen Girl Scientist Monthly as underrated, outlining how his well-trained algorithm led them his way and how he's forged a lovely relationship with the band... We previously talked to Matt about Manchester bands The Courteeners and (We Are) Performance, so we recommend checking out that episode too. Listen to Matt's podcast Pick A Disc ⁠in most places you find podcasts⁠. Matt also hosts three other podcasts. Babs has previously guested on Pick A Disc, where she picked the album ⁠Future Perfect by Autolux⁠ and was a guest host on a Matt Picks episode discussing Get RiD! by Robots in Disguise. You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram, and @oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ on Bluesky. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

As has become tradition, we have each picked our ten favourite tunes of the year! Like in 2023 & 2022, we have picked songs according to pre-determined categories - however as we spoke quite a lot during this episode, we've divided it into two parts - you can already listen to Part I here. In Part II, we discuss the best rock song, favourite collaboration, best song from outside of Europe, best solo song and favourite sync track. In this episode, Fran mishears a crucial lyric in a Denzel Curry song and Babs gets obsessed with a certain Luca Guadagnino film soundtrack... Listen to our ⁠Best of 2023⁠, ⁠⁠Best of 2022⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Best of 2021⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Best of 2020⁠⁠⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years.  You can find ⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads, and we're giving Bluesky another go ⁠⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠⁠ - we're also still on Twitter/X ⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, for now. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

As has become tradition, we have each picked our ten favourite tunes of the year! Like in 2023 & 2022, we have picked songs according to pre-determined categories - however as we spoke quite a lot during this episode, we've divided it into two parts (the next one will be out on New Year's Day)... In Part I, we discuss the best song by a group, favourite track in a genre we don't normally like, favourite song not in English, and best song to listen to live. In this episode, we learn more than expected about the country of Niger, and Babs is surprised that a 'trap-pop' song by a popular singer is on her list... Listen to our Best of 2023, ⁠Best of 2022⁠, ⁠⁠Best of 2021⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Best of 2020⁠⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years.  You can find ⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads, and we're giving Bluesky another go ⁠@oumusicpod.bsky.social⁠ - we're also still on Twitter/X ⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, for now. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by comedian and podcaster Sam Lake, we're talking about one of the most successful British contemporary popstars (and where Sam listens to her songs while he's at the gym), and one of the girl bands we're most fond of (as well as which snack Sam associates with each of their songs). Dua Lipa is a mega pop star - she has the two most streamed albums by a female artist of all time on Spotify and was the youngest female artist to accomplish one billion views on YouTube with her video for New Rules'. Are we hallucinating or is the hype justified? Sam chose Sugababes as an underrated pick - as a band, they've had quite a journey, many different line-ups, but their comeback has been an undeniable success. Are they now finally taking a deserved place in the pantheon of British pop icons? We highly recommend checking out Sam's podcast 'I've Had a Rosé, Let's Talk About Feelings' and his stand-up special 'Cake', which you can watch on YouTube. Babs also recommends watching Dua Lipa peforming live with St Vincent at the 2019 Grammys. You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads, and we're giving Bluesky another go @oumusicpod.bsky.social - we're also still on Twitter/X @OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, for now. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

It's been a while since we did a hip-hop episode and today we've picked two quite different acts to discuss in this episode! Eminem is one of the world's most successful rappers, who definitely helped popularise hip-hop among white audiences - however, he has always courted controversy with his deliberately caustic lyrics...Fran has toured his discography to make a ten-track playlist and we both discuss whether his notoriety is merited.... Babs chose Chicago rapper cupcakKe as an underrated pick because despite having healthy streaming figures, Babs wonders how well-known she is outside of the younger, online, LGBT+ community - and she is keen to hear whether Fran finds cupcakKe's frank lyrics very funny too... The song cupcakKe featured on that Babs temporarily forgot about is thankfully still on YouTube - it's called Pu$$y Market and you should check it out immediately. You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're back in the world of pop, having previously discussed Billie Eilish and Charli xcx last season (and Charli xcx's BRAT in this season too)! The two playlists for this episode were created by Pop Underrated, whose Linktree you should check out. P!nk is currently ranked as Spotify's 100th most-popular artist in the world - she has gone through many musical phases and is more outspoken than the average pop star, especially as she started in the noughties...but how do we feel about some of her hits? Referred by some as "Norwegian Kylie", underrated pick Annie straddles the pop, electro and indie worlds with ease - however, in the more siloed music world of the noughties, her resistance to categorisation may have hindered her success - which is a shame, given how many pop bangers she clearly has under her belt... You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Why hello there people who snag their tights on lawn chairs, mean girls and those who think everything is romantic - don't worry if you don't understand what this means, join us anyway for a special episode where we discuss Charli xcx's latest album BRAT in depth - the songs and the cultural impact it is currently having this summer... We'd previously discussed Charli xcx (and Billie Eilish) in some depth on our pop singer-songwriters episode last season, where Babs picked her as underrated because she felt Charli didn't have enough mainstream recognition... WELL, a lot has changed since then as her latest album BRAT is not only extremely popular and critically-lauded, but has taken the internet by storm thanks to a genius marketing campaign and brand identity... In this episode, we do our best to explain the BRAT phenomenon, Babs talks about how good it feels to be a long-time Charli xcx fan (a.k.a. Charli's Angel) while Fran rates each song from BRAT out of ten (but not the three extra songs from 'Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not' - we discuss those and some of the remixes too, although unfortunately the Guess remix with Billie Eilish came out after we recorded...) You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads. Fran & Babs try their best Apple dance over there, so it's definitely worth checking out. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're back to the noughties, discussing two British indie acts who have more than a flavour of electro in their tunes... Babs never really got into Foals after their first record, so she asked Fran to make a wide-ranging playlist - how will they rate the Oxford band's career? And Babs is delighted to finally delve deep into Tom Vek's back catalogue - so much so that her playlist includes not one, not two, but THREE b-sides - will she get Fran on board or is she just Pushing [Her] Luck? You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're travelling to one of our favourite eras, joined by special guest George Pringle - a music producer, artist & gallery owner. George made both playlists for this week's episode, and we start with a discussion about Eurythmics. Their influence in synth pop is undeniable - as was Annie Lennox's look, attitude and progressive politics - but is the hype justified? Fran & Babs had never heard of Deux, a French synth-pop duo formed in Lyon, who determinedly made music to listen to in your bedroom. Will we want to join them with George at Paris / Orly, or is it all too much of a Game and Performance? You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Follow George on Instagram @georgepringletv and listen to her music! Babs recommends starting with her personal favourite tune Physical Education. The original version of No More "I Love You's" by The Lover Speaks is on YouTube, you should check it out. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Welcome back to Season 8! Delighted our lockdown project continues, thanks so much for listening. We're back in the noughties, and our overrated pick is a hugely popular rock band that neither of us are particularly keen on, especially since their first album...nevertheless, Babs made a wide-ranging playlist of Arctic Monkeys songs so her and Fran could re-assess whether there's more gold in their back catalogue than previously thought... Fran chose Berkshire band The Cooper Temple Clause as his underrated pick as he feels that they're a pretty solid act - with especially great singles - yet they are not included enough in the discussion of great British indie bands from the era. Babs owns one of their albums, but will she agree with Fran's assessment and enjoy his playlist? You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram & Threads. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

The final episode of the season is our annual special where we each pick our favourite songs of the year! Like in 2022, we have picked songs according to pre-determined categories: favourite song by a solo act, best song by a group, favourite track in a genre we don't normally like, favourite song not in English, best collaboration, best sync song, favourite song we'd like to hear live, best new artist, best rock song and favourite non-European song. Which two artists come back again for Fran & Babs? Which artist is picked twice in two different categories? And which song is described by Babs as being "a drum’n’bass, trap metal nightmare?" 💘 Listen to our Best of 2022, ⁠Best of 2021⁠ and ⁠Best of 2020⁠ episodes to see our faves from previous years.  You can find the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠ - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Bluesky. We are ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram - and now also @overunderratedmusicpod on Threads although we have done nothing there yet! You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which we check on a semi-regular basis. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Fran & Babs listened to (almost) the entirety of Björk's discography - having only previously dipped in and out of her music - and collaborated on a ten-track playlist spanning the decades to properly deliberate on her music and legacy... Natasha Khan a.k.a Bat for Lashes is this week's underrated artist - Fran thinks she has many good songs beyond her hits, while until now, Babs was mostly indifferent...will his ten-track playlist convince her otherwise? You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all the songs from our playlist, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by writer & broadcaster Bill Cummings, we're returning down under to discuss two bands who experienced wildly varying levels of success... INXS have sold a whopping 95 million albums worldwide - they're one of Australia's most successful musical acts ever. With their crisp new wave sound and iconic frontman, will Fran & Babs feel the hype is nevertheless deserved? Bill picked The Go-Betweens as "the quintessential underrated band" - with nine studio albums to their name, they never secured an Australian or UK Top 40 single (although the band has had a bridge named after them in their native Brisbane!). Fran & Babs knew almost nothing about the group, so will they join Bill on the other side of the Go Between Bridge? Bill is the founder of God Is in the TV, an online music and culture fanzine which you should check out. He also hosts the Show Me Magic podcast, which is focused on new music. You can find⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from Bill's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

We often discuss covers, so it was about time for a special episode dedicated to the ones we admire, as well as those we don't love so much... We've picked ten overrated cover versions - those that are better known than the originals or ones we don't enjoy - as well as ten underrated covers, songs we feel add to, or even improve on, the original. Tune in also for a slightly controversial pick, which lead to an in-depth online and offline discussion on what the difference is between a remix and a cover version...and find out what some of our favourite karaoke songs are 🎤 You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all our chosen cover versions, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by musician, comedian and podcaster Robin Allender, we are back feeling nostalgic about the late 90's... Stereophonics are clearly one of the more successful acts to emerge from Wales - to date, their most famous song Dakota has had over 200 million streams on Spotify - but are Fran, Babs or Robin fans of the band? Robin picked Ash as an underrated favourite in part due to the influence their Trailer EP had on him as a youth, especially the song Uncle Pat...Fran & Babs are Ash fans, but is their favourite Ash era the same as Robin's? Check out Robin's music podcasts: on The Clientele Podcast Robin interviews the band and their fans about what makes The Clientele's music unique. On Your Own Personal Beatles, Robin and co-host Jack Pelling talk to guests about how their lives have been influenced "by the greatest band of them all." Check out Robin's music on Bandcamp and his Linktree for all of Robin's creative endevours. You can find⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from Robin's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Billie Eilish is undoubtedly one of the world's most famous pop stars and Babs enjoys quite a few of her songs. She pitches some of her faves - and a couple of not-so-faves - to Fran, as we both ponder whether the hype is justified... Babs also FINALLY gets to chat Fran's ear off about how much she loves Charli xcx. Charli is undeniably also a famous pop star, but Babs is frustrated that she doesn't have enough mainstream recognition and not enough people know the breadth of her back catalogue...will Fran agree? Babs fully recommends Charli xcx's Netflix reality TV show 'I'm With the Band: Nasty Cherry', where she puts together an all-girl band. You can find ⁠⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from Babs' playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by our first ever returning guest - Ryan Schaff, host of ⁠The Broken Record Player podcast⁠ - we're breaking out the eyeliner, black nail varnish and discussing what makes a band truly goth... Ryan is a huge fan of The Cure - they're in his top five favourite bands of all time - while Fran & Babs don't exactly muster the same level of enthusiasm...can he get them more on board? Xmal Deutschland's 'Incubus Succubus' might be considered a 'goth classic', but Ryan argues that this 80's band deserve more success and recognition beyond one song - and we discuss whether singing mostly in German may have hampered their success... You should listen to ⁠The Broken Record Player podcast⁠ - Babs has guested three times, discussing ⁠⁠PJ Harvey's debut album Dry⁠⁠, ⁠Toxicity by System of a Down⁠ as well as ⁠The Chemical Brothers' Dig Your Own Hole⁠. You should also check out Ryan's previous guest stints on Over/underrated, where he talked about grunge bands Pearl Jam and L7. You can find ⁠⁠⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from Ryan's playlist, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

Joined by friend of the podcast Lieselotte Smets, we're learning more about the musical landscape of the Netherlands 🇳🇱 Lieselotte is Belgian, but has lived in the Netherlands for many years. Despite being Flemish - and therefore a native Dutch speaker - she realised there was a massive gap in her Netherlands music knowledge, so she has been keenly exploring the country's lesser-known gems. For this episode, Lieselotte created a ten-track playlist of some of her favourite underrated Dutch acts, which we discuss in depth - and we also talk about the dreaded 'Dutch disease' at concerts... The Guardian article we mentioned was called Sounds of Europe: The Netherlands. You can find ⁠⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from Lieselotte's playlist, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠⁠ for our logo.

U2 are obviously one of the biggest bands in the world, with 15 studio albums to date - Fran believes there's a lot of gold in their extensive back catalogue and that some of their albums are more underrated than others...will Babs agree? We also discuss The Psychedelic Furs' back catalogue in some depth - Babs had previously dipped into the band's music but not gone much beyond their biggest hits...can Fran convince her they should be known for more than Pretty in Pink? You can find ⁠⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠⁠ - it includes all songs from Fran's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠⁠@OUmusicpod⁠⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also ⁠@OUmusicpod⁠ on Bluesky - as well as ⁠⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠⁠Mark Abbott⁠⁠ for our logo.

We're kicking off our new season with a very special episode! We're interviewing Bob Stanley, a writer, musician, DJ, and film producer. Since founding the band Saint Etienne, Bob has enjoyed a parallel career as a music journalist. He came on the podcast to talk about two of his books, which - together - span the entire history of pop, from the invention of the 78 rpm record at the end of the 19th century to the current modern pop age. This being Over/underrated, we still wanted to ask Bob for five of his most beloved underrated artists - and we have picks as far back as 1950!Bob's book 'Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop' starts at the dawn of pop in the fifties to its increasingly digital existence in the 21st century. Re-released this year with a new chapter, Bob has successfully and engagingly charted the history of modern pop.We also discussed Bob's latest book 'Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop' - a prequel to Yeah Yeah Yeah and "the only book that brings together all genres to tell the definitive story of the birth of Pop, from 1900 to the mid-fifties." Winner of the Penderyn Book Prize, Let's Do It shines an encyclopedic light on pop's pre-history.Densely packed and consistently fascinating, we music nerds really enjoyed geeking out on both of Bob's books - and recommend you grab yourselves a copy of each also.Check out Bob's website and find out more about his back catalogue of books and records. You can follow 'Rocking Bob' on Instagram, Twitter/X and Bluesky.You can find ⁠the playlist for this episode on Spotify⁠ - it includes all songs from Bob's playlist, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode.Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media: it's ⁠@OUmusicpod⁠ on Twitter/X - and now also @OUmusicpod on Bluesky - as well as ⁠@overunderratedmusicpod⁠ on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. Thanks to ⁠Mark Abbott⁠ for our logo.

Joined by comedian, writer & performer Joz Norris, we're finally delving into prog rock for our last episode of the season - and we hope, like us, that you don't take it TOO seriously... Joz picked Emerson, Lake & Palmer as overrated because he feels that they represent the wildest excesses of prog and contribute to its pretentious reputation. With one of the songs on Joz's playlist called 'The Three Fates: i) Clotho ii) Lachesis iii) Atropos', will Fran & Babs agree they're too ostentatious - or will they get on board the ELP train? The underrated pick this week is Marillion, who Joz feels are often unfairly treated as a joke band and should be better known for more than their smash 1985 hit 'Kayleigh' - especially as they were pioneers in fan-funded music and are still making records and touring to this day. We recommend you checking out ⁠⁠Keith Emerson's flying piano on YouTube⁠⁠ - and we mentioned Zoltan Koscis playing Bartók's Allegro Barbaro and Khatia Buniatishvili playing Mussorgsky's The Hut on Hen's Legs (Baba-Yaga) as stunning piano highlights. You can find Joz on Twitter and Instagram - he is @JozNorris in both places. If you're based in or near London, Joz will be recording a few comedy specials at the Moth Club on 16 July. Before that, he'll be hosting an all-day comedy workshop at The Bill Murray on 29 June. More of his shows, films and radio sitcoms are available on his Linktree. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Joz's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Joined by content creator, musician, amateur historian, YouTuber, journalist & author Christian Patrick, we're discussing two glam bands on, arguably, the opposite of the fame spectrum this week... First up, another sacred cow under the microscope - we're talking about behemoths Queen, specifically their output from the 70's...like most people, Christian, Fran & Babs like some of their output - but going into the discussion, we all agree that they're overrated...will a five-track playlist change anyone's mind? Christian is close friends with his underrated pick - Swedish band and Eurovision participants The Ark - having met them when he was living in Milan. He's such a fan, he even wrote a book about them. Fran already knew the band - and says the best gig he probably has ever seen was their show at Barfly (!) - but Babs doesn't know them very well (although it turns out, she had known their Swedish-language song Kolla Kolla from the film Shortbus). Can she be convinced to become a fan on a similar level to Christian or Fran? Christian is on Instagram @Obscurist_Tourist. Check out Christian's YouTube channel Obscurist Tourist, for "travel videos and reviews of hidden gems, quirky places, and all things off the beaten path." He also has a website. Christian's book on the Ark is called 'No End: The Story Of The Ark'. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Joined by Chris & Mark from the Unsung Podcast, it's Part II of our Record Label special, where we're talking about Wilmington, Delaware's Jade Tree Records (check out Part I where we discussed Washington DC's Dischord Records). Fran & Babs hadn't previously heard of Jade Tree Records - and didn't know many of the bands on their roster. Founded in 1990 and initially focused on post-hardcore and noise rock bands, Jade Tree began incorporating emo, punk, melodic hardcore, and experimental groups later on that decade. Chris & Mark make a good case for it being underrated, picking five interesting, diverse acts from the label. Check out Chris & Mark's ⁠Unsung Podcast⁠, especially the two Muse episodes Fran & Babs guested on (Side A & Side B) as well as the Millionaire episode which sees Babs discuss some of her fave Belgian music in depth. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Mark & Chris' playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. You can email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Joined by Chris & Mark from the Unsung Podcast, it's a different approach for today's episode - our guests have picked two different record labels and five bands who released records from them to make up each playlist, and we're all discussing whether a label can be classified as overrated or underrated. In Part I we're talking about Washington DC's Dischord Records, an ⁠independent record label⁠ specializing in ⁠punk rock⁠, co-founded by Fugazi's Ian MacKaye & Minor Threat's Jeff Nelson. As people involved in the punk scene, Mark & Chris have been extremely influenced by both the music and ethos of the label - Dischord is notable for employing a DIY ethic, producing all of its albums and selling them at discount prices without financial input from major distributors. While the label is undoubtedly important and produces some excellent music, does it completely deserve the high pedestal it's on? Join us next week for Part II where we'll be talking about Wilmington, Delaware's Jade Tree Records. Check out Chris & Mark's ⁠Unsung Podcast⁠, especially the two Muse episodes Fran & Babs guested on (Side A & Side B) as well as the Millionaire episode which sees Babs discuss some of her fave Belgian music in depth. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Mark & Chris' playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. You can email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Following on from our Eurovision 2023 episode, we popped online for a quick chat to talk about an entertaining short film - Worst Kept Secret: The Subwoolfer Documentary which is available on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel. Fans of Eurovision 2022 will definitely remember Subwoolfer, the yellow Norwegian space wolves who managed to keep their identities under wrap throughout the competition - or did they? The documentary explores how the song was conceived at a writing camp, how A1's Ben Adams and Norwegian Idol runner-up Gaute Ormåsen became semi-permanent Subwoolfer members Keith and Jim, why they chose to hide their identity in the first place and how Norwegian journalists managed to uncover them way before they revealed themselves spectacularly at the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix 2023. As with our previous episode, we invited some special guests to send us voice notes about this year's Eurovision competition - so thank you to François Diderrich, Ceri Mitchell, Paulo Mendes-Jorge as well as teacher Les Pemberton and students Elene and Sofia from the British International School of Tbilisi, Georgia for their contributions to this episode 🇪🇺 You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes our Eurovision 2023 best and worst picks from our previous episode, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during this episode... Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

It's our yearly Eurovision special - we've listened to all 37 songs from this year's competition and picked our five favourite and least favourite tunes. This time, we're also joined by contributors across Europe giving their opinions on the competition and some of the entries we talk about! If you enjoy this episode, you should check out our 2022 and 2021 episodes as well as our two-part special with Babs' dad, which analyses Eurovision 1958-2019 - both the underrated and overrated aspects, of course... Thanks to Paula Wiseman, Shane McMenemy, Iva Babić, Riku Pudas, Sara Lucas, Georgette Cullum, Tena Lavrenčić, Daniel Bellqvist & George Thurley for their contributions to this episode 🇪🇺 You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes our Eurovision 2023 best and worst picks, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during this episode (as well as songs relating to an upcoming bonus episode)... Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Joined by Shane McMenemy from the Mixtaping Identity podcast, we're talking about one of his all-time favourite bands - as well as a DJ he's not super-keen on. It's not that Shane massively dislikes Calvin Harris (Dumfries), but he feels his music is "cynically-produced and commercially-driven" - Shane feels Calvin is good at capitalising on trends, but there's little substance. Will Fran & Babs agree - or is his music hitting them right in the feels? Frightened Rabbit (Selkirk) are a hugely important band for Shane - for the music as well as lead singer Scott Hutchison's heartfelt lyrics. Falling under the indie folk category, the band is much more up Fran's street than Babs' - so can Shane's playlist soften her hardened heart? You should check out Shane's excellent ⁠Mixtaping Identity podcast⁠, especially - of course - the episode that Babs guested on, picking a fifteen-track playlist that defines her life so far. The charity set up following Scott Hutchinson's death, Tiny Changes, aims to "transform young people’s mental health in Scotland". Check out their website and their shop to find out more. Shane is YakEnemy on Twitch and he also wanted to shout out Jacqui Lumsden's song Closer. Please also enjoy some Calvin Harris memes: wenomechainsama and Me As A Professional Pianist For Calvin Harris. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Shane's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Friend of the podcast Tom Haigh joins us again - he previously talked about David Bowie in Part I of this British Singer-Songwriters theme - and this time he's talking about musician Nick Drake. An influence on many big artists like R.E.M., Kate Bush and The Cure, Nick Drake's profile was low during his short lifetime - and, argues Tom, still not high enough these days for such a talented musician... Tom's brother Jack is an extremely talented guitarist - you should check out his videos and follow him on Instagram @jackhaighmusic. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Tom's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Joined by friend of the podcast Tom Haigh, we had such fun chatting to him that it's gonna be another two-parter... Fran & Babs have wanted to talk about David Bowie for ages and Tom is a mega-fan, primed and ready to defend him - he has picked some deeper cuts to introduce lesser-known Bowie tunes to two people who feel that he is, at the very least, overhyped... Tom's brother Jack is an extremely talented guitarist - you should check out his videos and follow him on Instagram @jackhaighmusic. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Tom's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. You can email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

While Fran acknowledges Kraftwerk have been a huge influence on many bands he likes, he's never been interested enough to dip into into their back catalogue too heavily...Babs is a fan and hopes to convince Fran that Kraftwerk's source material is worth listening to in more depth... Fran introduces Babs to Henric de la Cour, a solo act who also used to be the main singer-songwriter in the bands Yvonne and Strip Music. Through his ten-track playlist, Fran hopes to get Babs interested in another lesser-known Swedish act 🇸🇪 The Kraftwerk Pop Art documentary we mention in this episode is available to watch on YouTube. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Brad's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. You can email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

Joined by Wisconsinite podcaster and YouTuber Brad LeBaron, we're heading back down under... Melbournites Jet are obviously best known for their smash hit 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' - but they produced three albums and supported huge acts like the Rolling Stones, Oasis, Green Day and Bruce Springsteen...however, do Fran & Babs agree that a lot of their music sounds derivative? Brad is a huge King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard fan and with 23 studio albums to their name, it was tricky for him to narrow his playlist down to five tracks showing the breadth of the band's back catalogue - but he's done his best to entice Fran & Babs over to the Gizzverse... Check out Brad's podcast The Album Concept Hour where he discusses concept albums in depth - of course, we'd recommend starting with the episode we guested on, talking about Radiohead's Kid A. You should also check out Brad's YouTube channel Flyover State Park. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from Brad's playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. You can email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

We're joined by Teesside-based singer songwriter Jen Dixon this week, who brings two nostalgic rock bands for discussion.. .Jen is a huge Foo Fighters fan - drumming from a young age, she was especially in awe of Taylor Hawkins...Fran is a Foo Fighters fan and says they're excellent live - but Babs has always felt they're overplayed (and that Dave Grohl shouts a bit too much in songs). Will Jen's playlist and Fran's arguments help change her mind? Welsh band Feeder have been going for almost thirty years and released an album as recently as 2022. However, Jen has chosen them as her underrated pick because she feels that too many people only associate the band with their biggest hit, Buck Rogers...hopefully, her playlist will introduce more people to some of their lesser-known songs... We highly recommend checking out the original and the new videos for Feeder's track Just a Day to make you feel better... Follow Jen on Instagram and Twitter - her handle is @JenDixonMusic. Jen's EP Less Than a Feeling is coming out digitally on June 30 and you can pre-order it as a beautiful blue vinyl here. You can also already listen to and buy Jen's music on Bandcamp. You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. We're slowly adding our episodes to YouTube and would love it if you could subscribe to our channel there too. You can email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

'Ow do! We're back in Yorkshire to discuss two more Leodensian rock bands, having talked about Alt-J and Duels back in our first season... Kaiser Chiefs might be best known for their songs and albums of the noughties, but the band has continued to release music as recently as 2022...Fran has put together a playlist spanning most of their albums so he and Babs can talk about whether their top tunes have been overplayed - and whether they should be better-known for their most recent hits. Fran & Babs have been fans of difficult-to-Google band The Music for ages and are keen to discuss them - they were very hyped before their first album even came out, described by some as "the best unsigned band in Britain", but the British music press was not always kind to them after the fame hit a high... You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes all songs from our playlists, plus bonus ones from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, review, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss. Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter and @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram. You can also email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.

We will be back next week with the first episode of Season Six! Bands we'll be discussing in this series include David Bowie, Queen, Nick Drake, The Ark, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jet, The Music, Kaiser Chiefs, Kraftwerk, Calvin Harris, Henric de la Cour and Frightened Rabbit. In the meantime, find out what some of our BIGGEST FANS have to say about the podcast....

Rounding off this season is a special bumper episode with Chris Olley, musician and lead singer/guitarist from Six by Seven. If these names sound familiar, it's because Fran picked Six by Seven as an underrated band in our previous Nottingham episode - so this conversation is an Over/underrated first!  Chris listened to our episode, got in touch and we invited him to come on to talk about whether he agreed with our assessment of the band and hear more about the music he's making now. We also asked Chris to pick five songs from acts he thinks are underrated to add to the episode's playlist. In our longest ever episode, conversations include what it was like for Six by Seven to play on Later...with Jools Holland - but miss out on Top of the Pops - Chris' visits to the legendary Rockfield Studios with his fans, his collaboration Walls of Dada with Pete Holmstöm from the Dandy Warhols, what he makes of Six by Seven comparisons to The Church's Under the Milky Way, how Chris makes music every day and, even, what Chris was planning to take to the tip the next day...stay tuned for this and some other fantastic rock'n'roll stories. Six by Seven are on Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram. On the episode, Chris mentioned the Radio Bremen sessions and the books he has written - one of which, in his words, "details his mental breakdown over seven albums...!" You can find the playlist for this episode on Spotify - it includes Chris' underrated picks, plus bonus songs from other artists we've discussed during the episode. Download, subscribe and get in touch - especially if you have any suggestions for future themes or musicians to discuss! Follow us on social media - it's @OUmusicpod on Twitter, @overunderratedmusicpod on Instagram or you can subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also email us at [email protected]. Thanks to Mark Abbott for our logo.