1997 was a prolific year for rock music with Radiohead’s “OK Computer,” Foo Fighters’ “The Colour And The Shape,” Third Eye Blind’s self-titled LP, and blink-182’s “Dude Ranch” hitting record stores; remember those? However, there are at least ten underrated albums that for one reason or another didn’t have 1/100th of the global impact that the four we referenced above and we listed them all below in alphabetical order. Before you yell at us like you always do, Lifetime’s “Jersey’s Best Dancers,” The Get-Up Kids’ “Four Minute Mile,” The Promise Ring’s “Nothing Feels Good,” Modest Mouse’s “The Lonesome Crowded West,” and other albums in both similar AND different veins are all disqualified as no one on earth but you would consider them underrated. Fun fact: For some reason the first four entries of this piece all start with the letter “H.”
Handsome “Handsome”
If you’re a fan of all things post-hardcore, whatever that means, you’d probably dig Handsome’s lone full-length studio album simply titled, “Handsome.” However, even the most post post-hardcore compatriots missed the boat on this act, which featured former members of way bigger bands Helmet and Quicksand. Now don’t panic, we won’t tell anyone that you have no more street and/or scene cred. Surprisingly to those in the know, this self-titled effort was actually on a major label, Epic Records, which also had hardcore legend Celine Dion on the roster at the time. Sadly, Handsome split up just one year after this fantastic record was released with no public signs of returning any time soon, so dim the lights and say goodbye.
(Hed)P.E. “(Hed)P.E.”
Avid Hard Times fans, stans, trolls, and brilliant beautiful baby scholars may be shocked to see Huntington Beach, California’s (Hed)P.E. here but we’re more concerned about how to type their band name. What’s good is good, and this debut self-titled release is a solid multi-genre rap-rock LP that you likely missed. In a truly awesome flex, the band is still active today, making their THIRTY year career pretty impressive, especially since their entire genre was conisdered dead. Still, the band was introduced to far more fans via their sophomore full-length studio album “Broke,” proving that baby they are survivors. Let’s get to the next act right after we ask one question to the band: What the hell is a “schpamb”?
Hi-Standard “Angry Fist”
Here’s another “H”: Huge. Yes, Japan’s Hi-Standard is enormously popular in the “Land of the Rising Sun,” but never truly broke through here in the states. Pity, as the hidden track rendition of the theme from the “Pink Panther” is more than enough to justify its inclusion on this list… However, the band missed the boat by not calling it the “Punk Panther.” There’s always next year! Anyway, Fat Wreck Chords had a hell of a run during the ’90s and we’ll mention one more FWC (via its subsidiary Honest Don’s Records) album not too long from now. In closing, we are sending every ounce of love to the family and friends of the band’s late drummer Akira Tsuneoka, who passed away in 2023.
H2O “Thicker Than Water”
For some reason, H2O’s debut and third album get a lot more attention than their sophomore full-length studio album/debut for Epitaph Records “Thicker Than Water.” We firmly believe that if this album came out today that the band would have an even larger legacy and likely be direct support on a Turnstile tour. Alas, timing is everything and nothing. At nearly twenty tracks and clocking in at just under a half hour, “Thicker Than Water” is both not much of an investment of your time and a fast, fast punch in the gut that you will enjoy as much as your masochist hearts will allow… Gotta figure it out, all YOU have to do is try!
Limp “Pop & Disorderly”
And now for something completely different: We’re at the section we briefly mentioned earlier about Honest Don’s Records! Dance with bugs to celebrate! The San Francisco Bay’s Limp repped the Fat Wreck Chords endorsement quite well, but likely due to the saturation of bands of this ilk around this time may have gotten lost in the melodic punk shuffle… In fact, they may have gotten lost in FWC’s collective shuffle! Regarding such, we blame you and only you, and we won’t make a Wes Borland joke right now, as it’s low hanging fruit. To quote a younger Roman Reigns, “Believe that!” This record is all killer no filler, and the band’s cover of Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac’s “Holiday Road” supplants that fact that doubles as our opinion.
The Muffs “Happy Birthday to Me”
The Muffs’ Kim Shattuck was a badass and she will forever be missed. The band’s last major label record “Happy Birthday To Me” was not only her favorite Muffs release, but easily the most underrated full-length studio album in their even more underrated album catalog. The Muffs are so, so, SO much more than the opening cover song in “Clueless,” and if you disagree you’re, uh, clueless; yeah. Shoutouts are also in order for the band’s rhythm section consisting of Ronnie Barnett on bass and Roy McDonald on drums. This power trio was truly powerful, saccharine, influential, and most importantly, fun. Self-produced albums can go in any qualitative direction, but The Muffs surely got this one right, and vocalist/guitarist/frontwoman/genius found a way to be at the/share the helm for their remaining efforts. Every time one listens to this release, it feels like a birthday!
MU330 “Crab Rangoon”
As stated earlier, NorCal’s Fat Wreck Chords had a heavy hand in many incredible full-length studio albums of the ‘90s, but the same could be said about NorCal’s Asian Man Records as well AMR, not ASMR, has released LPs from Alkaline Trio, Joyce Manor, Skankin’ Pickle, and more, but MU330 truly deserves to complete that “Big Four” with their incredible and underrated catalog. “Crab Rangoon” is easily our favorite one from the band, and this record finds a way to merge Weezer dork rock with third wave ska upstrokes. One may think that that combo won’t work, and many more still use ska as a punchline, but open your minds and try to give multi-genre effort a chance even though we know you just want more Anal Cunt. It rules and you don’t.
Silent Majority “Life Of A Spectator”
Your favorite Long Island bands LOVE this band/album… and that’s NOT all we have to say about that! Melodic hardcore is both a highly specific and vague genre of music, but SM managed to fit it to a “T.” Spin “Life Of A Spectator” right now to learn more and take a pause to honor the band’s late founding member/guitarist Rich Bacovina. Fun fact: Silent Majority featured band members who went on to join way bigger acts Bayside, Glassjaw, and more. Funner opinion that should be a more popular opinion: This record slapped then, and is even more timeless now. Is Silent Majority the most underrated act on this list? Well we don’t know, and nor do we play favorites, but the answer is “yes.”
that dog. “Retreat from the Sun”
You know those incredibly beautiful and haunting female vocals on Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American”? Yeah, that’s that dog.’s Rachel Haden. You know the main female vocals on Weezer’s popular non-album track “I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams”? Also, Rachel Haden. Now let’s get to that dog.: The original lineup consisted of Rachel’s sister Petra, Anna Waronker, and Tony Maxwell, all of which deserve as many props as Rachel but we wanted to showcase that you know the band even if you don’t KNOW know the band. Now let’s get to “Retreat from the Sun”: You can call it alternative, you can call it pop-rock, but we here just call it awesome. Sadly the band split after this, their third album, but happily they reunited the next century and put out another, “Old LP,” in 2019 just before the coronavirus apocalypse.
Voodoo Glow Skulls “Baile de Los Locos”
Dance of the crazy people? To quote the man who ends each episode of “Nathan for You”: “Absolutely.” Whether you want to admit it or not, many ska or ska-adjacent albums ruled in and ruled THE ’90s. We still don’t know why Riverside, California’s hybrid frenetic rock and roll band Voodoo Glow Skulls’ third full-length studio album didn’t launch the band to Reel Big Fish heights, but we suppose that this ain’t no disco. Regardless, check it out right now as there are no bands that sound like VGS and no bands should… Our collective souls will remain sick until you spin it! Plus, this album contains a song called “Freeballin’.” Tom Petty would be so, so proud.