10 Most Underrated 90s Indie Bands You Need To Listen To
9. Jellyfish
Although San Francisco quartet Jellyfish only issued two LPs (1990’s Bellybutton and 1993’s Split Milk), their blend of indie rock, psychedelic pop, and associated styles made them a remarkable ensemble.
They were led by co-songwriters Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning, who—alongside various other multi-instrumentalists—crafted some of the most enjoyably colorful, hooky, uplifting, and detailed music this side of the Beatles, XTC, ELO, Tears for Fears, and Yes. Unfortunately, poor record sales (among other things) led to them parting ways and exploring separate ventures in the mid-'90s.
Since then, Jellyfish have received a decent amount of admiration for their lovable formula and lasting impact. Writing for PROG in 2015, Dave Everley aptly argued that they “bridged the world of power-pop and progressive rock like no one before or since.” Virtually every track they put out—such as the dazzlingly bluesy The Man I Used to Be, the sunnily catchy The King is Half-Undressed, and the relatively rambunctious All is Forgiven—validates that conclusion.
Luckily, Manning reteamed with bassist Tim Smith and guitarist Eric Dover a few years ago for comparable trio The Lickerish Quartet (so it’s nice to know that Jellyfish got a pseudo resurrection for a new generation).