It started as a simple question....

[~Stranger]

Two or three things I must get off my chest!
Firstly, am I right i thinking that there is a Yahoo group devoted to Mesh or did I dream that the other night?! If so, does anybody know the URL because I sure as hell can't find it!
As a newie to the Electrogarden forum, I was also wondering what people's opinions of their last album (Who Watches over me), and what sort of music and what other bands fellow Mesh fans listened to.
Now the contraversial bit! The reason I ask this is though I have always loved electro music, I've found there have been very few acts that have really inspired me, and at the risk of sounding a little too contraversial for a first post, I don't think any band has (or is going to) live up to the exploits of Depeche Mode. It took me a while to get into Mesh, but I began to realise that here is band that writes some cracking songs, but it dissapoints me somewhat that they haven't broken out of the undergroud circuit, when I think they have the sound and the ability to be much bigger. On the other hand, maybe that is not a bad thing in this age of manufactured s***e. But I digress. So, are there any hidden gems out there that I've been missing all these years!

[test]

Yep, there is a Yahoo Group devoted to mesh. Here's the addy:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meshforever/

I LOVE WWOM? It's an excellent album. The production is amazing. The songs are all top notch. The b side, Let Them Crush Us again shows what masters mesh are at producing killer b sides.

As far as hidden gems go, you *need* to check out a band called Iris. They are from Texas and really know how to make an album. You can click on the link above to hear the new track, Vacant. You can also go here: http://electrogarden.com/charted_tracks.php
Iris', Annie, Would I Lie To You? is number 6. That's the first song that I ever heard by them. It is what hooked me on them. If you like what you hear, and I think that you will, you will want to pick up their first album. It's called Disconnect. You can also purchase that at A Different Drum. I highly also recommend you checking out:

Lose In Wanting
Saving Time
Danger Is The Shame
Unknown--new single from the new album, Awakening. This is set for release on Feb. 1. You can preorder the album at http://www.adifferentdrum.com

I also highly recommend the following bands:

poe--she's not synth, but she's great!!!
VNV Nation
Assemblage 23
Beborn Beton
Apoptygma Berzerk
Cause and Effect
T.O.Y.
Seven Red Seven
Goteki
Wolfsheim
De/Vision
And One
Felix da Housecat--electroclash and You NEED to check him out!

These should get you started. Remember, Iris is the one you should check out next. ;) :D Yep!

[~antipod]

Good answer... seems like there's a lot that have a crush on Iris in this place, which I understand. I guess we all are looking forward to Awakening... :)

Anyway, I just wanted to add some groups to your list of what Stranger must check out if he hasn't heard them yet:

Melotron (if he understands german, but what the heck, I don't speak german and I think they are just so good! =)
Colony 5 (Rather new swedish group that has some really good songs)
Seabound (Avalon is one of the coziest songs I've ever heard...(is there such a word, coziest? =))
Neuroticfish

Well there are other groups as well, but I don't want to go to far off from mesh. But mesh is special, they have their sound and it's hard to say a group that sounds similar.

Well Stranger, hope you've found something interesting in these and in the ones Stephanie mentioned!

:)

[~Caster T]

Another couple of gems, in my opinion that are worth checking out are Welle:Erdball saw them at Bradford along with Mesh. The lyrics are mainly in german, but I like that. They have a kinda Depeche Mode - Photographic / Kraftwerk - Computer Love sound. Their latest album is refreshing in a modern/retro way. Also the Conjure One album of the same name is fantastic and features Poe, as mentioned by Stephanie. Oh and I should'nt forget Little Computer People - Electro Pop.
Take Care
Caster T