Does anyone know a band called City Boy? (70's/80's)Very obscure and very original. It's beyond Me how such great talent goes so unnoticed! Also please chime in on other obscure talented musicians.
bdp24, I understand your reasoning for a hit taking a band out of obscurity. But in the case of Golden Earring, who had two hits in the course of 55 years! From a collection 25 + albums? This qualifies them for obscurity in my mind. Everyone has their own definition of obscurity and that's ok😎 Thanks for the input and I will check your references.
bdp24, I understand your reasoning for a hit taking a band out of obscurity. But in the case of Golden Earring having 2 hits in the course of 55 years! and 25+ albums? Makes them pretty obscure to me. Everyone has their own definition of obscurity for sure and that's ok😎 Thanks for your input and I will be checking your references.
loomis: If you like the Spinanes, you will likely enjoy a lot of Riot Grrl bands. Frogpond in particular, The Amps, and 100 Watt Smile should ring your bell. Looker is more recent, but excellent in this genre. The Dishes is a great B-52s style band with original material. There are so many bands from the 1990s and on that flew mostly under the radar. A good internet radio station and Pandora are good ways to explore. Start on Pandora with something like 100 Watt Smile, and you should end up hearing all sorts of great bands that you might never have heard of.
Love Terry Reid, and actually have an old Shonen Knife record. The Terry stuff I still listen to- haven't pulled out that Knife record since what- the '80s?
whart 900 posts 05-18-2016 9:48am "Love Terry Reid, and actually have an old Shonen Knife record. The Terry stuff I still listen to- haven’t pulled out that Knife record since what- the ’80s?"
Terry Reid is apparently still going strong, judging from his youtube vids. Knock on wood. The Shonen Knife CD to get if you ask me is Let’s Knife. Classic punk or whatever. :-)
Iko-Iko out of Miami. They're well known there, but everywhere else would qualify as obscure. They've been through many incarnations, some better than others, but they keep coming back with new crew and new tunes.
Two of their CDs I can highly recommend, "Protected by Voodoo" and "Shine",
Here's a few more, then I'll quit. Could be here forever.
10CC Ace Angel Argent Asleep At The Wheel Badfinger Boomtown Rats Canned Heat Climax Blues Band Dexy's Midnight Runners Exile FM Grapes Of Wrath Head East Icicle Works Joy Of Cooking Klaatu Men Without Hats Midnight Oil Orion Pet Shop Boys Quicksilver Messenger Service Rare Earth Starz UB40
Elvis Hitler. Their Disgraceland album contains a cover of Purple Haze called Green Haze. It is the Hendrix tune, but with the lyrics from the tv show, "Green Acres." "Farm livin,' it's the life for me...". It came out shortly after Paul Simon's album, 'Graceland' and was sort of anti-pop, lo-fi, psycho-billy. The first pressing came in a lo-rent cardboard box with the cover art photocopied and taped on with cello-tape. They were actually a competent band.
And Also the Trees Angels of Light Antony & the Johnsons Coil Galaxie 500 Husker Du In Gowan Ring Labradford Lowlife Miranda Sex Garden Outhud Pram Silver Apples David Sylvian Talk Talk Jozef Van Wissem Zelienople
Been listening to all of the British band Charlie's albums. A criminally underrated band that I loved back in the day and still.
China Crisis just released a new album last year, "Autumn in the Neighborhood". If you loved their previous work you will love this and they have some get this: great steel guitar work on a couple of cuts.
Charlie "Lines" is one of my favorite albums. Can't believe I missed them when I was looking through my collection. I have all of their albums on vinyl. Good call!
Gentle Giant They Might Be Giants Mama’s Pride Aorta Men At Work Wendy O’Williams and the Plasmatics Silver Metre Silver Apples Heartsfield Wild Man Fischer (do multiple personalities qualify as a group?) Black Oak Arkansas Dave Clark Five Masked Marauders The Incredible String Band
Great list dweller! I know of about half the bands on your list. Gentle giant definitely deserved more recognition. I haven't heard The Tubes mentioned. Formed in 1975 out of San Francisco, they definitely had a different approach. A little rock, a little punk, a little??? And a lot of humor. I saw these guys live twice and boy did they know how to put on a show( not just play) They had a couple of minor hits" Talk to Ya Later"and "She's a Beauty". But most people wouldn't have a clue who The Tubes are.
I dunno. I have to say that if a band is signed to a major label, and has some charting singles, I think that means they are not obscure. The fact that I know 60% of the bands people are listing here suggests to me that they are not really obscure.
Now, gnostalgick, aside from having a very difficult member name, has an excellent list. I haven’t heard of one single band on it, save Antony & the Johnsons and Husker Du. Bravo.
gnostalgick: What genre of music would you put these bands in? If the genre appeals to me, I will explore these bands. Thank you.
arcam88: The Tubes are obscure? White Punks on Dope was a high school and college anthem in the mid-to-late 1970s. Everyone I knew, knew that song. WPOD!!!
I’m a huge Tubes fan. I regularly play their first 2 albums. Tracks like "pimp" sound great as well. I saw them live recently and were fantastic.
Some bands i still have lp’s from: Tom Robinson band. Tim Curry had an album or two out. .(I still sometimes hear NYU’s new afternoon show.) Throbbing Grizzle Durruti column Prefab sprout
You are correct bondmanp! I forgot about that one- DUH😠 And by the way one of the best live albums ever recorded in my opinion. I guess they are not truly obscure. Just underrated and underappreciated the majority.
Genre? In the 80s I would have said they were 'alternative' but that label has now been co-opted by a sound I wouldn't really associate with any of these. I suppose I've heard about half played (one time or another) on college stations, but I doubt any are standard fare. In brief:
And Also the Trees--distinctly romantic guitars, sometime melodramatic, toured with The Cure Angels of Light--much quieter, more jangly project from the Swans (loud, rock) Coil--dark industrial ambient Galaxie 500--fuzzy, relaxed, proto-indie-pop In Gowan Ring--hippy folksy flower children music Labradford--slow & drony ambient Lowlife--lush & dreamy Scottish band featuring the original bassist from the Cocteau Twins Miranda Sex Garden--their first album was all madrigals, then they picked up some modern instruments... Outhud--Brooklyn/Oakland hipster dance punk with a harp Pram--fun 90s pop, like I'd imagine a happy upbeat Portishead Silver Apples--very early (60s) synthesizer based band with Can -like rhythm David Sylvian--more progressive output from the singer from Japan (band that heavily influenced Duran Duran) Talk Talk--had their share of 80s pop hits, but its their last two albums that really shine (sued by EMI for not being commercial enough) Jozef Van Wissem--modern lutist Zelienople--very recent discovery--avant-garde indie rock from Chicago
Also (already listed by czarivery):
This Mortal Coil--covers from the members of classic 4AD bands Tuxedomoon--neo-classically inspired 80s synth-pop with violin, clarinet, trumpet & performance artist
gnostalgick - Thanks for the very helpful info. I am well acquainted with Talk Talk (saw them on the peer in NYC when they opened for Elvis Costello, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth), and Japan.
Funny story about Japan. I was at a record show and saw an early LP by Japan that I was unfamiliar with, so I bought it (for $3). What a dissappointment. Apparently, before Japan went all New Romantic, they tried their hands at Hair-band/Arena rock garbage. What a waste of $3.
OK, so here's three from the NYC punk/new wave club scene ca. 1980 -
Anyone remember The Shirts? Lead singer Annie Golden later starred in Milos Foreman's film version of "Hair", IIRC.
Then there was a San Francisco (?) band called Medium Medium with their big song "Hungry, So Angry".
And let's not forget the immortal Love Tractor, maybe from Boston?
A little later on, on the cow-punk bar circuit we got "Momma's Big Iron Skillet", who were great and had some really funny lyrics. Later still, came BR5-49, from Austin, IIRC. Along with some great original material, they were the mother of all request taking cover bands.
BTW,
Good list from Bdp (as usual), tho a few of those are a little less obscure than this thread demands, IMO. However, I'll give you props on the Graham Gouldman/Andrew Gold collaboration. Who knew?
marty, love tractor was actually an athens ga band, tho sounding nothing like rem--great stuff nonethteless. your reference triggered recall of some other mostly-forgotten athens bands like pylon and swimming pool qs, who still sound pretty contemporary. staying south, i'll toss in two alabama (mississipi?) jangly guitar bands of particular merit, the primitons and carnival season; both on spotify and well worth checking out
Martykl: I for sure remember the Shirts. I have a few of their recordings (dubbed from LP to cassette!). I also think I have the Medium Medium LP with So Hungry, So Angry. Another band from that era is Bush Tetras, who also were a sort of punk-funk band with female vocalist. How about Colourbox? Really great soul/punk/funk/lounge type British band from the early 1980s. Colourbox's lead singer could have been the inspiration for Amy Weinhouse.
A couple a Southern janglers (both from Chapel Hill, NC I believe) and a first cousin
Arrogance (Don Dixon)
Let's Active (Mitch Easter)
The DBs (probably that area's biggest jangle rock act) were too well known for this thread IMO. Still love the track "Amplifier", tho.
Color Me Gone (Marti Jones, eventually married Don Dixon), possibly from Akron, Ohio - tho, as Loomis so properly points out, my memories of provenance are not always 100% accurate. Hey, it's been a while for these bands!
I cant argue with Whart: Used Guitars = great songs, lousy sound.
For me, all of the early Marti Jones records (Used Guitars, My Long Haired Life, Unsophisticated Time, Match Game, and Any Kind of Lie) combined first rate songs, beautiful singing, and mediocre to poor sound. Her later record "Tidy, Doily Dream" and her live album, "Spirit Square", both feature much better (tho still less than brilliant) SQ to my ear.
The Ravens were another great Baltimore band that had a local hit ("Raised on Radio") whose debut (and only) album should have hit platinum. Also the UK Comsat Angels were reviewers favorite but never found real commercial success.
Marti Jones, and her producer/husband Don Dixon, as SO good! Don may even be a better producer than T-Bone Burnette (and definitely a better songwriter and singer, not a T-Bone strength, imo). It's a shame he never progressed beyond that amateur DIY recorded sound quality as an engineer. I do believe there is an anti-audiophile sensibility in a lot of independent R & R producers, for some reason. Like to sound too "good" is to become mainstream.
But look at Nick Lowe; his first album (and the ones he produced for Elvis Costello) sounds pretty bad (though being musically great), but his second sounds completely different, pretty good (that may be due to Dave Edmunds' involvement).
Yeah Marty, I used some more familiar names to make the point that those names shouldn't be obscure, but appear to be to (perhaps) younger participants here.
You want obscure? I'll give ya obscure. For fans of Instro/Surf, the bass player of Los Straitjackets (themselves no doubt obscure to most, though they are on the same label as Nick Lowe, and appeared regularly on Conan O'Brien) was leader of his own Surf Band prior to joining them, The Halibuts. Drenched in reverb and fast songs.
Dixie Dregs ~ What If Pylon ~ Gyrate Rank and File ~ Sundown Trip Shakespeare ~ Lulu Seldom Scene ~ Old Train Brand X ~ Moroccan Roll Romeo Void ~ It's A Condition Texas ~ Mother's Heaven Drivin' N' Cryin' ~ Fly Me Courageous Keno Duke ~ Sense of Values Hatfield and the North ~ The Rotter's Club Pearls Before Swine ~ One Nation Underground The Rain Parade ~ Emergency Third Rail Power Trip
dweller and arcam, have you heard the Steven Wilson remasters of Gentle Giant’s "Octopus" and "The Power and The Glory" on Blu-Ray? They are excellent. Just the ones that come to mind because I recently ripped them to JRiver: 1. Sanguine Hum 2. Out of Focus 3. Amenophis 4. Andy Jackson 5. Haken 6. William Orbit 7. Opeth 8. Timothy Pure 9. Embryo 10. Ashra / Ash Ra Temple 11. Bo Hansson 12. Marillion 13. Ozric Tentacles 14. Eloy 15.Anekdoten 16. Agitation Free 17. Lucifer Was 18. Osta Love 19. Camel 20. Caravan 21. Barclay James Harvest 22. Mythos 23. Riverside 24. Unknown Hinson 25. Hedvig Mollestad Trio 26. Porcupine Tree / Steven Wilson 27. Tangerine Dream (not so obscure but not really mainstream) 28. 801 / Phil Manzanera 29. Steve Hackett 30. Jade Warrior 31. Pure Reason Revolution 32. Blues Pills 33. Horslips
City Boy was a great band that shoulda. They were one of Mutt Langes 1st. You may know him better from Def Lepperd and Shania (his ex).
The Shirts were the best live band from CBs.
Take a listen to Bloodwyn Pig, a branch of Tull. Brinsley Schwarz, Nick Lowes 1st band. The late Keef Hartleys many incarnations. The Zutons, a more recent obscurity, at least here in the states. The Detroit Cobras.
There were thousands of San Jose, California Bands/Groups never heard from outside the Valley. Here are the ones who made records receiving national distribution:
- The Syndicate of Sound ("Hey Little Girl")
- The Count V ("Psychotic Reaction", a rip-off of The Yardbirds "I’m A Man")
- The Chocolate Watchband (three albums on Tower Records, their label-mates being early Pink Floyd. Seen in the Roger Corman movie Riot On Sunset Strip. They were basically The Yardbirds with Mick Jagger as lead singer)
- Stained Glass (two albums on RCA Records)
- People (two albums on Capitol Records, the first containing their national hit, a remake of a Zombies song "I Love You")
That was the 60’s. Stained Glass bassist/singer/songwriter Jim McPherson (R.I.P.) went on to join John Cipollina in his post-Quicksilver Messenger Service band Copperhead (and John’s younger brother bassist in The News, Huey Lewis’ Band). Larry Norman, one of the two lead singers of People, became a leader in the Christian Rock field in the 70’s.
The two Bands to come out of San Jose after the 60’s were The Doobie Brothers, and Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of local Band Fritz (full original name Fritz Reiner Memorial Band!).
I have seen Big Head Toad and the Monsters a few times. In South Florida, we had some really good bands that never made it nationally. Don't forget Chase, the hard driving horn band that lost members in a plane crash after three albums. their leader, Bill Chase, was not only surpassing Maynard Ferguson as THE supreme screaming trumpet player, but all my rock buddy fans liked his Chicago/Blood,Sweat and Tears type rock arrangement, too. Before he started this band, Woody Herman picked him up and added, "...and The Thundering Herd" to his band title.
You got me on The Halibuts, which is kind of a bummer because that's a "top ten ever" name for a rock band, IMO.
I actually considered mentioning both 13th Floor Elevators (Roky Erickson) and Romeo Void (Debora Iyall), but figured both got too much press from the music rags of the day to qualify as truly obscure.
Maybe a case could be made for Destroy All Monsters, the pride of Ann Arbor, Michigan along with Freddy "Sonic" Smith's Sonic Rendevouz band (as well as the better known MC5).
I mentioned a few spin-offs in an earlier post to this thread and I'll add one more: Wild Turkey, of Jethro Tull lineage via Glenn Cornick, IIRC.
rwwear: I have not heard the remasters of Gentlel Giant but I will definitely check it out. As far as Haken I absolutely love that band and think they are the best thing in progressive rock in a long time! Marillion, Porcupine Tree and Steve Hackett are excellent😆 I will definitely be checking your other references! Thanks for the feedback!
Straitjackets bassist Pete Curry was the leader/guitarist/songwriter in The Halibuts, and LS record in his home studio, a pretty nice one with a 2" 3M recorder, Manley tube mic pre-amp, and Neuman, Sennheiser, and AKG mics. Pete and I grew up together in San Jose, I learning to play on his drumset (his first instrument, which he now plays in a side-project band when not on the road with LS). We were in a great little instro-band together, The Hillbilly Soul Surfers, but Pete had left to play with LS when we backed Evan Johns in the studio for his Moontan album. Evan Johns, a not-so-obscure guitarist who played with Danny Gatton, The Leroi Brothers, Wayne Hancock, and hundreds of others. He had three albums on Rykodisc, about a dozen others on various labels. He’s in Austin now, though not on stage anymore. The drinking has taken it’s toll.
Historical footnote: On the day of The Chocolate Watchband’s debut gig (fall of ’65, iirc), drummer Gary Andrijesivich took sick, and Pete subbed for him. Here’s more: in the Spring of ’65, Gary was in a Frat Band (look it up ;-) named The Squyers, and I was in my first Teen Combo ("Faux Pas". Oy.). Gary left The Squyers to join the just-forming Watchband, and they stole the two older guys (in college. I was in 9th grade.) from Faux Pas before we had a chance to play out even once! Ironically, I took Gary’s place in The Squyers, and Pete moved to Santa Cruz (to avoid having to cut his hair to meet Cupertino High's dress code. Santa Cruz High didn't have one.), major surfing town (as immortalized in The Beach Boys "Surfin' U.S.A.") and perhaps the impetus for his deep interest in Surf (though we already loved The Ventures). This was all over fifty years ago!
Thanks Arcam. It's a rather eclectic mix. It's almost a curse loving so many types of music. Anekdoten is a Crimson type band where Unknown Hinson is a little country and comedic. Sanguine Hum is a lot like Haken.
Andy Jackson is probably best known for his role as Pink Floyd engineer and co-producer. The music is similar.
Bdp, Wild Turkey is a good one as well Klaatu and Can added by others. And Box of Frogs as well. There's a few on the list that are great but I wouldn't consider obscure though.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
