Favourite Album that Nobody Else Has Heard Of?

[Groundhog]

I like a ton of bands that are very obscure, but perhaps none more so than Jade Warrior. Their 'Waves' album is just beautiful, and the fact that I got this and 3 other great albums of theirs in a 2-CD compilation for just $20AU seems criminal.

What are some of your favourite obscure albums?

[Easy Mac]

All the Saints - All the Saints EP

[MrIllini]

Guster - Parachute

[Sporkimata]

Ed's Redeeming Qualities- Big Grapefruit clean up

[Abe Sargent]

My favorite album - Massivivid's Brightblur. 1999. Won the Dove Award for Best Christian Hard Rock album. Not even many in the Christian music scene know it. It's amazing, and half of the songs have been available for d/l as mp3s before.

[Schmidty]

I can't just do one.

Brighten the Corners - Pavement

Just Like the Fambly Cat - Grandaddy

Ex Hex - Mary Timony

Brace Yourself for the Mediocre - Roper

Drowaton - Starlight Mints

[st.cronin]

John Coltrane - Interstellar Space

Ok, everybody knows Coltrane, but even some of his devotees don't know about this gem. Rashid Ali on percussion, playing mostly with his hands. Unbelievable stuff.

[Karlifornia]

Dark Side Of the Moon...it's really great and I think people should listen to it.

[cthomer5000]

that dog. - Retreat From The Sun

wiki link to the band: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Dog


My all-time favorite album, period.

[rowech]

Wolfmother

Candlebox

[Groundhog]

Another one: The Coral - The Coral. Not sure how big these guys are in the UK or the States but they are basically unknown here yet every album they have released has been awesome IMO.

[Karlifornia]

Seriously, though Two Gallants-What the Toll Tells. It's two guys from San Francisco on Saddle Creek records. They don't play hippie music, though. They actually play actually country tinged rock/folk. It's awesome..here's a lyrical sample of what I'm assuming is an old blues cover:

"Well I went down to the polling place
and the white man there just laughed in my face
he said 'Boy, this ain't no niggers race..
you best get on your way'
I said 'Sir, I believe I've got the right'
he said 'You ain't got nothin if you ain't white,
and I thought I said get outta sight'
well what was I to say?"

Fantastic.

[MrIllini]

John Coltrane - Interstellar Space

Ok, everybody knows Coltrane, but even some of his devotees don't know about this gem. Rashid Ali on percussion, playing mostly with his hands. Unbelievable stuff.

the majority of percussion on Guster's album is bongos

you might like it :)

[King of New York]

Band: The Mountain Goats

Album: The Coroner's Gambit

One guy who happens to be one of the world's great lyricists, playing an acoustic guitar with enthusiasm but almost no techincal ability, and singing into a boombox.

[wade moore]

Guster - Parachute

Weird that Guster isn't considered obscure to me - but I guess they probably are.

[MrIllini]

Weird that Guster isn't considered obscure to me - but I guess they probably are.

agreed...and agreed

[Crapshoot]

Boy Sets Fire - After the Eulogy

[Groundhog]

Wolfmother

Candlebox

I wish I could go 10 minutes without hearing a wolfmother song... ;)

[rowech]

I wish I could go 10 minutes without hearing a wolfmother song... ;)

I mention them to people and they have no idea who I'm even talking about.

The Candlebox album, there are many who will know about. I still think it was one of the best albums of the 90s. Really unfortunate this band never seemed to make it.

[Easy Mac]

Another one: The Coral - The Coral. Not sure how big these guys are in the UK or the States but they are basically unknown here yet every album they have released has been awesome IMO.

The Zutons do a better The Coral than The Coral does.

[lordscarlet]

Guster - Parachute

Weird that Guster isn't considered obscure to me - but I guess they probably are.

agreed...and agreed

Yeah. Not obscure to me. :)

I would have to say, The Avett Brothers - Four Thieves Gone (although it's tough for me to decide which album of theirs to choose)

[dawgfan]

Obscure is relative, but since most of the general music-listening population either don't know or only have a vague knowledge of him, I'll say Brian Eno's Another Green World, one of my all-time favorite albums.

[MrIllini]

Yeah. Not obscure to me. :)

I would have to say, The Avett Brothers - Four Thieves Gone (although it's tough for me to decide which album of theirs to choose)

oh, shut up, kobe sucks

[lordscarlet]

BTW... I went to a Guster show two or three weeks ago. :)

[Groundhog]

I mention them to people and they have no idea who I'm even talking about.


Well, they are Australian, so as you might imagine they are massive over here. They got a song included on GH2 as well, so that might have increased their popularity abroad.

[cthomer5000]

Obscure is relative, but since most of the general music-listening population either don't know or only have a vague knowledge of him, I'll say Brian Eno's Another Green World, one of my all-time favorite albums.

brown eyes and I were tired
we had walked and we had scrambled
through the moors and through the briars
through the endless blue meanders
in the blue august moon
in the cool august moon

[Groundhog]

Obscure is relative, but since most of the general music-listening population either don't know or only have a vague knowledge of him, I'll say Brian Eno's Another Green World, one of my all-time favorite albums.

Neat little album that one. Sombre Reptiles is one of my favourite quirky tracks.

[Groundhog]

The Zutons do a better The Coral than The Coral does.

O RLY? I'll have to track them down. I've heard OF them, but don't believe I've actually heard any of their songs. The Coral are one of my few "must buy" bands, so if anyone else is making music like them then put me down as interested.

[Greyroofoo]

Dark Side Of the Moon...it's really great and I think people should listen to it.

quoted for truth

[MrIllini]

BTW... I went to a Guster show two or three weeks ago. :)

suck it

and by it, I mean Subby's half-marathon infused ballbag sweat

[Schmidty]

Oh crap, how could I forget Destroyer.

Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer

Dan Bejar has one of the coolest voices ever, and even though he's mostly known for his contribuions to The New Pornographers (rightly so), his group Destroyer is just as good in my opinion, although in a different way.

[cthomer5000]

Oh crap, how could I forget Destroyer.

Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer

Dan Bejar has one of the coolest voices ever, and even though he's mostly known for his contribuions to The New Pornographers (rightly so), his group Destroyer is just as good in my opinion, although in a different way.

hells yes.

I like some songs of his solo stuff, but cant get into him from an album perspective, unfortunately.

[LloydLungs]

I'm not sure what "nobody else has heard of" entails, exactly, but "The Execution of all Things" by Rilo Kiley just pretty much transcends music. At least for me. Honorable mention is "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel, and I found out about that on this board, so I know there's at least one other fan.

[Karlifornia]

Oh crap, how could I forget Destroyer.

Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer

Dan Bejar has one of the coolest voices ever, and even though he's mostly known for his contribuions to The New Pornographers (rightly so), his group Destroyer is just as good in my opinion, although in a different way.


Schmidty...I must say, for some reason I never guessed you'd have such awesome taste in music...

[dawgfan]

brown eyes and I were tired
we had walked and we had scrambled
through the moors and through the briars
through the endless blue meanders
in the blue august moon
in the cool august moon

I want to be the wandering sailor
We're silhouettes by the light of the moon
I sit playing solitaire by the window
Just waiting, seasons change, ah hah, you'll see
Some day these dreams will pull you through my door

And I'll come running to tie your shoe
I'll come running to tie your shoe
I'll come running to tie your shoe
I'll come running to tie your shoe

[Groundhog]

I've had numerous people recommend Neutral Milk Hotel to me, but I'm yet to check them out.

[dawgfan]

brown eyes and I were tired
we had walked and we had scrambled
through the moors and through the briars
through the endless blue meanders
in the blue august moon
in the cool august moon

Dola - I think some of my favorite Eno lyrics are from this one off of Before and After Science:

But if you study the logistics
And heuristics of the mystics
You will find that their minds rarely move in a line
So it's much more realistic
To abandon such ballistics
And resign to be trapped on a leaf in the vine

[Easy Mac]

O RLY? I'll have to track them down. I've heard OF them, but don't believe I've actually heard any of their songs. The Coral are one of my few "must buy" bands, so if anyone else is making music like them then put me down as interested.

They sound almost exactly the same, at least the singers do. I have the second Coral album, Magic and Medicine, mainly because I heard they sounded like the Zutons. The second Zutons album sounds very much like the Coral, the first is a little more fast paced. The first is by far the better Zutons CD.

edit, if you're in the bmg music club (i am, but only use it for b-days with buy 1 get 4 free codes), the Zuton's first CD is 4.79 (including shipping).

[Schmidty]

Schmidty...I must say, for some reason I never guessed you'd have such awesome taste in music...

Thanks man. My little sister says the same thing, but as I tell her, I've never left the scene, even though I got all old and boring.

Blame it all on my sophomore year, and hearing Slanted and Enchanted. :)


Edit: I have no idea what "the scene" is. I just tried to sound cool.

[MrIllini]

Cowboy Mouth is good, IMO

they have a drummer for a front-man...entertaining...and he spits on people, so that's funny

[sabotai]

Psyclon Nine - Crwn Thy Frnicatr

Aggrotech. Listen to when angry.

[CU Tiger]

going back a few years but,
Sweet Vine Mountainside

[Kodos]

Def Leppard - Slang

Nobody heard it, but it was a great departure from Hysteria and Pyromania and the Mutt Lange sound.

[Young Drachma]

Aloha -- Sugar
Field Music -- Tones of Town

[thesloppy]

Silver Jews - American Water

[rowech]

It's a college band that nobody knows:

Aunt Betsy -- Water (Band--Album)

[Young Drachma]

Weird that Guster isn't considered obscure to me - but I guess they probably are.

I think it depends on what musical circles you hang in. If you know people who only listen to radio music and MTV, they'll never have heard of Guster. If they are somewhere with college radio or have been to college, then they'll know of Guster.

[Schmidty]

Silver Jews - American Water

Dude, you rule!!! New Orleans is one of my favorite songs ever!!!!

Davis Berman is an amazing song writer.

[Schmidty]

Dude, you rule!!! New Orleans is one of my favorite songs ever!!!!

Davis Berman is an amazing song writer.

Oops. New Orleans is on a different CD. "Starlite Walker" I think.

[Mr. Snappy]

Silver Jews - American Water

You pulled me out of lurker mode with this one. It's one of my favorites. You combine some great Steve Malkmus guitar work with Dave Berman's dry wit (and bad singing: think Chuck Norris doing the Walker, Texas Ranger theme) and the result is perfect from start to finish.

[thesloppy]

Dude, you rule!!! New Orleans is one of my favorite songs ever!!!!

Davis Berman is an amazing song writer.

I figured you might chime in on this one, as the resident Malkmus pimp. I couldn't live without 'American Water' or 'Starlite Walker' (and the newest is pretty damned tasty as well). Berman may be one of my favorite lyricists ever "When the sun sets on the ghetto, all the broken stuff gets cold."

Honorable mention is "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel, and I found out about that on this board, so I know there's at least one other fan.

I'm also a huge Neutral Milk Hotel fan (if it was the shit ten years ago, I'm all over it), and I'd recommend that fans of 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' check out 'Are We Not Horses' by Rock Plaza Central. It's derivative as all hell, but a good listen, and it's not like we're going to see another NMH album in a bazillion years.

[thesloppy]

You pulled me out of lurker mode with this one. It's one of my favorites. You combine some great Steve Malkmus guitar work with Dave Berman's dry wit (and bad singing: think Chuck Norris doing the Walker, Texas Ranger theme) and the result is perfect from start to finish.

Heh. My pleasure! Who knew Berman would get so much love on FOFC?

[thesloppy]

Howzabout a couple classics:

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
The Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace of Sin

As the alt-country movement continues to churn along somewhat healthily, it's a shame that both these records seem to remain unheralded outside of music-nerd circles. Gram Parsons at his finest, both records are solid from start to finish, and the Byrds record holds special meaning for me, as one of the first (of many) albums that I stole from my mom's record collection.

[wade moore]

I think it depends on what musical circles you hang in. If you know people who only listen to radio music and MTV, they'll never have heard of Guster. If they are somewhere with college radio or have been to college, then they'll know of Guster.

I think the college scene is the huge factor here. They performed at W&M at least twice, if not more, while I was there.

[Karlifornia]

I figured you might chime in on this one, as the resident Malkmus pimp. I couldn't live without 'American Water' or 'Starlite Walker' (and the newest is pretty damned tasty as well). Berman may be one of my favorite lyricists ever "When the sun sets on the ghetto, all the broken stuff gets cold."



I'm also a huge Neutral Milk Hotel fan (if it was the shit ten years ago, I'm all over it), and I'd recommend that fans of 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' check out 'Are We Not Horses' by Rock Plaza Central. It's derivative as all hell, but a good listen, and it's not like we're going to see another NMH album in a bazillion years.

Anything compared to "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" is worth listening to. I'll give it a go.

[thesloppy]

Whilst we're pimping unheard, defunct bands of our yoot, any Archers of Loaf (or Crooked Fingers) fans up in the FOFC??

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[cthomer5000]

Whilst we're pimping unheard, defunct bands of our yoot, any Archers of Loaf (or Crooked Fingers) fans up in the FOFC??

I've never been much a fan, but one of the strangest things for me is that I have about 10 default songs in my head that i'll start singing at times for no real reason. The sames ones always, unless uninterrupted by stuff that i've just recently heard. So anyway, "All The Nations Airports" is inexplicably one of the songs that always pops into my head.

[fenrrris]

Meat Puppets - II
Meat Puppets - Up on the Sun

Everyone knows the name because of Nirvana, but I know maybe three people who've actually listened to them. Two of my all-time favorite albums.

[thesloppy]

Otay, one more from me and then I'll stop monopolizing and bumping this thread.

Hayden - Skyscraper National Park.

I think it's a crime that Hayden remains pretty much unknown outside of the Great White North, but I get the impression that's the way he likes it. Nothing he does is revolutionary by any means, just solid and consistent. As I continue to shelve some bands that caught my ear 10 years ago, my older Hayden CDs have never budged and the newer stuff is just as good.

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[thesloppy]

Meat Puppets - II
Meat Puppets - Up on the Sun

Everyone knows the name because of Nirvana, but I know maybe three people who've actually listened to them. Two of my all-time favorite albums.

Like two weeks ago, coming home from the airport, I had a long discussion with my cab driver about Meat Puppets II. Awesome! SST was such a great, GREAT fucking label and with the relative dearth of decent music in the '80s I shudder to think what I would've had to listen to without Bad Brains, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, the Meat Puppets, and my favorite fat, gay, speed junkies Husker Du.

On the other hand, I sometimes wonder could've been if SST had a single decent engineer on staff....EVERY SST record sounded like you were listening to it over the telephone.

[fenrrris]

I think I love you, sloppy. I'm putting on You're Living All Over Me right now.

What did you think of the Puppets later albums? I've always had a hard time liking Huevos, Forbidden Places, and Too High to Die as complete albums despite several great songs.

[thesloppy]

I totally agree with you on the Meat Puppets later work, there's some good stuff in there, but you have to hunt for it....and that applies to Dinosaur Jr. as well (which I suppose is more understandable, since Lou Barlow got kicked to the curb).

Anybody with an interest in some o' them seminal SST bands should check out Michael Azerrad's Our Band Could Be Your Life (http://www.amazon.com/Our-Band-Could-Your-Life/dp/0316787531/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7239927-0066245?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174966995&sr=8-1) if you haven't already. Great stuff! Lots of history and interviews and most importantly GOSSIP about all the great bands from the '80s including the SST heavyweights Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Black Flag and the Minutemen, as well as the Replacements and both of Ian MacKaye's wonderful bands, Minor Threat and Fugazi. I also just recently watched 'We Jam Econo', an awesome Minutemen documentary with tons of great live footage and interviews, and I highly recommend that as well, if you're a fan of D. and the boys.

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[thesloppy]

Oh crap! I've been sucking up this thread, and I thought I was done....but I forgot to pimp my mostest favorite under-appreciated band of all time:

Chavez!

They only released two full length albums and an EP as part of Matador's mid 90's indie onslaught, but late last year Matador collected all of that work and put it on a single disk 'Better Days Will Haunt You'.

Chavez is math-rock at it's finest. I could try to describe their sound, but I would fail and I'd jsut sound like (more of a) douchebag. Why not put on some headphones, crank your volume to ten, and take a gander at their two awesome (and hilarious) videos:

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<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YhU0uwAuhh0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YhU0uwAuhh0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

If that manages to pique your interest, check out their website which has a bunch of streaming songs.

http://www.menofchavez.com/

[Passacaglia]

Obscure is relative, but since most of the general music-listening population either don't know or only have a vague knowledge of him, I'll say Brian Eno's Another Green World, one of my all-time favorite albums.

ooh, that is a good album -- every time I listen to it, I wonder why I don't listen to it more often.

[Vince]

Cardinal Trait - You Already Know

I randomly heard a song of theirs on Pandora a while back, and I absolutely love the whole album.

[rowech]

Well, they are Australian, so as you might imagine they are massive over here. They got a song included on GH2 as well, so that might have increased their popularity abroad.

I didn't notice you from Australia.....makes more sense now.

[IMetTrentGreen]

anything ike reilly does

Honorable mention is "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel, and I found out about that on this board, so I know there's at least one other fan.

i knew i was forgetting something. every decemberists and death cab owe everything to nmh. incredible album.

[VPI97]

The Charlatans - Some Friendly
The Ocean Blue - Cerulean
Camper Van Beethoven - Key Lime Pie


Yes, I'm stuck in the late 80's - early 90's.

[bob]

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers - Americano!

[fenrrris]

Oh crap! I've been sucking up this thread, and I thought I was done....but I forgot to pimp my mostest favorite under-appreciated band of all time:

Chavez!

They only released two full length albums and an EP as part of Matador's mid 90's indie onslaught, but late last year Matador collected all of that work and put it on a single disk 'Better Days Will Haunt You'.

Chavez is math-rock at it's finest. I could try to describe their sound, but I would fail and I'd jsut sound like (more of a) douchebag. Why not put on some headphones, crank your volume to ten, and take a gander at their two awesome (and hilarious) videos:

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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bKr45j6S_qQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></object><object height="350" width="425"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YhU0uwAuhh0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></object> If that manages to pique your interest, check out their website which has a bunch of streaming songs.

http://www.menofchavez.com/

Chavez is awesome. I had a long phase of Ride the Fader obsession. But in the interest of further monopolizing the thread, I will duel banjos with you: Ui's Answers. Totally obscure stuff skewing a bit more toward the Chicago (Sea and Cake, Tortoise) school of post-rock. It kicks off with one of the most badass tracks I've ever heard.

And speaking of the Sea and Cake! Oui, Nassau, and the Biz are my favorites, but I've always thought they're practically a no-miss band. Their albums are all fun, odd, elevator music at worst and something inexplicably good at best.

[Airhog]

The Bilge pumps


They sing at ren. faires in oklahoma and texas. A good group if dirty pirates is your thing.

[TLK]

Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic

[Subby]

My entry would be one that probably isn't all that obscure, but I know my mom hasn't heard it.

Ween - The Pod.

Pure. Genius. :)

[Draft Dodger]

William Orbit - Strange Cargos III
Dag - Righteous

[Sporkimata]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Murder ballads (pretty much any)

[MrIllini]

Jump, Little Children - Magazine

[st.cronin]

looking through my ipod, I came across some songs by a band called Elysian Fields that I used to listen to quite a bit. As I recall, they had 2 albums, both of which I liked.

Also ... My Bloody Valentine, Isn't Anything and Loveless. Loveless sometimes makes those "most influential lists" that critics put together, but I actually prefer Isn't Anything.

[Passacaglia]

Oh crap! I've been sucking up this thread, and I thought I was done....but I forgot to pimp my mostest favorite under-appreciated band of all time:

Chavez!

They only released two full length albums and an EP as part of Matador's mid 90's indie onslaught, but late last year Matador collected all of that work and put it on a single disk 'Better Days Will Haunt You'.

Chavez is math-rock at it's finest. I could try to describe their sound, but I would fail and I'd jsut sound like (more of a) douchebag. Why not put on some headphones, crank your volume to ten, and take a gander at their two awesome (and hilarious) videos:



I was thinking of mentioning a Matador band, The Judybats. Although, I think my favorite album by them (Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow) is Sire. Math-rock, eh? I'll check out Chavez.

Hard to pick from other stuff that I haven't already mentioned on this forum. I know that MylesKnight is a fan of Love Jones, so I can't count them. How about Widescreen by Rupert Holmes? It was the album right before the Pina Colada Song. Of course, if we're talking literally no one, that would be Ramble by Amadaun, a local Irish music band from Grand Rapids (so maybe Schmidty has heard of them).

[CamEdwards]

Bob Schneider- The Californian. Amazing Austin singer/songwriter. I like all of his albums, but The Californian is the closest I've heard to replicating a live show.

Peeping Tom- Mike Patton's new project. Album came out about a year ago, and it's still in heavy rotation in the Edwards household.

I might think of others later, but those are the two that immediately come to mind.

[Butter]

The Sundays - Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic
-Great stuff for jangly guitar and wistful lyric fans.

The Avalanches - Since I Left You
-Still a stunning work all around... still waiting on the follow-up.

Portishead - Dummy
-How I miss them.

[Ryche]

Nightwish - Once
Pretty huge in Europe I think, but pretty much unheard of here. My favorite album currently. I love female singers in rock groups and this is the best I've found. Should be interesting to see who their new singer is in another month or so.

[lordscarlet]

Bob Schneider- The Californian. Amazing Austin singer/songwriter. I like all of his albums, but The Californian is the closest I've heard to replicating a live show.

A friend gave me I'm Good Now to listen to and it didn't excite me much.. I'll give it another listen, though.

[Draft Dodger]

The Avalanches - Since I Left You
-Still a stunning work all around... still waiting on the follow-up.


good call. in a similar vein, I'd also add on Propellerheads - Decksandrumsandrockandroll

a great album, and I'd love to hear something else from them

[timmae]

Band: The Mountain Goats

Album: The Coroner's Gambit


The above mention!! Very nice btw...

They Shoot Horses Don't They - Boo Hoo Hoo Boo
Architecture in Helsinki - In case We Die
The Soviettes - LP I / LPII / LPIII (all three rock)
Awesome Snakes (soviettes side project) - Venom
The Distillers - Coral Fang
Russian Circles - Enter

Not sure how well known any are... distillers maybe moreso than the others..

[MrIllini]

no one cares about your opinion Meseck...get a life ;)

[Leonidas]

Cowboy Mouth is good, IMO

they have a drummer for a front-man...entertaining...and he spits on people, so that's funny
Freddy Leblanc. I knew him when he played for Dash Rip Rock (New Orleans club band that's still around). He was roommates with a guy who was dating a very good friend of mine back when I was going to Tulane in New Orleans. This was back in 1985 when they were kids. He was the best drummer I ever saw live. We used to follow him from The Rat to Jimmy's to Tipitina's. Freddy played so hard he would literally destroy his drumkit every show. By the end of the show his gear would be laying all over the floor. He did that all the time. Dash Rip Rock narrowly beats out The Meat Puppets (another band I've seen more times than I can remember) as the best bar band I ever saw.

[MrIllini]

Freddy Leblanc. I knew him when he played for Dash Rip Rock (New Orleans club band that's still around). He was roommates with a guy who was dating a very good friend of mine back when I was going to Tulane in New Orleans. This was back in 1985 when they were kids. He was the best drummer I ever saw live. We used to follow him from The Rat to Jimmy's to Tipitina's. Freddy played so hard he would literally destroy his drumkit every show. By the end of the show his gear would be laying all over the floor. He did that all the time. Dash Rip Rock narrowly beats out The Meat Puppets (another band I've seen more times than I can remember) as the best bar band I ever saw.

Yeah, Fred kicks in the tits of pretty much every drummer I've ever seen except for Brian Rosenworcel from Guster. Bloody hands every time they went out for a live show. Either way, both bad-assed.

[Leonidas]

Now for my obscure album choice. I'll do two.

First, Lolita Nation by Game Theory. Game Theory was an 80's band out of San Francisco that was in the same jangle rock genre as REM or Guadalcanal Diary. Then in 1987 they released LN and wow, it sure wasn't jangle rock. It was a beautiful mix of just about everything. A double album that the band poured everything into. Sadly I only had a cassette of it that I bought while I was in basic training. I still have the cassette floating around in my garage, but CD versions are extremely rare, sometimes fetching a couple hundred bucks on ebay.

You can read here on Amazon a couple of good revies
http://www.amazon.com/Lolita-Nation-Game-Theory/dp/B000008FVI
"Lolita Nation" is one of the very best power-pop (if that term even begins to encompass the depth and breadth of this band) albums of the 80's (came out in '87). Scott Miller may be familiar to some as the leader of the Loud Family, whose most accessible long player was 92's "Plants & Birds & Rocks & Things". Scott is an extremely literate lyricist, a writer of great pop hooks, but has a bit of a grating vocal style (at least for the uninitiated). His body of work includes all the Game Theory LPs, along with the Loud Family canon. He has been out of commission since 2000, and the loss is immense. If you can get past the quirks, you will find some of the best pop songs ever written right here.

Lolita Nation (at 26 songs) is a huge undertaking initially, until you get the hang of where Scott is going (some songs are snippets, some repeat themselves in later albums, some backward-reference earlier records, it all ties together eventually, believe me). But patience allows the major songs to emerge, and the hooks will stay in your head forever.

I originally found this in a used bin in Lincoln NE in 1992, on the recommendation of a friend that I just had to own the song "The Real Sheila". He was right. I had just bought "Plants, etc." and had an idea of the structure and self-referential style.

Initially, this perfect song appears to overshadow everything else on the LP. But be patient. The songs all assert themselves over a few listens (think about discovering Zen Arcade, Get Happy or Disintegration, and watching the gems fall out). "Last Day That We're Young" captures a moment we all have gone through, and has never been stated better. He generously gives air time to one of his female musicians, and "Mammoth Gardens" and "Look Away" are 80s classics that the Bangles or the Go Go's should have done.

"One More For St. Michael" will thrill Star Trek" junkies, and "Waist and Knees" rocks as well as anything out at the time. This record (as far as I can tell) starts some Scott patterns, such as songs with two women in the title, and the "Where" series of songs (see "Interbabe Concern" for more on this).

In summary, this is a truly coherent album. The more you listen, the more it makes sense, and the more you see the beginning/middle/end and make the journey with Scott. I know punk was supposed to blow off these "rock opera" like structures, but look at Husker Du, and how they embraced a "concept" album (twice, actually).

You should also check out the other GT releases available, especially "Big Shot Chronicles", and all the Loud Family releases. The man has absorbed his sixties gods, but more than anything, he absorbed the sprit of Alex Chilton. His own voice and studio tricks obscure the picture a bit, but at heart, this is music in the true spirit of "#1 Record" and "Big Star".

Buy it, love it, make it a part of your life. This is a guy who will be "discovered" 20 years from now, and his praises will be sung to the rooftops. Beat the masses, and discover him now.

Art Blose

My second choice is Urban Beaches by Cactus World News. Like the Game Theory album, I had this on cassette. I don't think it was even released on CD initially. CWN is one of those Dublin bands that Bono discovered. And yes, they have been called a U2 clone at times. However I think their sound is distinct enough to be stand on it's own. Many of the songs on this album have stuck in my head for 20 years and refuse to get out. The Bridge was a minor 80's hit with a video. State of Emergency was even used on a Miami Vice episode. But the best work might be Church of the Cold or Jigsaw with it's haunting riff. To my good fortune, the band got back together in the 90's and re-released Urban Beaches. It's not available in stores though. You have to order it online. The new CD is autographed by the band and includes a lot of extra material. You can check them out here: http://www.cactusworldnews.com/

[lordscarlet]

A friend gave me I'm Good Now to listen to and it didn't excite me much.. I'll give it another listen, though.

Meh. To me he sounds like a less-interesting version of a band called Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers.

[timmae]

no one cares about your opinion Meseck...get a life ;)


Ahhh... but you have it wrong my friend. I am the world's foremost expert on my opinion! That you must care about!!

Oh, and I forgot to add 'Pretty Girls Make Graves' kicks ass too.

[Izulde]

The Poxy Boggards - Lager Than Life
The Merry Wives of Windsor - Here's to the Men

[headtrauma]

Chameleons U.K. - Strange Times

[WVUFAN]

Queensryche -- Rage for Order

[DeToxRox]

Boy Sets Fire - After the Eulogy

Where's your anger? Where's your fucking rage?

[DeToxRox]

Death By Stereo Into the Valley of Death

Last hardcoreish metal band I can stand to listen to.

[DeToxRox]

P.O.S Audition

Hip hop's most underrated MC, P.O.S can deal. He's phenominal with insightful lyrics and a great delivery that is Chuck D meets Dr. Dre.

Per the song Da La Souls (ft Slug of Atmosphere)

I fake to all these hard-case kids
I raise a black fist
But won’t say (nigga) in the things I write
And I don’t say (faggot)
Cuz I don’t think it’s right
I know my boy struggle with that for over half his life
I guess we got our own lives to live
But I’m stretched too thin, tryin’ to build a kingdom to rule
And I think to the past sometimes
And dag man, it’s bad, see I kinda acted like a fool
But I’ve apologized to the lives that I’ve touched
Wrong pride, to the back, move ahead strong
But I can safely say
I’ve never played a woman without karma catchin’ up later on
I try to walk the right side of the tracks
But I’ve hopped a couple trains
Mom would cry if she knew the haps
But I can stand who I am
And face the day straight
Knowin’ not a thing can change what our beat singin’

[Young Drachma]

Ahhh... but you have it wrong my friend. I am the world's foremost expert on my opinion! That you must care about!!

Oh, and I forgot to add 'Pretty Girls Make Graves' kicks ass too.

I saw them play in Anaheim the day before Thanksgiving last year. Too awesome for words. I love them.

[timmae]

I saw them play in Anaheim the day before Thanksgiving last year. Too awesome for words. I love them.

They have their last Chicago show at the Empty Bottle on May 12th. I am eagerly awaiting that one...

[Passacaglia]

Wow, Pretty Girls Make Graves on the 12th, and Morrissey on the 15th? Too bad lurker and I have a huge exam on the 16th.

[Easy Mac]

Can - Ege Bamyasi

[Ksyrup]

I don't think it's possible to limit this to just one, especially since it's nearly impossible to think of an album that NO ONE has heard of. So, to cover my bases, here's 5:

Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
Last Crack - Burning Time
Thought Industry - Mods Carve the Pig: Assassins, Toads and God's Flesh
Cyclone Temple - I Hate Therefore I Am
Chris Brown - Now That You're Fed

[sabotai]

Kidney Thieves - Zerospace
Klank - Still Suffering
Seaweed - Spanaway (? Not sure if they were known or not)



Funny that this thread would be bumped today. I spent a few hours this afternoon looking through this thread (pre-bump) and another music thread looking for new stuff to listen to.

[cthomer5000]

The Sundays - Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic
-Great stuff for jangly guitar and wistful lyric fans.

Portishead - Dummy
-How I miss them.

I can back both of those. Portishead reportedly working on a new album, BTW. Not sure how enthused I am given the time and my lukewarm feelings towards their 2nd album.

[Passacaglia]

I can back both of those. Portishead reportedly working on a new album, BTW. Not sure how enthused I am given the time and my lukewarm feelings towards their 2nd album.

I actually really liked their 2nd album. Not as much as their first, but almost. Good news, though -- I'll be looking forward to a new one!

[Fighter of Foo]

Didn't find Cat Empire listed in this thread. Aussie band, very ecelctic, very active, especially live. hxxp://www.myspace.com/thecatempire

[Critch]

Sick On The Bus - Set Fire to Someone in Authority

Great old style British punk from guys who are old enough to be great old style British punks.

[lighthousekeeper]

It must be difficult to make an album that no one has heard of. I think most that have been provided in this thread are disqualified.

[Passacaglia]

The above mention!! Very nice btw...

They Shoot Horses Don't They - Boo Hoo Hoo Boo
Architecture in Helsinki - In case We Die
The Soviettes - LP I / LPII / LPIII (all three rock)
Awesome Snakes (soviettes side project) - Venom
The Distillers - Coral Fang
Russian Circles - Enter

Not sure how well known any are... distillers maybe moreso than the others..

After hearing "Heart It Races", I've been listening to this album a ton lately. Really liking it.

[Axxon]

Missed this earlier but

"The Best Band You've Never Heard of In Your Life" by Frank Zappa just simply has to be included. :)

While this certainly isn't my favorite FZ album he is my favorite artist and it often does feel like he's pretty unknown to most people.

[MikeVic]

I'm going to go through this thread at a later time to find music, but one CD that I'm listening to is Justice - Cross. Some good songs on there.

[ArlingtonColt]

Team Sleep - Team Sleep

Lead singer is Chino Moreno from Deftones, its the type of cd that just grows on you over time.. I really don't like techno, but for some reason I fell in love with this disc.

[FF]

Wow, a Justice fan? Color me surprised.

[Kodos]

Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell.

[CraigSca]

The La's - everyone's heard "There She Goes" 500 times, but the rest of the album is great, too.

Also, Verve's first EP with "Man Called Sun", "She's a Superstar" and "Gravity Grave" is awesome.

[Axxon]

Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell.

Love the heck out of this album but I wouldn't exactly say it's not heard of.

[ThunderingHERD]

Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic


Hey, that's one of the ones I was thinking of! Didn't expect to see it mentioned.

Great little album, terribly sad what happened.

[Kodos]

Love the heck out of this album but I wouldn't exactly say it's not heard of.

I was kidding. It's one of the biggest selling albums of all time.

[cartman]

here's one that I bet most folks have not heard of:

Band of Heathens - Live from Momo's

They are a fairly new band in the Austin area. They won best new band inthis year's SXSW festival, and finished second in the overall Best of Show category.

They have a great sound, and have a pretty big future ahead of them. Check them out, and maybe you can be one of the ones that can say "I knew about them before they hit it big". :)

[MJ4H]

FX3 by Jake Kaufman

[Axxon]

I was kidding. It's one of the biggest selling albums of all time.

I kinda figured but I didn't have time to google it so I played it safe. :D

[Julio Riddols]

For the Hip Hop genre, gotta go with NY Oil - Hood Treason. Particularly the song "Y'all Should All Get Lynched"

Anyone who listens to hip hop should hear that track.

hxxp://www.myspace.com/nyoil

[thesloppy]

Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender (2004): (httphttp://wm04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wnfpxqwaldke) Do you dig crunchy guitars, heavy syncopated rhythms and a pounding bass line? Yeah, who doesn't. TOO BAD, bitchez cuz this album's all about tha muthafucking HARP and some elfin chick caterwauling like a stuck pig.

I love this record, but really its pretty much indefensible. One listen will either have you hooked immediately, or sound like nails on a chalkboard, and no amount of repeated listens will likely change your mind either way. I've certainly had plenty of friends tell me this sounds like over-earnest crap and there's not much for me to do but shrug and nod my head.

All of Ms. Newsom's records have garnered a good amount of critical praise, especially her more recent work (some of which features collaborations with musical heavyweights like Van Dyke Parks and Steve Albini), and yet in my experience its pretty rare that I actually ever run into anybody that's actually heard her, or even heard of her. Contrary to critical opinion, this is my favorite of her albums, probably for the simple reason that it's the most accessible, and I can listen to it from start to finish without skipping a track (which is too rare for me, these days).

Anyhows, enough blabbering from me. Here's a vid from the album that should give you a pretty clear picture of what ms. Newsom's has to offer, one way or the other:

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