# Hey Listen to this! The Music Suggestion thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674 "2011-06-24T05:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/1 "2011-06-24T05:37:41Z")
Everyone has favorite bands that we’ve thought should have been more popular. At least I think they do. Anyway, I have a lot. This thread is for posting bands you think got screwed. Try to include information and a link to their music, otherwise this’ll turn into just a bunch of people listing bands they like, and I’d rather people actually find new music they enjoy. Anyway, my first entry is Brooklyn Band ESG. Made up of a bunch of teenage sisters, ESG were sort of a mix of funk, dance-punk, and disco. They only released a couple EPs and one album and then they broke up (they reformed many years later). [- YouTube](http://youtu.be/PlbTgyJOI4c) ESG - The Beat [- YouTube](http://youtu.be/UQ8xOUqaFfw) ESG - Moody (spaced out) [- YouTube](http://youtu.be/-SoJrGG6c6Q) ESG - Dance What have you got? Listen to mine and I’ll listen to yours. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/2 "2011-06-24T15:32:20Z")
Definitely different than what I usually listen to, but I liked it very much. I could see myself playing it in a set on my fave dive’s internet jukebox. I was actually just thinking about starting a thread like this for lost great songs and/or bands. Anyway, here’s some picks by me: [Congo Norvell - The Girl Who Would Be King](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9xhAPMpEEM) [28th Day - 25 Pills](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT-HYqLW6zc) [Red House Painters - I Am A Rock](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtlccEWrXI) - one of the best covers almost no one’s heard. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/3 "2011-06-24T15:55:53Z")
[Tommy Guerrero - On the West](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4KeUsPg6TA) off his new CD. A tad jazzier than trip hop. A bit cooler than lounge music. A touch of Ennio Morricone spaghetti-western feel. You want this on the soundtrack of your movie, because you’re cool like that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/4 "2011-06-26T15:51:41Z")
OK, I’ll play. **The Old 97’s** are an alt-country band out of Dallas TX. These guys have been kicking around for close to twenty years, write catchy rock songs with a country twang and ingenious, often humorous lyrics, their live shows are a blast, and I don’t understand why they aren’t much bigger than they are. On the other hand, their lack of stardom means that I can catch them play in a small seedy bar when they come to town rather than in a large, more impersonal venue, so that’s a plus. [Time Bomb](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAdbzNz6W4M) [Big Brown Eyes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3BNXpzl0CE) [Barrier Reef](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-pgBmz6Yig) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/5 "2011-06-26T16:06:58Z")
You might find some things to investigate in this thread on a similar topic: > **[Youtube Music To Keep Me Entertained](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=574156)** > > There’s nothing like music to make a boring and repetitive task slightly less dull. So what do you like on Youtube. All genres of music are accepted! New R&B and reggaeton aren’t music, btw. 🙂 Right now, I’m listening to Heart/Ann Wilson covers... Youtube Music To Keep Me Entertained 08-10-2010, 01:08 PM tr0psn4j 06-17-2011, 09:47 AM Zeldar 23 posts at the time of this post. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/6 "2011-06-26T16:29:30Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > [Tommy Guerrero - On the West](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4KeUsPg6TA) off his new CD. > > A tad jazzier than trip hop. > > A bit cooler than lounge music. > > A touch of Ennio Morricone spaghetti-western feel. > > You want this on the soundtrack of your movie, because you’re cool like that. 😉 **WordMan** … thanks! I just added a bunch of Tommy Guerrero to my Rdio collection. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/7 "2011-06-26T18:38:20Z")
[Murder of Birds by Jesca Hoop featuring Guy Garvey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35EeM5DHgRU) Her big break was as Tom Wait’s nanny. She’s American, but now lives in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/8 "2011-06-27T00:24:55Z")
> [@K364](#): > > **WordMan** … thanks! I just added a bunch of Tommy Guerrero to my Rdio collection. Cool; my work in this thread is done! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/9 "2011-06-27T01:28:05Z")
Bliss (with Sophie Barker)- [Calling](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjkyalaqrSo) Bliss - [Song for Olabi](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR2gejPnDC8) Downtempo with world music influences. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/10 "2011-06-27T03:24:48Z")
I’ve been enjoying Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the great pioneers of blues, gospel, and rock and roll. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UNq8DejQRN8/hqdefault.jpg "Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Above My Head - Acustic") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNq8DejQRN8) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rzRm4K7NZm0/hqdefault.jpg "Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Trouble In Mind") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzRm4K7NZm0) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9beFIankmBY) ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/11 "2011-06-27T04:03:54Z")
Johnny A is a fantastic guitar player who deserves to be better known. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ7amOCI6DI) he plays a jazzy piece. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94hu5CgoB5s&feature=related) he rocks out a bit (not the best sound quality but an impressive performance). ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/12 "2011-06-27T04:46:33Z")
From what little I know, a Philly band that somehow missed the alt-country surge - live stuff is great too (SXSW vids notwithstanding). I don’t think they’re together anymore: [Go To Blazes - Yesterday’s Numbers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05zMj3uyyE) A friend’s find - amazing that this flew completely under the radar: [Andy Fraser Band - Don’t Hide Your Love Away (1975)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yo3fEx0JXs) The fourth “King” of the blues lives on in relative obscurity - outside of NOLA, anyway: [Earl King - Trick Bag (Live)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJFotE7M20U) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/13 "2011-06-27T11:16:13Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’ve been enjoying Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the great pioneers of blues, gospel, and rock and roll. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNq8DejQRN8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNq8DejQRN8) > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzRm4K7NZm0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzRm4K7NZm0) > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9beFIankmBY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9beFIankmBY) Oh yeah. Great, great stuff. And \*\*Bumbershoot \*\*- yeah; Johnny A is a respected player. ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/14 "2011-06-27T12:59:16Z")
I think this would include the majority of the bands I listened to in the eighties. They all got screwed over by a music industry that didn’t want to hear and didn’t know what to do with anything other than cheesy pop songs. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/15 "2011-06-27T13:37:06Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > OK, I’ll play. > > **The Old 97’s** are an alt-country band out of Dallas TX. These guys have been kicking around for close to twenty years, write catchy rock songs with a country twang and ingenious, often humorous lyrics, their live shows are a blast, and I don’t understand why they aren’t much bigger than they are. On the other hand, their lack of stardom means that I can catch them play in a small seedy bar when they come to town rather than in a large, more impersonal venue, so that’s a plus. > > [Time Bomb](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAdbzNz6W4M) > [Big Brown Eyes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3BNXpzl0CE) > [Barrier Reef](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-pgBmz6Yig) Hell yes. See also [Question](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEwFik6ObJs&playnext=1&list=PL2AB65DDA0DC9A321) and [Four Leaf Clover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UaidxJsAbk&feature=related). I am not sure what counts. [AC Newman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO4OY_pKKVc)of the [New Pornographers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBAUQaj6EJo) does great solo stuff. Power pop is what it’s categorized as, but that’s a bit simplistic for my taste. I always felt that [Wolf Parade](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv-IHlRHMw4) didn’t get as much attention as they deserved. Possibly because they came out when everything was wolf something, and possibly because they can be [a tad discordant](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OmL7xO41iA&feature=related) and the hipsters all left for the less poppy side project [Sunset Rubdown](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx_x_pMk_pg&feature=related) which follows the art rock side down a hole, does some interesting stuff down there, but ultimately doesn’t have the great [spark of balance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmxO1LP1vfg) that Wolf Parade itself has between the [art](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y45HYmX5mw&feature=related)and the [pop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xq4o-kE-j8). [Animal Collective](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol2MJf6XNE) is doing really really interesting things picking up the [power pop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylrmS6ayKv8) that was so popular around 2005 and blending in [dance and electronica](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztvr09J7KK4&feature=relmfu) to get something…[different](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY8WH8qgBLM&feature=relatedBLM&feature=related). I think of it as the [natural extension of Radiohead’s Kid A sessions](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylrmS6ayKv8), but less British, with a bit of a [Flaming Lips playfulness mixed in](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR-H2XzNcQM&feature=fvwrel). That’s what I have for now. I will think and come back to see what else I have. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/16 "2011-06-27T13:43:49Z")
You’re awesome, man for the Earl King shout. He was a prime mover, and he wrote so many stone classic tunes. My vote is James Booker – everybody probably knows him – they even did a book of his stuff at Hal Leonard – but he never got the recognition AFAIK he deserved in his lifetime. On Hammond, Groove Holmes never seemed to get all the respect he should have received – he was a killer player (one of THE killer players, one of the originals), but he’s just known for his little upper manual registration he liked, and not his killer time and chops. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/17 "2011-06-27T15:49:02Z")
The Soft Boys, an early incarnation Robyn Hitchcock described as _ **“…a kind of heavy metal/barbershop doo-wop/country and western/psychedelic/folk blues band”** _ That’ll be the first album ([Can](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAyFv8aGvoU&feature=related) [of](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwEL6-awD3Q) [Bees](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4SJTkkohMw&feature=related)) outfit I guess, they (sort of) sensibled up a bit for their next record, try this one: [The Queen of Eyes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhm03JP9Edg) Here’s less ‘easy listening’ offering: [Only the Stones Remain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_a8lntjWI) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/18 "2011-06-27T16:20:07Z")
Novo Combo was a little-known (even back then) band from the early 80s. [City Bound (E Train)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7pxiRr7NJo) [Too Long Gone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-tR7z62yk8&feature=related) Kurt Elling is like a modern-day Frank Sinatra: [My Foolish Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCdjswQPKbA) [Nature Boy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXprs8-U5nA&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-listen-to-this-the-music-suggestion-thread/586674/19 "2011-06-27T19:52:24Z")
[Trombone Shorty - One Night Only (Live on Letterman)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qlYIQgvC-k) [Christina Aguilera - Birds of Prey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJKWDGOsDCc) [Nneka - Heartbeat (live)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foQ-zEYXl4M)