# Obscure bands/music that you like **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180 "2008-07-11T20:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180/61 "2008-07-15T01:57:03Z")
I find it hard to define ‘obscure’, so if some of these are already familiar to you, forgive me. I feel justified in calling [Jay Leonhart](http://www.amazon.ca/Salamander-Pie-Jay-Leonhart/dp/B000003DCI/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216085311&sr=1-17) obscure because I started a Jay Leonhart appreciation [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=473416) that sank like a stone. To make it even easier, here are a couple of youTube clips - [It’s Impossible to Sing and Play the Bass](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AfPa1_vOzg) [She’s Mean](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rqYauZAo3I&NR=1) [Harmonium](http://www.amazon.ca/Harmonium/dp/B000007WWQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216084347&sr=8-1) the fantastic Serge Fiori, and how he went through the entire 1970s in three albums recorded over the course of 3 1/2 years. This one is the first, and it is a must have. [Beau Dommage](http://www.amazon.ca/Beau-Dommage-Frn/dp/B000065M1F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216084450&sr=1-1) is the companion band to Harmonium. You can tell Canadian Francophones by singing ‘Dimanche soir…’ and seeing how long it takes them to join in. [La Bottine souriante](http://www.amazon.ca/Mistrine-Bottine-Souriante/dp/B000026FVU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216084793&sr=1-4) is a fabulous mix of traditional Québec folk music and New Orleans jazz. The band varied from the more traditional (like [La Traversée de l’Atlantique](http://www.amazon.ca/Traversee-Latlantique-Bottine-Souriante/dp/B00004VLY9/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216084992&sr=1-7) to material like La Mistrine. [Jorane](http://www.amazon.ca/Vent-Fou-Jorane/dp/B00004YMTI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216085173&sr=1-3) Just a typical Québecoise singer-songwriter-cellist [Sigur Ros](http://www.amazon.ca/Sigur-Ros/dp/B00006LLNU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216085211&sr=1-4) a fabulous Icelandic ensemble. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180/62 "2008-07-15T02:13:57Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq] Hola, fellow surf fiend, **Jackmanii!** I have lots and lots of Los Straitjackets, also The Torquays, The Hellecasters, Fenomeno Fuzz, Man Or Astroman, Lost Acapulco, Sr Bikini, The 5.6.7.8’s, The Bomboras, The Lively Ones, The Raybeats, The Shadows, Nada Surf, and of course all the classics–Jan & Dean, Beach Boys, The Surfaris, The Ventures, Dick Dale, Gary Hoey, Link Wray, etc. Last time I queued up all the surf music on Foobar it came out to just over 19 hours worth–not that I like it or anything! [/QUOTE] Uh-oh - we have dangerously similar musical tastes - seeing that I also am fond of the Cramps and Southern Culture On The Skids. I recently got ahold of some Bomboras and Man or Astro-Man? to add to one of my homemade Ipod surf collections - good stuff. Man or Astro-Man? has an intriguingly-titled tune (“Cleanup On Aisle No. 9”) that I’m going to have to check out, along with other groups you mentioned. The Aqua Velvets are another of my favorite surf rock groups. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180/63 "2008-07-15T03:03:45Z")
**Ministre** , thanks for those. I just went tripping down memory lane… I hadn’t heard mention of Harmonium or Beau Dommage in years, and both are inextricably tied up with campfire singalongs at summer camp near Charlevoix. Sigh. Good times. Other good obscure and semi-obscure Canadian bands I madly love (mostly in the indie-pop/alt-country vein, though a couple are definitely less so): [Shawn Hewitt](http://www.last.fm/music/Shawn+Hewitt) [I Am Robot and Proud](http://www.last.fm/music/I+Am+Robot+and+Proud) [Cuff the Duke](http://www.last.fm/music/Cuff+the+Duke) [Final Fantasy](http://www.last.fm/music/Final+Fantasy) [DFA 1979](http://www.last.fm/music/Death+From+Above+1979) [The Hidden Cameras](http://www.last.fm/music/The+Hidden+Cameras) [Magneta Lane](http://www.last.fm/music/Magneta+Lane) ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180/64 "2008-07-15T03:16:35Z")
[QUOTE=phil417] Please define “obscure”..does it mean not top-40? Not rock? [/quote] No real dead-set definition - basically just “out of the mainstream”. [QUOTE=phil417] I listen to Christian music. My favorites are Audio Adrenaline’s "Big house"[http://youtube.com/watch?v=omoOLhDdTPA](http://youtube.com/watch?v=omoOLhDdTPA), and Mercy Me’s "Goodbye Self"[http://youtube.com/watch?v=an4WuXCSvzM](http://youtube.com/watch?v=an4WuXCSvzM). Mercy Me’s music is wonderful, especially when I feel like inviting myself to a pity party. [/quote] There’s a rather obscure Christian band called _Raspberry Jam_, which I would recommend. In college, I often listened to their album “Oceanic” (actually, I’m not sure if they put out any other albums). ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180/65 "2008-07-15T03:35:45Z")
I ran across [Mary Prankster](http://www.maryprankster.com/) when I lived in Maryland. She seemed to understand more about the punk attitude while alternatively reminiscing and making fun of it, with a sound that was more pop/country than punk. I was sad to see she’d retired before I got a chance to see one of her shows. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180/66 "2008-07-15T10:58:36Z")
I don’t know how obscure any of these are, but here goes: _Abraxas Pool Automatic Man_ Bellaphon\* Randall Bramblett Jon Butcher Camel\* Captain Beyond\* The (Jazz) Crusaders King Curtis\* Dreams\* the (Dixie) Dregs\* Enchant\*\* Endangered Species\* Flash\* the Flower Kings Freddy Jones Band\* Rory Gallagher\* Danny Gatton\* (Stomu Yamashta’s) Go\* Gordian Knot\*\* Gypsy\* If\* Jazz Is Dead\* Habib Koite (& Bamada) Krokodil\*\*\* Liquid Tension Experiment\* moe. Nektar\* Nuclear Valdez\* Oblivion Sun\*\* Ozric Tentacles (Klaus Doldinger’s) Passport\* Porcupine Tree Pure Reason Revolution\*\* the Reasoning\*\* Riverside Greg Rolie Screaming Cheetah Wheelies\* Sea Level\* Jimmie Spheeris\* Spock’s Beard Roine Stolt Storyville\* Sugar Free All-stars The Tangent Transatlantic the Why Store\* Wide Mouthed Mason\* Zebra\* Zero\* Zilla\*\* - these seem defunct, in some cases due to death. \*\* these I know even less about. \*\*\* I’ve often wondered if our **Krokodil** knows there is a German band from the 70’s named after him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-bands-music-that-you-like/456180.md?page=3)