Very accurate, very descriptive, and the last 4 words would be a great dopername
Hmmmm, weird, it was working yesterday. Well my myspace is:
Metallica.
Led Zepplin.
50 Cent.
I use “Early to Bed” for one my ringtones. Super Sex is an awesome song, too. Have you seen the video? I’m impressed that he can play 2 saxophones at the same time!
I do have Sandbox, too. It’s great. 
Getting into modern instrumental surf rock has introduced me to some fantastic obscure bands, such as:
Los Straitjackets, definitely the world’s greatest masked surf group.
The Mermen - psychedelic surf
Laika and the Cosmonauts - great surf rock from Finland
Satan’s Pilgrims
Two other instrumental groups, one jazz-oriented (Four Piece Suit) and the other jazz/electronica (Ursula 1000).
In the wall of sound/garage rock/updated 60s psychedelic genre, you can’t beat the Chesterfield Kings, whose lead singer sounds uncannily like Mick Jagger.
Glad to see there’s at least one other Bonzo Dog Band fan out there.
Empty Hats, a Celtic group that plays Renaissance Fairs. We have three of their CD’s and adore their music. Check out the link…they may be playing near you!
Please define “obscure”…does it mean not top-40? Not rock?
I listen to Christian music. My favorites are Audio Adrenaline’s "Big house"http://youtube.com/watch?v=omoOLhDdTPA, and Mercy Me’s "Goodbye Self"http://youtube.com/watch?v=an4WuXCSvzM. Mercy Me’s music is wonderful, especially when I feel like inviting myself to a pity party.
I’m also a big Chris Rice fan. Two of my favorites: “The Cartoon Song”: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eWFJ_rykyA4 and “Untitled Hymn” http://youtube.com/watch?v=LW5S8Xm-GkA (if I ever learn to play keyboard, my first song will be this one.)
Love, Phil
Another Austin, TX, entryTerry Allen.
He’s a multimedia artist; painter, sculptor, singer-songwriter, and a hub of the Lubbock scene (moved on to Austin) that gave us Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. His kids are musicians, too.
In the same vein, same sorta Guru position; There’s Memphis musician Jim Dickinson, same sorta Daddy for that area. He’s advised and played for Ry Cooder, The Rolling Stones, Big Star, Tav Falco, Replacements, and umpteen others. His own work is extraordinary. He begotted two great sons, Luther and Cody Dickinson, of North Mississippi Allstars. Are they obscure? Up for several Grammys, but I dunno how wide-known they are… I still see them as my MSPI homefolks.
If I won the lottery, and had Beaucoups O Cash Money, the first thing I’d do is get Terry Allen and his kids, and Jim Dickinson and his kids, all together in a club and have a TX-Memphy throwdown. With Alex Chilton and the Iguanas opening.
Sigh.
I like the band Turmion Katilot. There’s a few umlauts and other such stuff in there somewhere but I’m feeling lazy right now. Basically it’s Finnish death metal. I don’t understand the lyrics, but nearly all their songs have an epic, this-should-be-the-soundtrack-for-an-awesome-movie-fight-scene, feel to them.
I’ve also discovered Wumpscut recently. German, I believe, and less death metally and more techno-rocky. Still good.
A friend brought this over (on vinyl, no less) a couple of weeks ago. Looking at the liner notes, we discovered a connection to Kid Creole and the Coconuts. And, if you’re interested, this link claims there were three other albums released (one of which dropped the “Original” from the name).
St. Urho, I have not seen that video–do you have a link? Mark Sandman’s voice is so sexy, it sounds like he’s licking your thigh with every word… I was so pissed when he died.
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! Of course after that it’s just a hop and a skip over to psychobilly and rockabilly and I have a whole buncha that too–The Cramps, Southern Culture On The Skids, Reverend Horton Heat. How do you stand on Spanish rap? Ever check out Control Machete? Good stuff, that.
I shall have to check out The Mermen, thanks for the tip!
Didja know it was originally called The Bonzo Dog DooDah Band? 
We went to see the Austin Lounge Lizards on Saturday night.
What a great list! It’s always a joy to find someone who likes the Residents.
I’d like to add Boris, Ghost and one of my favourites, The Legendary Pink Dots…
Thanks–that’s very nice, I need to go find a better version of the video for the collection. I wouldn’t have thought it was even possible to play two saxes at once, although I’ve wondered how they managed it in live performances, since I assumed the two were mixed in-studio. Learn something new every day!
Cruciform Injection
Assemblage 23 (okay, probably not that obscure, but somebody else suggested Wumpscut, so probably around the same level of fame)
Funker Vogt
The Gothsicles
Seabound
Covenant
d’Cuckoo
Icon of Coil
Also discovering from Pandora that I like Neuroticfish and Beborn Beton
Alan Parsons (the post-Alan Parsons Project stuff–I love the APP too, but it isn’t obscure) 
This is gonna be a long post for me. I apologize in advance. I’ll recommend a song to get to know the artist by at the end of each one too.
Angela McCluskey (now solo, originally in the Wild Colonials). She has a smoky, “honky” voice. Think of her as if Bjork was an american who sang through a squeaky saxophone. Beautiful, emotive, and a good mellow edge. Intro song: Wild Colonials “Don’t Explain”-a Bille Holiday cover that expands the story.
The Be Good Tanyas (also Po’ Girl). A folky-bluegrassy fenake trio that play their well-worn wooden instruments with a plucky passion and smart groove. Intro song: “It’s Not Happening” -evocative lyrics about pain we all experience that swirls around its simple chords and harmonies.
Bran Van 3000. If I could be in any band in the world, they would be up in the top five choices. They are beholden to no single genre and treat them like flowers in the field, picking songs of different shades and turning each album into a beautiful cornucopia with more flavors than humanly possible. Intro song: “Speed” is picked because it’s demonstrative of a bit of their different choices, but it’s impossible to understand the full scope of the band in just one song so pick up the whole album of “Discosis”.
Brenda Weiler. She won best new vocalist of the year in Minnesota a couple years back and I’m sad to see that her star hasn’t gotten much bigger since. Another singer-songwriter that writes straightforward music. Intro song: “Trickle Down”, it’s the song I was introduced to her by as well. Simple, just her voice w/ harmony and guitar that just transcends any need for extra instrumentation.
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. I was born in 1973 and really got into music when I turned 15 and really dug the ‘alternative’ scene. This band takes me back to those days and yeah, it’s a bit emo, but not really too twee about it. Intro song: “Cold White Christmas” is a song that is very relateable for those that went to college up north away from home.
Catatonia (Cerys Matthews). I think they were big in the UK, this Welsh band pumped out some great pop songs, but it was the enchanting vocals from their heavily accented singer that made the songs shine. They disbanded and Cerys has released two solo albums. Intro Song: “Bulimic Beats”, it’s a bit of a departure from their normal fare and starts off with a lonely harp and vox, but it’s a hauntingly solid piece.
Cheryl Wheeler. Some artists you pimp. This one, as well as John Wesley Harding, are the two I could be accused of “not shutting up about”. And why should I? They’re great. They both write amazingly melodic songs with such lyrical integrity and dashes of humor that they should never be looked over. Intro for CW: “Alice” a story of a woman she met who inspired a song of hope after devastation. Intro for JWH: “Here Comes the Groom” which shows off his lyrical deftness and saucy stylings.
Curtis Stigers. I’ll drift away from my standard fare and let a great jazz vocalist join us here. This isn’t necessarily forefront music, but the kind that accompanies an adult gathering at your house. You wanna put something on in the background but still have your guests think that you’re cool too. Curtis serves this up amazingly. Intro song: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” a Dylan cover that takes it to the level it should always be. Bluesy, jazzy without being cliche.
Drew Pilgrim. A “new” singer songwriter that has a way with a chorus. Her new album is great sing-along fodder. Intro song: “Keen Impressionable Fool” needs to be turned up after a break-up. “I say ‘fuck that now, I blame it all on you’” Sometimes it feels good to say that.
Ferron. Canada has great music that sometimes never breaks the border to come on down. I found her through a cover version and sought her out because it was too powerful to ignore. Her voice conveys emotion perfectly and also has a very unique characteristic that’s husky but gentle. Intro song: “Ain’t Life a Brook”. A companion song to the Drew Pilgrim song if you will. This song is about the division of life and love while still attempting to be friends with the ex. Heartwrenching.
Gary Jules. Those in the UK and viewers of the “Gears of War” commercial know him by his cover version of Tears for Fears “Mad World”. That’s just the tip of this Cat Stevens-shaped iceburg. His most recent self-titled album is a perfect album without a single misstep. Intro Song: “Andalucia” is complete with its machine that immediately take the listener out of their head and down the stream with the artist.
Gus Black. He has some amazing luck either writing great songs or getting studio musicians to pull out more of the song than should be there. For a person that bills solo, he paints a full band picture. Intro song: “Summerday” a song for drummers that don’t care for beat-repeat. The sum of the parts makes the whole even bigger.
Hawksley Workman. Another canucker along with John Southworth who flail back and forth between pop, rock, and something different entirely. Intro song for HW: “Your Beauty Must Be Rubbing Off” which integrates a reggae beat without being reggae. Soaring vocals and infectiously dangerous lyrics. Intro song for JS: “Happy Birthday Mister President” as this shows off his ability to write sublime words that bounce between culturally relevant and quite silly.
Imani Coppola. She had a “hit” with “Legend of a Cowgirl” but then went back to school and didn’t release anything for a while. Well, it turned out she went indie and was producing new babies all over the place which are available on her website. Her lyrical prowess combined with her vocal and musical sense hit home. Poppy, funky, bitchy, and fun. Intro song: “Raindrops from the Sun” from her newest collection. A great taste of what she’s capable of, Beatle-esque melody if they got into rap, a sing-along chorus and an underlying touch of depth in the lyrics.
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter. Cowboy funeral music for the living. The kind that you would expect to hear in a Tarantino flick. Intro song: “Troubled Soul” with it’s lead guitar (dobro?) leads you past the tombstones into a breathy, foggy area that makes silvertone seem like death valley.
Jill Sobule. Ignored since her hit “I Kissed A Girl” and her lesser covered song “Supermodel” has been cranking out better album each time since. Intro song: “Heroes” which showcases her strength, a topical song that resonates on a greater level.
Jim White. If you like Tom Waits’ dark lyrics but eschew the “cookie monster” voice, check White out. His best album, “No Such Place” doesn’t enter the underbelly, it has lived there all its life. Intro song: “The Wound that Never Heals” a song about a black widow paints a world in red and gray.
Josh Rouse. Some artists I always expect to be that “one song away from hugeness”. Rouse has written those songs. His albums show his life’s journeys in immediate ways. His influences of the Smiths and Cure show intelligently in his instrumentation. Intro song: “The Man Who…”, this is a duet with his spanish girlfriend whose accent is irresistible.
Lloyd Cole. A lot of folks know him from his days with the Rattlesnakes but left his career in limbo. It’s time to catch up. He knows his world and has been a reporter of love and loss. Intro song: “The Young Idealists” is a scathing indictment on those who left the left to declare war on the Middle East.
Martha’s Trouble. I’m not sure how I stumbled across this band made up of wife and husband but I’m glad I did. There’s nothing amazing here, I’ll be honest. Except for the fact that each song can make me smile. The vocals are sweet, enjoyable, and subtly intrusive into the happy part of my brain.
Mary Gauthier. Some songs tell stories. Some stories take you in to the point where you can film the whole thing in your mind and want it to show on the largest wall around. MG has it down. Intro song: “Drag Queens in Limousines”. I can relate to leaving home to a booze soaked world filled with the artsy lowlifes. It makes me smile in a Kodak way as I’ve been there.
Momus. Do you read boingboing? If so, I’ve got a feeling you’d like Momus. His blog seems to mirror theirs, not necessarily with the same content, but the same feel. His lyrics explore places that most shun, so listening with Mom is probably not recommended. Intro song: “I Was A Maoist Intellectual”, yes he was.
“I showed the people how they lived and told them it was bad
Showed them the insanity inside the bureaucrat
And the archetypes and stereotypes that were my stock in trade
Toppled all the ivory towers that privilege had made
Though I tried to change your mind I never tried your patience
All I tried to do was to point out your exploitation
But the powers that be took this to be a personal insult
And refused to help me build my personality cult”
The Mountain Goats. I love music and hunting it all down. Some bands I discovered late in their career like this one that kinda shocked me. I found this band through the “Weeds” soundtrack of all places and then quickly bought their back catalog. Well worth it and the music that a man with just an acoustic guitar can make shocks me still. Intro song: “Cotton”, it’s how I found them too.
Northern State. I liken them to the female Beastie Boys. A white rap trio that knows how to be serious and have fun too. Intro song “Don’t Look Down”. This reminds me of how rap used to be in the 80s before the annoying stuff about “bling” infested it.
Nouvelle Vague. Acoustic cover band that can be put into rotation with Curtis Stiger. A folky-jazzy version of “Love Will Tear Us Apart”? Why not. It’s a bit Pottery Barn, but don’t let that dissuade you. Intro song: “Dancing with Myself”, Billy Idol’s hit that sounds like the Triplets of Belleville sat in.
The Owls. They’re along the lines of Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura but a bit better. It’s got the essence of the chamber pop twee but without the sweetness. A fun, talented band that’s great to see live and watch them do their instrument change like it was musical chairs. Intro song: “All Those in Favor” has repeat me written all over it.
P.J. Olsson. I heard him before he was once included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. I’m not sure if that did him any good as he still seems obscure. Think of him as the non-scientologist version of Beck. Intro song: “Yesterday”, his raspy vocals tumble and rise all over with intensity.
Richard Buckner. I’ll admit that I usually can’t figure out what the hell he’s singing about. He tends to mumble through, but I still listen. Intro song: “A Chance Counsel”. I’m not sure how many times I’ve listened to that song, but it’s been repeated over and over. I get lost in the melody and beat and try and listen to the lyrics to parse them out, but the music takes hold instead. If you can figure it out, please let me know.
Slaid Cleaves/Martin Zellar. Two singer-songwriters that know how to do it in deceptively simple ways. Slaid from Texas and Martin from Minnesota but great in their own similar rights. Intro for SC: “One Good Year” Intro for MZ: “Time and Time Again”. Both songs talk about the working class “hero”. If you’ve got a small town jukebox, add them. You won’t be disappointed when they come up on random.
Strays Don’t Sleep. A (possible) one-off “super-indie-group” of Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard. Unfamiliar with them? That’s ok. The texture that their album is perfect for nightdriving. There’s no better way to put it. A steady beat comes through with the casual vocals as the shadows from the streetlights chase in a circle on the dashboard. Intro song: “Sticky Fingers” has a slow moving verse section, the chorus doesn’t pick up tempo, but speed.
Tim Minchin. Aussie superstar for all I know. He’s a comedian on the piano and a satirist of the strongest degree. Intro song “You Grew On Me” a love song for the not-so-lovely.
Trisomie 21 (AKA T21). I found this band on Post-Modern MTV. They never played a video that I remember, but announced their newest album was out. They’re a french band that produces electronic “stuff”. It’s a bit new age for lack of a better term. They are good at making a musical theme become visual. Intro song:“Harbours and Stations” which sounds like a familiar movie.
I used to be a member of Uncle Willy’s Eyeball Buddies. I’m pretty much in awe of everything Residents (though I’m still working on liking Tweedles).
Gotta love the **Legendary Pink Dots **as well. I did a fundraiser show on our local public station a few years ago playing exclusively Dots music. That show got a good response. I also do a radio show each week on WTJU (WTJU.net) here in Charlottesville, VA. If you’re awake sometime on Thursday mornings 1 to 3 am EST, give it a listen!
I’ll check out Boris and Ghost!
One band I’d say is long, long overdue for some major nostalgic revivalism is War. Every once in a while I hear one of the handful of their tunes that get played these days, like “Slippin’ Into Darkness” and “Lowrider”. Damn, those guys could play–it’s psychedelic funk personified.