Ooo…that New Pornographers’s disc (Mass Romantic) is highly recommended.
From this year, I kind of enjoyed Ms. John SodaNo P. or D.* It’s a side project from one of the folks from The Notwist and Couch. It’s a bit ethereal, fairly chill, something along the lines of IDM (intelligent dance music.) It’s poppy, got some good beats and melodies. The vocals are whispery and light, yet the music ranges from ambient textures to driving straight-ahead rock. Well worth checking out.
For something much older (1979 or so), The Shoes Present Tense/Tongue Twister. The popsters were from Zion, Illinois, and decided to make some music in their living room. Gorgeous DIY rock, with classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure and catchy melodies. This double-album (originally two separate releases) is a must for anyone who digs power pop.
A jazz album - Gil Melle: The Complete Blue Note 50s Sessions. The only way I can describe it is: take Raymond Scott, Charles Mingus, Stan Kenton and Gerry Mulligan and put them in the blender. Enjoyable both on its own terms and as a bizarre retro-50s artifact.
Check out Red Devil Dawn by the Crooked Fingers. Great songwriting, melodic tunes, and the lead singer has a great voice. They are very original, so I really am having a hard time finding a comparison. I highly reccomend the CD though.
Pretty much anything by The Vulgar Boatmen. They may not be so obscure in the Chicago/Indianapolis area, where the Indianapolis coalition of the band used to perform, or in the Gainesville, Florida area, where the Florida contingent played, but in other parts of the country I find them virtually unheard of. Too bad, because they’re a great roots-pop band, with unusually intelligent lyrics. I particualrly like “Please Panic,” their second release. Here’s a review.
This ‘band’ by the name of ‘Songs: Ohia’. It’s mostly this Jason Molina, who seems to be covering a lot of different ground lately.
I like ‘Axxess and Ace’ that came out in '99 I think. Kind of a cross between rock and insurgent country maybe?? “Captain Badass” is on this one, one of my favorite songs.
UK’s self-titled album is an often-overlooked bit for fans of 70’s prog-rock (Yes, ELP, King Crimson et al). Not quite as pretentious as ELP, it features some fine work by guitarist Alan Holdsworth (playing real guitar as opposed to the guitar synthesizer featured so prominently in his later work) and some subtle jazz influences as a result.
No migration involved. The guts of the group (the songwriting team) were Robert Ray and Dale Lawrence. Ray is an English professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dale Lawrence of Indianapolis, who led the touring version of the band, met Ray while a graduate student at Indiana University (Ray was a teaching assistant there at the time). They actually wrote songs by mailing cassettes back and forth to each other. That’s why you see an Indianapolis contingent and a Gainesville contingent listed on their albums.
Another vote for The New Pornographers’ *Mass Romantic * and/or Electric Version.
Neko Case is simply amazing. Her first CD Furnace Room Lullaby, or her most recent one, Blacklisted are not well-known, but everyone I know who’s heard her has bought CDs.
I had only heard 3 of her songs when I decided to buy tickets to a concert of hers. Way up there in my great music experiences.
Oh yeah, she’s classified as alt.-country, but I don’t usually listen to country music.
Why??? I mean, I liked Mass Romantic the track, but it’s the only listenable track on the album.
I don’t know how obscure it is, but Slovo’s debut album Nommo is superb. If it’s not very obscure, then put me down for Deep Listening by Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster and Panaiotis. Non-electronic ambient, truly beautiful. There’s a sample of it on Epitonic.com if you want to know more.
I listened to the original disks until they were plumb worn out. There was the perfect blend of artsy Prog Brit Rock skills, up in front of the New York Philharmonic, at Carnegie Hall.
The recording was fairly clean, a bit airy for today’s very-little-ambience tastes. The musicianship is stellar, at least to me Annie’s voice was in full bloom. Powerful, teasing, elated or passionate by turns. The keyboard work gets particular attention in Ashes are Burning and of course, Mother Russia.
I love the recording. I’ve also got a very close friend who attended one of the Carnegie Hall shows. My brother turned me on to this group ( I was 13 when this concert was played. Heh. )
Years later I hunted down the artist who painted the cover art for the album, and incredibly he still had a few record store sized posters from the original sale run. He signed one and gave it to me, I framed it and gave it to my brother.
Every time I walk down 7th Avenue on the west side of the street and look across at Carnegie Hall, I think of that artwork. Up above the street is the point of view of the painting…it takes you away.
gex gex’s Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
(For a sample Their PDA / NYC / Specialist EP will give you a less expensive idea)
Chefguy’s Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
The Fanfare / Fire Poem / Fire opening is one of my fave mini-rock operas (obvious a Townsend doing) and the album is riddled w/mass insanity.
spooje’s Los Straightjackets - The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets.
They even qualify to get a little airplay on college radio.
I’ll recommend:
Zappa & The Mothers - We’re Only in it For the Money
and
Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
Both always make best-of lists but very few have heard either…even less actually have them.
John Lee Hooker’s - Free Beer & Chicken:
A blues man doing his impersionation of funk
Twelfth Night - Collector’s Item
A compilation that spans their best from 83-90. I think there’s a moderator on this board who’s mentioned them in the past.
Mark-Almond Band - Mark Almond
Jazzy, light & infectous.
John Baldry - It Ain’t Easy
Produced by Ronny Wood & Sir Elton (Who got his last name from Baldry) - White Brit Blues.
Howlin Wolf’s - The Howlin’ Wolf (Dogshit / Electric) Album
Raw, raunchy - Ad I love the way it pisses off the purists even more then Electric Mud does.
Mike Agranoff - The Modern Folk Musician
The title sums it up.
Dink - Dink
Almost 10 years old, but very listenable
Southern Culture on the Skids - Dirt Track Date
“Ditto”
Cake is on my CD player right now!!! I was lucky enough to get a promotional copy when it was released, and it’s still one of my favorite albums. Incredible lyrics and use of rhythm to throw you off a bit: “If I were a millionaire I’d be a million miles from here” doesn’t read as terribly clever, but the way it’s sung is brilliant.
My contribution to this thread is a CD that I go back to again and again. It’s called Junkfuel by Fretblanket. If you can find a copy, pick it up. Tuneful guitar rock with really sweet lyrics. Makes me nostalgic for my 20’s.
Also, if you like ska and ever come across a used copy of Sticky’s Children by Duck Duck, buy it. Your’e not likely to find it outside of Eastern Massachusetts, but they were great.
Annie’s voice was in full bloom. Powerful, teasing, elated or passionate by turns. The keyboard work gets particular attention in Ashes are Burning and of course, Mother Russia.