Secret music
On my way home from band practice last night I was listening to a band on my ipod, thoroughly enjoying it, and it occurred to me that it was one of those bands that I know, and my girlfriend knows, but basically know one else knows about (in my circles anyway)

so my question to you is this: What bands (or artists) do you absolutely love that no one else knows about?

This could be a good way to find some awesome new music, or to discover some like-minded fans.

I'll start you off with Karnivool - australian heavy metal band, but very melodic and a big sound. Their album Themata is great.

Also, Pure Reason Revolution - described as being like a modern Pink Floyd, but with heavy touches, a lot of dynamics and some nice harmonies.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 8:34, 21 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Nick Harper.
Blew the joiner's mind.
That is all.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 24 Apr 2009, 8:37, Reply)

Fiona Bevan
My old jazz band went to play at numerous acoustic singer-songwriter nights in pubs where we'd have to sit through loads of wanky singer-songwriters who just peddled the same self-indulgent crap. But a few of them stood out as actually being good. And she was one of them. Really original and very charismatic live.

I had a demo of "Moths" on my mp3 player for months, and now she's getting mentions in the London Paper. Good for her, I say.
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 8:39, Reply)

Christ, this is the thread for me
Thee Hypnotics - I followed this band around like a lost puppy in the 80s. Their shows were pretty much EXACTLY like going to see the MC5 or The Stooges - the equipment and clothing, everything. They made a brilliant live mini-LP (Live'r than God) and some fucking brilliant singles before being decimated in a pile-up in the US whilst on tour. The singer Jim Jones is now has the Jim Jones Revue and, whilst not quite as good as Thee Hypnotics, are a fucking GREAT rock'n'roll band.

Whilst hardly super-obscure I cannot believe how few people seem to know The Pretty Things: not those post-Libertines homos but 60s/70s rock legends fronted by Phil May. They started off as a raucous Stones-y r'n'b act - indeed guitarist Dick Taylor was in one of the earliest Stones lineups - but then released what is regarded by quite a few as the finest British psychedelic single ever: Defecting Grey, before releasing the first rock opera (SF Sorrow) a full year before The Who's Tommy. They are fucking incredible.

I collect old 7" singles so the number of amazing one-off records I have by bands no fucker has ever heard of and have little chance ever of doing so is enormous, so I won't bother you with The Wheels, The Eyes, The Wimple Winch or The Misunderstood (they did do an LP).

However US garage rockers The Litter are well worth digging out: their 1967 debut LP Distortions is one of my favourite records of all time. It's tough, baby.


Aaaaaand breathe.....
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:05, Reply)

Maybe they're huge and I just don't know it
but Japanese drone-rock outfit Boris blew me away when I saw them at Cargo a year or so back. They're like an even-heavier Black Sabbath and the incomprehensible Japanese lyrics are no obstacle to enjoyment.

The drummer's ace, but best of all the guitarist is a stunningly attractive Japanese beauty called Wata:

superblast.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/04/30/boris_wata_01.jpg

*wanks self to death*
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:18, Reply)

Ooh Monty
We seem to keep running into each other on music related threads!

Some obscure psychedelia/hard rock/early metal, since that's what I'm in the mood for today:

Shiver - amazing band, were all only about 17, played Haight Ashbury & SF biker shows etc a few times, cut one album live to two track in about 1970 then vanished off the face of the planet. Proper balls to the wall riffy hard psychedelia.

Truth & Janey - more big fuzzy riffs, nobody's ever heard of them either. There's a really good live album which I think was a bootleg they then released officially. Raw as fuck.

Robert Savage - like the bastard offspring of Jimi Hendrix and Rick Wakeman, or something. Medieval LP cover and some wicked guitar solos.

Suck - early 70s South African heavy rock. Did a brilliant cover of 20th Century Schizoid Man. Think the album's called Time To Suck.

The Insect Trust - not as heavy as the above bands, early 70s New York psychedelic band. You'll like this if you're into Big Brother, Airplane sort of stuff.

Fresh Blueberry Pancake - another obscure band that released one album and sank without trace. Pretty heavy psychedelia again, worth finding the album for the opening track.

I'll buy a pint for the first person who manages to track down recordings by all these bands, some of them are pretty niche :D

Edit: Nirvana are worth checking out as well - the 60s British band though, not the vastly inferior 90s American effort. I could sit here and name acid rock bands all day, but I have some work to do!

Oh, and re. early British psychedelia, listen to 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' by Traffic/Traffic Jam (i.e. not Stevie Winwood), then weep when you find out who they subsequently turned into.
(username1, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:22, Reply)

I've got some Boris - is nice yes?
dEUS are quite simply the most underrated band ever. Enzymo loves to go on about 'Suds And Soda' being one of those early 90's indie disco floor fillers but the catalogue of work they produced after that first album is excellent.

Same with Pearl Jam (mostly) - I hate 'Ten'. Loved it at the time but most of what they produced thereafter is far superior.

Finally, do a myspace on an Irish band called 'sub-plots' (formerly 'Envelope') and dig Phil - he's the man.

rafter
baz


EDIT: 'Pictures of matchstick men' - I know this one - it's 'teh quo'.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:31, Reply)

*prints off Username1's post*
This thread could be the one that gets me sacked...

*London via Barbados Psych rockers Luv Machine

*Power of Zeus - breakbeat heavy LP on Motown
rock imprint Rare Earth

*Leaf Hound - UK heavy rockers: one LP: Growers of Mushroom

*Dr Brown - mid-80s south coast blues/psych band that started off like Canned Heat and ended up with ex-Hawkwind Huw Lloyd Langton in them, 3 LPs, none of which did them justice

*Silver Apples - NY proto electronica duo

*United States of America - patchy but great Velvets-esque band, I didn't even notice at first listed that they don't have a guitarist


I could go on....and undoubtedly will
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:33, Reply)

Some folk may know of him
But not enough in my opinion.

My recommendation goes to Saul Williams, a poet turned hip-hop artist from America. I saw him open for NIN on their With Teeth tour some years back, and the next day I went out and bought his self-titled album.

In times when popular hip-hop can sound petty and trite, Saul Williams shows that the genre can be used to air one's voice in an intelligent manner.

Check out songs such as 'Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)', 'Black Stacey' and 'Telegram'.
( Labia Majora You keep on talking but it makes no sense at all, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:35, Reply)

Oooh...
I am totally amazed that Momus is not more popular.

His Creation albums are available free from
imomus.livejournal.com/ start with Dont Stop the Night - a pervy classic from 89 found here...

imomus.livejournal.com/421538.html

Great songs about prostitution, infidelity, masturbation and beds full of hairs.
(Tugnut Ex of this parish, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:36, Reply)

....
Moshers.
(TheColonel, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:42, Reply)

United States of America - yes!
I wouldn't leave my wooden wife for you, sugar, I've got a split level house with a wonderful view... :D

Check out The Electronic Hole as well, Phil Pearlman's best work imo. Sitar and fuzz guitars!
(username1, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 9:59, Reply)

San Fransisco's Shiver
I found 1 copy online - a year 2000 reissue.

.....£115...

Shit! Exactly my cup of tea - hairy freak rock...

*is a hairy freak*
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:06, Reply)

I've only got Shiver as mp3
My mate has the original LP, it's worth pretty serious amounts of money.

The guitarist played slide pretty well since he had a hook instead of a hand. Pirates FTW!

I think the other two died in Vietnam, hence the lack of any subsequent output.
(username1, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:10, Reply)

I don't *do* MP3s or CDs
This is a policy I may have to review....
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:16, Reply)

Sunny Day Real Estate.
Same bassist as Foo Fighters, their drummer was also a founding member of Foo Fighters, but left after Dave Grohl decided noone else was worthy of playing drums in his presence.

Only heard their first release, but thanks to this post, I'm off to buy more! Cheers!
(TheColonel, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:16, Reply)

I do both mp3s and CDs
As well as my ludicrous amounts of vinyl.

There's a lot of lies and untruths spread about mp3s, if they're played back on a decent system they're pretty much indistinguishable from CD quality.
(username1, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:20, Reply)

Our Lady Peace
the only reason people that I know know of them is through me. I've only ever met one other person who had heard of them before - and he was a massive music freak.

Soft rock/pop-rock Canadian types, for those not in the know
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:42, Reply)

One of my exes was really into
Our Lady Peace.
I'm not a fan of Jesus-rock though.

EDIT: Saw 'em live a few times. Nothing special.
( Cawl, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:52, Reply)

Obscure 80s hip hop
Trickeration: Bounce Rap Skate Roll - roller-skating themed disco-rap tune unsuprisingly over Bounce Rock Skate Roll by Vaughan Mason

The Outlaw Four: Million Dollar Legs - party rap with a vengeance. About birds with nice legs

Craig G: Shout - unbelievable tune - echo-chambered into oblivion and heavy as fuck

Masters of Ceremony: Dynamite. Upbeat party rocker on Tuff City, their only non-shit tune and flukishly absolutely fantastic

Funkmaster Wizrd Wiz - I ain't wid dat. Another Tuff City rocker over the Brother Green break
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 10:53, Reply)

Classic Post Punk
Anyone remember 'Hornets Attack Victor Mature'
(Tugnut Ex of this parish, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 11:43, Reply)

...
Mountains Became Machines - Progressive metal, with a riff that could make you grow an extra set of balls to back it up.

Give them a listen.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 15:17, Reply)