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Your Obscure Music

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by FormallyTD, Mar 28, 2020.

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  1. Mudhen

    Mudhen Always in Dutch

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    It's amazing how different our tastes in music are. But it's like I always say, if we were all the same, the world would be a boring place.

    This is one of my favorite trumpet parts. It's called I Remember Clifford, and was written in memory of Clifford Brown. He was talented trumpet player who was tragically killed in a car crash, at the young age of 25. It's being performed here by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The trumpet player is Lee Morgan, who also died at a relatively young age, when his wife shot him. :eek:

    The music starts about 1 minute in (for the impatient :D ).
     
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  2. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    I just looked at this thread for the first time, and read the caveat "No commercial artists." Then I scrolled through the first page and saw videos galore for commercial artists.

    You get an A for effort, FormallyTD.

    So I was trying to decide if my obscure music recommendation would qualify. I only know that this band recorded a CD because I got a promo copy of it at the campus newspaper in the early '90s. Very early, so this CD may be quickly approaching 30 years old. It was from Hollywood Records, a Disney company, allegedly. In the early '90s CDs weren't easy to burn, so you had to have some level of national record label at work for you if free CDs were being sent to the media, unsolicited.

    I got two CDs at the office, one I dumped long ago, by a band called Edan, as I recall. The other I have to this day, from The Poorboys. I'm sure there have been various bands under that name. This one is from Texas, allegedly. Their debut single, as I recall, was "Brand New Amerika," and by today's standards it would be all sorts of politically correct. (The man at the corner liquor store don't even speak the same language.... that's the brand new Amerika. It also talks about youth drug use/dealing. Whether or not the K was supposed to signify white supremacy, I don't know. I always assumed it was the easiest way to represent the changing face of America, but I can't say what these young lads were thinking.)

    So it's a CD from a commercial artist, but these guys didn't get very far. There was no internet back then, so I have no idea how much they toured. I vaguely remember Brand New Amerika got some play on the classic rock station, which at the time was playing some current rock, particularly in the evening, for competitive purposes, I think.

    I don't remember anything remotely political about the lyrics to their other songs. Some were uplifting, some where simple, some were youthful rock attitude. The dude doesn't sound like Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, but you might think that the band was influenced by the Crowes when you listen to it. I did.

    The band didn't leave much of a footprint. Last time I tried I found very little about its existence on the internet, and there isn't a lot of Youtube video of the band. There are clips posted to a Tube channel in 2009, looked to be recent performances at a bar. Guy I chatted with on the Tube says they are from Texas and still play together occasionally. Somebody uploaded their tracks onto the Tube years ago, so you can hear all 12 of their songs. My favorite is a simple, fun, rocking tune, shared below.

    I listened to the this CD a lot over the years, and none of the tracks are painful failures. Half are songs I dig, the other half feel like filler that doesn't offend my delicate sensibilities.



    Fun fact: I never forgot Edan, despite having no love for the band, and years ago I verified, tnanks to Wikipedia, that the band's namesake was Edan Everly, "the son of Don Everly and nephew to Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers."

    I remember that was hyped in the promotional material. But the CD did nothing for me. The obscure Poorboys, on the other hand...
     
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  3. vegas superfan

    vegas superfan VIP Whale

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    I prefer the singer's previous band.

     
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  4. Film-Noir

    Film-Noir High-Roller

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    2 masters, in a beautiful moment!
     
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  5. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    Uh, don't most musical artists who are not "commercial" aspire to be so? Even a busker with a tip jar is, technically, a paid performer. Those who have videos which are, in any way, professionally produced or recorded, have indeed entered the "commercial" sector.
     
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  6. JJLV

    JJLV High-Roller

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    Agree to an extent but more so with dmr.
    Maybe next time get past page one.:) The following pages have mixed in with the popular commercial many not so popular dare I say somewhat even obscure endeavors. Does it have to be filmed on an HTC in a garage to be obscure? My contributions...

    The Blue Angel Lounge - Winter (HD)34,715 views
    Cowboy Killer Drag 125 views
    Pokey LaFarge - "Fuck Me Up"
    534,992 views My most "commercial". Interestingly had under 500k when posted last night. :) Our distinguished OP Formely TD's adds had one with over 500K views as well. I guess obscure is indeed in the mind of the beholder. Well, I know I heard some great music I never had before. Hope more share no matter what. Unless FormalyTD doesn't like it. :) I tend to add a lot of smiley faces to keep it light.
     
  7. hotreds

    hotreds Illegitimi non carborundum!

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    To paraphrase a previous occupant of the White House: It depends on the meaning of "obscure!" I was really into heavy metal, so bands like Budgie are not obscure to me, but likely are to most. And, certainly if you like a band, it is not obscure to you. I had never realized the number of girl heavy metal bands from Japan! And while it's shocking to see bands like Thin Lizzy and artists such as Linda Rhonstadt listed as "obscure," I guess to millennials they are just that! So, keep 'em coming- we can argue over "obscure" later- just don't let me see The Beatles or Rolling Stones in here!
     
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  8. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    Anybody paid to record or perform music is commercial, I'd argue. Some most certainly start out for the love, and the art, and not the paycheck, but ultimately want to be paid for their brilliance, without the constraints of a record label or anybody else, ideally.

    Whatever any person's definition of commercial artist is, I don't know what the ambition of Joe Bongo has to do with a thread looking for obscure, non-commercial music.

    Since obscure and non-commercial includes major names that have been played millions of times on radio and banked hundreds of thousands of dollars (and blew nearly as much) I figured I was safe with choosing the Poorboys. The Poorboys were no doubt commercial, a record label produced their CD. But this was before the Tube, when it was a lot tougher for unsigned artists to get their music in front of the masses. So I went with the Poorboys because they remain obscure 30 years later. I'd like to think that was in the spirit of which the thread was intended.

    If George Thorogood, Jonny Lang, Linda Ronstadt, The Runaways, Alannah Miles and Iggy Pop meet your definition of obscure and non-commercial, more power to you. Perhaps I'm in the minority in what I consider to be obscure and non-commercial.

    But yes, Hayley Guitar probably aspires to be commerical.

     
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  9. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    Sorry, the Beatles are obscure to some. Everybody is, we have learned.

    I'd agree, where in the world you live, and what generation you come from, will define what is or isn't obscure personally. If you can Google and find a million links to Linda Ronstadt, I'd argue that she's not obscure, even if you're 8 and only listen to Disney pop music. But yeah, when the OP asks for obscure and non-commercial artists, without any further defining, is asking for suggestions of album tracks by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

    I think the most bizarre thing about the thread is my surprise that Queensryche is considered non-commercial by some. Obscure seems more subjective, but I though commercial was easy enough to define. But enough about whether or not Eddie Rabbitt is or isn't a commercial artist. I have sampled a few obscure things, as far as I know, that have been rather interesting.
     
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  10. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    To me Chevelle is obscure. I never even heard of them until recently when my son posted on facebook he went to a concert. So it is in the ears of the beholder I guess. This guy does heavy metal covers of Pop songs Leo Moracchioli Again I only heard of him because of my son who loves this stuff and I got stuck watching it at his house once.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH9FyLsfDz
     
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  11. hotreds

    hotreds Illegitimi non carborundum!

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    Hell, I knew Katy Perry and Evanescence as Christian rock artists. Long before they were "mainstream" million sellers. Chevelle likewise. All in the eye of the beholder, I reckon.
     
  12. hotreds

    hotreds Illegitimi non carborundum!

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  13. FormallyTD

    FormallyTD Big Time

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    I wasn't that big into The Cure. I had a few friends who definitely were. Robert Smith always annoyed me (and Edward Scissorhands annoyed me because he reminded me of Robert)...but 'Charlotte Sometimes' is a beautiful song.

    That Black Angel Lounge intrigues me. Will have to give them a listen to here when I'm planted at the workstation.

    Wendy O Williams receives two listings. She's the big winner thus far.

    Thanks to everyone participating. Obscurity is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. A few of my good friends....we definitely know who Bolt Thrower is. I doubt too many people in the general population do, however...and that is very, very sad.

    Now I want you to go listen to their albums 'The IVth Crusade' and 'Warmaster'. Go! You don't have anything to do, do you? Of course not.



    One of my favorite 'drinking' songs (meaning, I listen to this loud when I'm drinking excessively):


     
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  14. vegas superfan

    vegas superfan VIP Whale

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    My friends know who Bolt Thrower are, but we are all hardcore / punk kids.
     
  15. mike mc

    mike mc High-Roller

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    Gotta throw some Buckethead in there hint gota wait for it

     
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  16. parallax

    parallax High-Roller

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    Tribe was a good alternative band that got lost in the Grunge movement. . Emmet Swimming was a very popular band in DC area in the mid 90s. They always put on a good show. . Two other groups that I thought never thought got enough recognition where the Eels and the Dandy Warhols. .
     
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  17. parallax

    parallax High-Roller

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    I also forgot about Deadeye Dick.
     
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  18. bardolator

    bardolator Lifelong Low Roller

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    If this argument about obscure vs known, commercial vs amateur goes on much longer, I am going to have to wheel out the Whammadiddle Dingbats. Play nice. You have all been warned.
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2020
  19. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I might offer a few sanity checks as to whether an artist is obscure or not ...

    If they've ever had a hit on any of the major charts, they are not obscure.
    If they are a household name, they are not obscure.
    If they are/were signed to any of the major usual suspect record labels, they are not obscure.

    Now ...

    If they don't have a Wikipedia page, they are obscure.
    If they don't have any recordings/videos on Youtube, they are obscure.
    F-book? Who knows. Who cares!
    If you google them and get some other group with the same name, yeah, they're obscure. :)
    If nobody other than you seems to have even heard of them, yeah, they're obscure! :)
     
  20. yooperguy

    yooperguy Low-Roller

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    Two up-and-comers. Teddy Swims and Billy Strings





     
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