Oingo Boingo. Not sure if they qualify as "obscure," but definitely "weird."
Also, I think early Funkadelic qualifies as weird and obscure.
Also, I think early Funkadelic qualifies as weird and obscure.
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Weird obscure bands you like??
- Thread starter Cadillac_Mike
- Start date
I’m in America. They were a lot bigger over there overall. They had a couple of hits here but all but disappeared after the 80’s. They did a short American tour in 2010 and I luckily got to see them. Never thought in this lifetime I would be 20 feet away from Mark King. And Jellyfish were just too good for their own good they went over everyone’s head.
I don't know about in America, but in the U.K. they got a lot of exposure, from Saturday morning kids T.V. to being a support for INXS (when INXS were at the peak of their powers - in the live radio broadcast, and recorded MTV / VH1 broadcast of SummerXS).
I think it was the whole 60's / Archies shtick : that image / heavy retro fashion got them written off by a lot of people, before they'd even listened to them - and a lot of people that liked them were maybe a bit embarrassed by the gimmicky image.
I find it hard to believe now, but I remember being so bummed when they pulled out of playing the Reading Festival, that myself, and several of my friends considered selling our tickets... That was Reading '92.
It's kind of a shame that the version of the band, and the album that was their follow-up, wasn't their debut : the image was toned down, and more natural, and the album so damned good, that maybe they would have landed better, and lasted longer (although the singles from the debut were much more successful than the follow-up. Maybe because of timing? Maybe because of record company support).
Bellybutton is a very good album; Spilt Milk is verging on masterpiece status (yet criminally unheard).
Spilt Milk is amazing. If you haven't seen the "Inside the album" videos on YouTube with Roger Manning, it's worth a look.
Strangely, Bush were huge in the States, and not much at home.
Ooh, I wasn't aware of those "inside the album" videos, will definitely check those out.
I was actually surprised Bush even got noticed in America; they could hardly get arrested in the U.K.
I remember when they first appeared, thinking they've got a couple of ok, if generic, riffs - but all they've really got going for them is an impossibly good looking frontman, who looks like peak Tyrone Power, and sounds like he's been studying Mark Arm, and Kurt Cobain - they didn't really stand out from most of the local bands going nowhere, and were staunchly generic, like the legions of also-ran bands that got signed by the dozen, by major labels desperately trying to figure out, and cash in on this "Grunge?" thing.
Looking back, there are so many bands that either got lost amongst the pile (Veruca Salt), or were over hyped to the point that many would ignore / hate them on principle (Pearl Jam), that it's only now - or certainly for me, during lockdown - that it's clear how spoilt we were back then. How easy it was to dismiss really good stuff, because there was a wealth of truly great stuff available.
It's only because there's such a dearth of truly original, non-derivative artists, that aren't driven by conformity, and chasing the exponential homogenisation of the Spotify algorithms, that I even started looking back at the bands I missed, or deliberately ignored - and I finally see that I slept on some really good stuff (no doubt in part due to childish baggage, but also limited mental bandwidth).
Bush succeeding in America, at a time when so many U.K. acts were struggling to crack America, after having already become huge in the U.K. and Europe (Blur / Oasis etc) was kind of baffling, and some felt Bush were undeserving of that success.
I guess you could call that progress, because I remember back in the early 80's when Def Leppard cracked America, and became huge, whilst they were still largely unknown in the United Kingdom, U.K. metal fans were absolutely outraged, and offended that any band dared succeed in America first. The band were absolutely vilified, as if they'd publicly peed on their passports, become naturalized U.S. citizens, and called U.K. metal fans dirty hippies, and wannabe warlocks.
(I guess U.K. rock fans have flexible principles, when it happens the other way round... Hendrix, anyone?)
But wasn’t there Grebo in the UK just before that? It had some momentum and seemed like it was a forerunner of the ‘Cat In The Hat’ neo-psychedelic movement that Jellyfish was attached to. Enuff Z’nuff was another band of that late 80’s/early 90’s thing as well, echoes of Cheap Trick.
Jellyfish’s Roger Manning went on to form retro-flavored Imperial Drag, somewhat similar….
Imperial Drag - Wikipedia
I saw a showcase gig of theirs, they had it together but it just never took off for them.
Jellyfish drummer Andy Sturmer eventually worked with a Japanese powerpop duo, Puffy AmiYumi, who had a cult following from a cartoon show…
I could make a case for CBC to be in the top 5 musical acts in recorded human history.
And I assume nunya heard of them.
And yeah, as good live as anything.
Jean Claude Van Dam, you lookin good...
And I assume nunya heard of them.
And yeah, as good live as anything.
Jean Claude Van Dam, you lookin good...
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April Wine was far from obscure in the US; “Roller” was huge on radio, and certainly not weird. Canadian bands that I got into but had modest to no following down here would have been The Paupers, The Diodes, The Spoons, Martha and the Muffins, and Nash The Slash.
Nicely done, @Killing Floor . Indeed I've never heard of them, and they do qualify as weird and obscure.
Some much of what’s been surveyed so far, is far from obscure, or really all that “weird”.
I got yer ultimate cult artists right here…
Jandek cannot be explained; described, perhaps, if even that…
He’ll take you to those frightening places of your psyche that you didn’t know you had…
120 albums released.
Then, there’s Gary….
In the late 70’s, a friend of mine who lived in upstate New York gave me an album by a guy from the next town over. My boy was a fan, and knew I’d dig it. Self-recorded, self-produced, and seemingly all instruments done by this unsettling character who looked a little too normal, but wrapped up in a cloak of creepy. Too out there even for the new wave scene. He sounded like as if Lou Reed was this nebbish, fronting an impeccable but off-kilter lounge band who would drift off into the psychotic, while obsessing over mystery girls who had rejected him. Perhaps he hadn’t gotten over not getting a date for prom, but it wasn’t exactly music for incels, there was this self-assertiveness about it.
I played it for my crew in those days, they were all former Zappa/Beefheart fans who were on to the newer music revolution(Devo had been a hit), they all loved it. One such person eventually moved to San Diego, and he excitedly called me a few years later to tell me he had come across Gary playing in a hotel lounge jazz band. I was astounded, as there hadn’t been any other product or word about him since 1978.
Then, years later, in LA, I was listening to KXLU, the premier alternative underground college station there, and the DJ muttered one of the unmistakable lyric catchphrases from the album. What? How in the world would he know that? Soon after, Beck name checked him in his “Two Turntables And A Microphone” song. Gary had been rediscovered, like an obscure old 30’s Delta Blues artist during the 60’s folk era…
The album got reissued, he started gigging, and issued new material, it was interesting but not quite the same. The shock of the new was no longer there, at least for me, but he has garnered a new generation following. I’ve seen him twice, the second time at a festival several years ago right after this new band no one had heard of, Khruangbin.
So, here you go, vintage Gary Wilson, in all its 1977 DIY-ness…
Live, it’s like a nervous breakdown in slow motion…
Rapper Earl Sweatshirt is a fan.
I got yer ultimate cult artists right here…
Jandek cannot be explained; described, perhaps, if even that…
He’ll take you to those frightening places of your psyche that you didn’t know you had…
120 albums released.
Then, there’s Gary….
In the late 70’s, a friend of mine who lived in upstate New York gave me an album by a guy from the next town over. My boy was a fan, and knew I’d dig it. Self-recorded, self-produced, and seemingly all instruments done by this unsettling character who looked a little too normal, but wrapped up in a cloak of creepy. Too out there even for the new wave scene. He sounded like as if Lou Reed was this nebbish, fronting an impeccable but off-kilter lounge band who would drift off into the psychotic, while obsessing over mystery girls who had rejected him. Perhaps he hadn’t gotten over not getting a date for prom, but it wasn’t exactly music for incels, there was this self-assertiveness about it.
I played it for my crew in those days, they were all former Zappa/Beefheart fans who were on to the newer music revolution(Devo had been a hit), they all loved it. One such person eventually moved to San Diego, and he excitedly called me a few years later to tell me he had come across Gary playing in a hotel lounge jazz band. I was astounded, as there hadn’t been any other product or word about him since 1978.
Then, years later, in LA, I was listening to KXLU, the premier alternative underground college station there, and the DJ muttered one of the unmistakable lyric catchphrases from the album. What? How in the world would he know that? Soon after, Beck name checked him in his “Two Turntables And A Microphone” song. Gary had been rediscovered, like an obscure old 30’s Delta Blues artist during the 60’s folk era…
The album got reissued, he started gigging, and issued new material, it was interesting but not quite the same. The shock of the new was no longer there, at least for me, but he has garnered a new generation following. I’ve seen him twice, the second time at a festival several years ago right after this new band no one had heard of, Khruangbin.
So, here you go, vintage Gary Wilson, in all its 1977 DIY-ness…
Live, it’s like a nervous breakdown in slow motion…
Rapper Earl Sweatshirt is a fan.
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Certainly not obscure, as this bunch essentially invented the Industrial Music genre, and this track(which has actually been covered)is more or less their greatest hit..or most notorious….
…but I just had to put it out there.
I’m not going to tell you what it’s about, you have to find out on your own.
…but I just had to put it out there.
I’m not going to tell you what it’s about, you have to find out on your own.
Grebo in terms of clothing was somewhere between Joey Ramone, and particularly greasy Hells Angels (minus the chapter specific denim vest, with a penchant for swilling & spilling cheap lager, over amphetamines and violence).
Musically, it was all over the map - from thrashy indie rock, to post-Sabbath sub-metal, and sample-heavy electro-pop. If you could point to one band that both epitomized Grebo, yet simultaneously sounded nothing like anybody else, by virtue of throwing everything into the mix, including Hip-Hop : it would be Pop Will Eat Itself (particularly circa "Box Frenzy", and "This is the day. This is the hour. This...is this").
(mid-80's)
(late-80's)
I remember Imperial Drag, but they were a band I heard more about, than actually heard - they just didn't really make it to this side of the Atlantic, and the next thing I knew, Roger was playing keys with Beck (I'd heard that Andy was up to something, but again, it never really materialised over here - I sort of lump it in with that era when Afghan Whigs split, and there were rumours of The Twilight Singers being Whigs v2.0, which wasn't actually the case, but at least Greg was putting out new material).
OK I have another one. Vodka Collins.
I am a MASSIVE Fan of Speed Glue and Shinki. (Think Japanese Jimi Hendrix)
Their bass player, Masayoshi Kabe, formed this mixed American and Japanese blusey rock band in the 70s.
Check it out.
I am a MASSIVE Fan of Speed Glue and Shinki. (Think Japanese Jimi Hendrix)
Their bass player, Masayoshi Kabe, formed this mixed American and Japanese blusey rock band in the 70s.
Check it out.
It occurs to me most of y'all might not know Speed, Glue and Skinki. This is about 1970, Tokyo. Big fan.
I was thinking of Doctor and the Medics, maybe Gaye Bykers. Would Fuzzbox or Ned’s rate as well? Lots of colorful clothes, and Jellyfish seemed similar. Also, back to them, did you ever hear any of Jason Falkner’s work? He moved on to an interesting but short-lived, under the radar outfit, The Greys…
…after that, some solo albums, did sessions with Paul McCartney, and lately has been with St. Vincent.
It’s funny you mentioned Dulli and company, an old friend of mine played guitar in the Twilight Singers, and then for a short while in the reformed Whigs. In addition, my wife and I met Greg briefly over the summer; we’re friends with Australian band The Church, and they toured with The Whigs; bassist/vocalist Steve Kilbey is tight with Dulli.
Definitely not Doctor and The Medics, but I would have lumped Gaye Bykers On Acid, and maybe Zodiac Mind Warp into Grebo (which was never really a thing, more an affectionate insult).
Arguably Mega City Four would have qualified, as would all three Stourbridge bands : PWEI, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and The Wonder Stuff - yet the only thing they had in common was they were all from the same small Midlands town, and all put out records on Chapter 22.
By 1991 PWEI, and The Wonder Stuff were in their mid - late 20's, three albums into their careers, and the term Grebo was dead.
Ned's Atomic Dustbin were in their mid - late teens, and about to release their debut album (and due to their youthful frantically energetic live shows, scruffy appearance, and crimped and asymetrically shaved haircuts - music journalist, and later DJ Steve Lamaque captured it perfectly....) the term Fraggle Rock was born.
Re. Jason Falkner - yeah, I was initially aware of him in the later line-up of Jellyfish, but I didn't cotton on to The Grays (for some reason I think that him and his brother?? Maybe?) until after they'd folded.
So Jason is playing with Roger, who ends up playing in Beck's backing band, with Justin Meldal-Johnsen on bass - then the next thing I hear is Justin and Jason are performing the bass battle in Scott Pilgrim (where a Rickenbacker is pitted against a Mustang, but noticeably in the movie the sound is the wrong way around, as the character who prevails on screen, is clearly not the musician who won in the recording studio).
Now I'm not going to spoil who won, but let's just say that Justin got the gig as St. Vincent's bassist / keyboard bassist, and musical director...
...a roll which I believe Jason is now occupying...
Yeah not weird. I don't know how much radio play they got down south. Many Canadian bands didn't do well. They still have many of their songs played up here.
