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I have recently rediscovered my love for this band called Vex Red. I currently have their CD playing on shuffle repeat.
They're kind of...I don't know how to describe it. And the recommendation bands that come up with it aren't anywhere close.
They're described as having "hard rocking riffs and "raving electronic melodies." Sort of alternative-ish. Anyways, they're really good. I don't even know if they're still together or not.
What bands do you like that not many other people might've ever heard?
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um... Keller Williams is excellent. North Mississippi Allstars is great Southern Blues Rocky Mountain Yonder String Band is great Bluegrass i should hope that everyone knows Ween, they are fantastic. G. Love and Special Sauce are excellent hip hop/blues/jazz too many to name...
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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My Morning Jacket Sufjan Stevens FoxyMorons
I got "Z" by My Morning Jacket about a month ago and I haven't been able to stop listening to it. A great album from start to finish. I don't really know how to describe it. A melodic mix of rock influences with haunting vocals.
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twinky took several of mine but I will add:
Wintersleep - check out the video for their song "Fog". It is very cool.
the smalls were a very cool Punk/Metal with a bit of country thrown in band from Alberta. They broke up years ago but I still listen to them quite a bit.
Christine Fellows is really impressing me lately. Sort of alternative folk. Her voice reminds me of Lisa Loeb a bit but her music isn't as mainstream.
Buck 65 is great, laid-back hip-hop from eastern Canada.
Stars - Set Yourself On Fire album is really solid.
Drive-By Truckers are great gritty Country-Rock.
Bend Sinister seem to be making some great prog-metal. I've only heard three songs so far but I will track down more.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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For all I know people may be very familiar with them because I live in a hole when it comes to pop culture but here are two groups i just came across.
1. Nightwish- They are a rock opera mix. FOr all those that like metal music without the screaming.
2. THe Clancy Brothers-Irish drinking songs. Great fun to listen to.
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Holy crap, solo, those Bend Sinister songs are awesome. I have got to move to Vancouver. The Toronto scene is good, but Vancouver is just something else.
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Anouar Brahem Susana Baca Ben Neill Horace Silver Peace Orchestra Samite BT Los Fabulosos Cadillacs The Atoll Propellerheads Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Ghazal
Anyone who's ever heard any of those people, I'll give you a hundred doll hairs.
(dang, that joke works so much better when it's not written down.)
[edit: Just for the record, I didn't solely select these people for their obscurity, although they do work well for that. They're also all on my 100% guaranteed groovy list. So if you see any of their CDs in the store, I'll stake my reputation that they're worth the money.]
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Los Fabulosos did that song... matador? I seem to remember it reaching some popularity a while back. Got some airplay down in Paraguay.
Oh, and to contribute: not that this is music that no one has ever heard of, but The Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens are both out of this world.
Posts: 433 | Registered: Feb 2005
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I just discovered Gram Parsons about a month ago. Of course, I'd heard of him - who hasn't, what with how he went out at Joshua Tree and all - but I hadn't ever heard any of his music and known it was him. But I found a biography of him at the library and read it, and became intrigued by the descriptions of his music. So I went shopping and came up with a compilation CD of his two solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel, as well as a greatest hits compilation from his time with the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Amazing. A lot of his stuff sounds like straight country. But not. He had a compelling voice, and he wrote some intriguing lyrics. The duets he sang with Emmylou Harris on his solo albums...it is simply amazing how their voices blended. Their duet on "Love Hurts" on Grievous Angel may be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. And for my money, he sings the definitive version of the Stones "Wild Horses"; that was on one of the Burritos' albums.
I read somewhere that people either "get" Parsons' music or they don't. Well, I definitely get it.
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Ditto that. Though my recent obsession has been Mr. Lif (yeah yeah, not obscure, but his new cd is ace).
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Pinback (technically complex pop songs about life, love, and the internet) Common Rotation (like Barenaked Ladies, but better) Mad Caddies (take every genre of music of the last 50 years, put in a blender) Stars (dreamy synthpop with lovely boy-girl vocals) The Rentals (simply put, the best Moog-based band ever) Dresden Dolls (piano-based punk cabaret) Ozma (the Weezer soundalikes who ended up beating Weezer at their own game) Quasi (featuring the "rocksichord" and Sleater-Kinney's drummer) Blonde Redhead (haunting Asian-influenced indie pop) Deathray (ludicrously catchy power pop) Yellow Second (more ludicrously catchy power pop) Get Him Eat Him (indie pop powered by vocoders!)
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Sep 1999
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I've heard Blond Redhead before, but isn't it Redhead Blonde? Theya re cool, but the woman has a voice that sometimes makes my teeth ache because it's just so high and cold. I have also heard Dresden Dolls. People need to hear DIR EN GREY. they currectly playing the FVT. They are so GOOD. They are my favourite most exciting band EVER. I love them. There are also some other bands I like but I can't think of thier names right now. There's individuals like Veda Hille. She has this whole folk thing going on. I need to buy her cd. I heard it when I had my own radio station and it was pretty good and disturbing and had just enough blood ot make it good.
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Nope, it's definitely Blonde Redhead. Both singers definitely have idiosyncratic voices, but that's part of the appeal. Their vocal timbres really add to the desolate feel of the music.
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I do like the texture of their music a lot. They had a lot of lovely guitars. Which makes me think of Anja Garbarek because I heard her around the same time. SHe's the daughter of Jan Garbarek who played saxaphone with the Hilliard Ensemble. She has a spiffy song with a lovely guitar in it called I won't Hurt You. Her voice is high and cool. I'm trying to find more stuff with women with high nice voices and electronic instruments or guitars.
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I agree with Twinky. The Canadian scene, particularly in Montreal, has some great things happening such as: God Speed You Black Emperor! Do Make Say Think The Black Ox Orkestar Non-Canadian obscure things I love: Disrobe-Local Chicago DIY Thrash/Punk/Metal Ferdinand Fox-Local Chicago Pop/Funk/Rock/Rap (Both have MySpace pages, check 'em out) Mike Patton and all his fun projects like Peeping Tom and Fantomas Random Bollywood soundtracks because the female vocals truly amaze me.
Posts: 511 | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: I do like the texture of their music a lot. They had a lot of lovely guitars. Which makes me think of Anja Garbarek because I heard her around the same time. SHe's the daughter of Jan Garbarek who played saxaphone with the Hilliard Ensemble. She has a spiffy song with a lovely guitar in it called I won't Hurt You. Her voice is high and cool. I'm trying to find more stuff with women with high nice voices and electronic instruments or guitars.
Jan Garbarek's daughter is making music? I like Jan. Of course, he's got about a million albums out, and if you don't find the right one you're likely to be irritated or bored to tears. But if you do find the right one, you won't know what hit you.
In fact, one of his best albums was a duet with Anouar Brahem, who I listed in my last post.
Anyway, if she's got any of her father's talent, she might just be worth checking out. Thanks for the tip. Posts: 563 | Registered: Feb 2006
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Brendan Canty and Lois Maffeo are cool. Brendan Canty used to be in Fugazi which is another band I like. Then there is Ida. Their music makes me think small old houses with peeling paint
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by vonk: um... Keller Williams is excellent. North Mississippi Allstars is great Southern Blues Rocky Mountain Yonder String Band is great Bluegrass i should hope that everyone knows Ween, they are fantastic. G. Love and Special Sauce are excellent hip hop/blues/jazz too many to name...
Vonk, have you seen John Hiatt with the North Mississippi All Stars?
Other bands I like that you might like:
The Avett Brothers Donna the Buffalo Sam Bush The Horse Flies The Red Stick Ramblers Jackie Greene
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Anyone who's ever heard any of those people, I'll give you a hundred doll hairs.
(dang, that joke works so much better when it's not written down.)
I have two BT tracks on my computer, but you can keep your hundred doll hairs.
Solo, I've seen Stars in concert. I think I need to hear them again, though. It was a bad venue and we couldn't hear well. I was unimpressed, but I doubt that was their fault.
And for something completely different, try Keali'i Reichel.
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Cosmic Dealer (dutch rock band from the 70's. only produced one album "Crystallization"; reminiscent of Jethro Tull [that's mostly because of the flute]) Flairck (aspire to combine folk music and classical pieces; essentially a string band [guitar, violin, fiddle, etc.]) Vernon Reid ("Mistaken Identity", lots of sampling and very cool guitar riffs)
Posts: 993 | Registered: Jul 2006
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I can never resist a music thread. Some bands that I've "discovered" in the past few of years (and I use the term loosely, as none of them are all that obscure).
I'll second both Stars and Pinback
Stars - an incredibly catchy mellow, indie/pop band.
Pinback - an indie-rock band that uses some pretty interesting guitar textures and rhythms. Reminiscent of some late 90's indie-bands like No Knife or The Casket Lottery, but a little more mellow.
Minus the Bear- a great indie-rock band with some very interesting guitar work (lot's of unique tapping) and they play around a little with time signatures.
Dredg - these guys sort of sound like a mix between Tool, U2, and Pink Floyd, with a hint of jazz. Great vocals & rhythm section and some really dynamic, effect-heavy guitar work. If you want them at their best, get "el cielo." Their newest album "Catch Without Arms" is really good too, but is a little more straight forward (less Pink Floyd and Jazz influence). warning: the vocals on the first album "leitmotif" aren't up to the standards of the other two albums, though the CD is still really good.
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quote:Originally posted by Ben: White Hot Water Music may have played their last song as a band, everybody but one regrouped in the new band The Draft. So good.
that is all...
I hadn't heard about this. Very cool.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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sarfa- Sounds like we have pretty similar tastes! I totally forgot to mention Minus the Bear. They played a free show at my school last year, and were even better live than they are on record- one of the tightest bands I've ever seen. And they have the best song titles ever... I will never forget the experience that was seeing "Monkey!! Knife!! Fight!!" and "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse" performed live.
Pinback is fantastic live, as well. Their bassist is incredibly talented- he can effectively play the bassline, lead "guitar" lines, and sing simultaneously. Really jaw-dropping to watch in person.
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Rodrigo y Gabriela - A classical guitar duo from Ireland via Mexico. They play incredibly intricate stuff and do some covers including Orion by Metallica and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zep.
Explosions in the Sky - Primarily an instrumental rock band. They did the music for Friday Night Lights (The movie and at least some of the upcoming TV series). They have one album that is available for free download on their website.
The Unicorns - Another Canadian product. This band has broken up now but the album that I have is pretty solid. I would compare them to the Flaming Lips.
Joel Plaskett - Canadian indie rock/pop/country. This guy writes some great tunes that are catchy without being annoying. I especially love the songs Natural Disaster and Love This Town.
Jawbreaker - Anyone who listens to 90s punk and on should definitely know about Jawbreaker and if they don't, they should check them out. These guys made some of the best music in the genre. Very underrated.
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Men Women and Children have a great disco-y song called Dance in my Blood I like a lot. And the Exit has a song called Don't Push. Its reggae-ish
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Tarrsk - I haven't had the opportunity to see Pinback live yet, but I did get to see Minus the Bear this year at Coachella (with Tool, Coheed & Cambria, and Bloc Party). They were great, in fact, that was the first time I had heard of them and I immediately went out and bought everything they had ever put out.
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Gah, I hate Coheed. I am also annoyed with them for confusing me as to their gender. Much like my annoyance with the new Justin Timberlake song. IT IS NOT MY FAULT YOU SOUND LIKE A GIRL, JUSTIN. Especially when you are talking about bondage and have a VERY MASCULINE sounding co-vocalist. But when I pretend you are a girl, the song is not as confusing to me. Maybe a bisexual girl, when I listen to the lyrics, but a girl.
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Common Rotation...very good, silly folksy stuff, with one or two very beautiful songs thrown in...and they do an awesome cover of Karma Chamaeleon. (I probably spelled that wrong) Oh, and the lead singer is Adam Busch, the guy who played Warren on "Buffy".
Shinedown - Good, old fashioned rock, with some songs a bit softer and some a bit harder. Somewhat mainstream, but there are a lot of people I know who haven't heard of them. There are a few good tracks on their first album, but the second is solid the whole way thru. And some of their acoustic tracks are their best.
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Jawbreaker's Accident Prone is what I am using as framework on an essay about my Denver Experiences.
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twinky: Metric had a song play on Grey's Anatomy and I'm so obsessed with it now. One of the songs was "Police and Private" and I think another one was "Monster Hospital"
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I like Jawbreaker too, but I also like their emo little brother Jets to Brazil (RIP).
Other more esoteric bands I've been digging lately:
Old 97's - Alt Rock Country. Great band. Their live record is fantastic. The Sounds - love their cd, it's a pop/punk/new wavey extravaganza. Listen to "Song With a Mission". It's a frickin' audiovirus. No joke. Third'd for Drive By Truckers Neko Case - on the more country side of alt-country. Camera Obscura - another sort of new wavey dream pop group, with a fantastic singer.
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I am also annoyed with them for confusing me as to their gender. Much like my annoyance with the new Justin Timberlake song. IT IS NOT MY FAULT YOU SOUND LIKE A GIRL, JUSTIN. Especially when you are talking about bondage and have a VERY MASCULINE sounding co-vocalist. But when I pretend you are a girl, the song is not as confusing to me. Maybe a bisexual girl, when I listen to the lyrics, but a girl.
