Exploring unheralded rock songs from many genres including classic rock, hard rock, psych, garage, metal, proto-punk, punk, post-punk, and the occasional blues tune...
What better way to end the year than with an epic psych rock track off of the only original album by San Francisco's Fifty Foot Hose. If you ever get a chance to pick up this album, Cauldron, do it. Good stuff.
I always like it when I can stumble across great rock music that was created outside of Europe or North America. Earlier entries have featured music from Zambia and Indonesia. Today's entry is from early 70's Nigeria. It's a nice mix of rock and the percussion of world music.
For today, let's just enjoy some straight up rock n' roll out of the rich early 2000's Detroit garage rock scene. Here are the Paybacks with a track off of their second full length release, Harder and Harder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phqtNSpBGWk
Ann Arbor's Rationals rode out the 60's garage rock genre right to the end of the 60's before calling it quits. Here they are from one of their last singles. You can hear the band trying to get a bit psychedelic, but it probably wasn't first nature for them(not with a name like The Rationals, anyway)
Pretty Maids are unique in that they are a Danish band playing New Wave of British Heavy Metal music, but gained most popularity in Japan. Still, the band has been going since 1981 to this day with varying lineups. Here they are from their debut self-titled 1983 EP.
2016 was a pretty ugly year. We lost a lot of great musicians(David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Mose Allison, Paul Kantner, Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Leonard Cohen, Leon Russell, the list goes on and on). So this year, I'll be crying Christmas Tears, courtesy of the late, great Freddie King.
Frumpy was a nice little German prog rock band(with an emphasis on the rock). They were only around for about three years in the early 70's, but they made a mark in Germany(less so in the rest of the world). Here they are from their third and final studio album, By They Way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inch4xW4qQA
The Headhunters were a funk band comprised of jazz musicians. So, this means that you get funky rock played extremely well, with lots of changes. Bandleader Herbie Hancock led this band through different lineups for over thirty years. This track off of their third LP, Survival of the Fittest, reminds me a bit of Zappa's The Gumbo Variations, which is high praise.
Rocket from the Tombs, featuring future members of the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu, was one of those bands who never actually released their recorded music during the time of their actual existence. In this case, the protopunk band was only together from 1974-75. They wouldn't see any official release of their music until 2002, though. And what a revelation it was. The band sounds more like proto psychobilly than protopunk, but that's just splitting hairs. Here is a track that sounds like it is coming off the rails. Enjoy.
Name a guitar hero who has released 37 solo albums since 1976. If you were thinking Toronto-born Pat Travers, you'd be correct. He was/is quite the workaholic/virtuoso. Here is a little track off of his 1982 release, Black Pearl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1okEzEymmdo
Rock fans from Boston hold a special place in their hearts for the Modern Lovers. They recorded the most Boston rock song, Roadrunner. For years though, I knew nothing more about this band. I knew that Jonathan Richman was the driving force behind the band, but did not know that future Talking Head, Jerry Harrison, played keys for the Lovers. The band existed between 1970 and 1974. They recorded most of their original album in 1972 with John Cale producing many tracks. They couldn't decide which record company to sign with, though, and the project got shelved. They would then break up. Their debut release did not come out until 1976. Here is the first track on side 2.
1977 was probably the best year for punk. It was just widespread enough where you could hear a bunch of new bands on a regular basis, but not yet overdone. Today's song is from an English band who only managed a couple of singles, but still were able to capture that pure punk feel. Here is the B side off of their first single.
French arena hard rockers were around for nearly twenty five years before finally calling it quits in 1998. Here they are from their sophomore effort, Full Speed Ahead. Ganafoul was a mixed bag in my opinion, but they could rock when they wanted to.
Okay, here's a first for this blog, an unknown band. This tune showed up on a recent Back From the Grave compilation, and is worthy of being a song of the day despite knowing nothing about it. I guessed that it would have been originally recorded in about 1967(maybe 66).
If Beavis and Butthead were around in the mid 70's, they would have loved today's featured band. Keeping that in mind, Nutz' music was never intended to be high brow think pieces. Here they are performing on the Old Grey Whistle Test with the first song off of their second album, Nutz Too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVZieQMSL3s
Right as Ron Wood was getting accustomed to his new life with the Rolling Stones, he managed to record an underknown LP with his old Faces' mate, Ronnie Lane that produced some interesting results unlike their previous work. Here they are with an instrumental number. This track also features horns by the late Bobby Keys.
Born in Toronto, Shawn, Mark, and Adam Stern moved with their family to L.A. in 1970. It is safe to say that this move had a profound effect on the boys. They formed a band in the L.A. hardcore punk scene and managed to release a number of albums. Here is one of their early tunes, Fight to Unite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVBDH790ioo
Long before Eddy Grant was rockin' down to Electric Avenue, he was part of one of the first bi-racial rock bands. Eddy formed the Equals back in 1965 and they had a string of pop/garage hits over the next several years. Here they are with an infectious little number from 1970.
Originally known as Hell Razor, Exciter was one of the first "speed metal" bands around, forming i the late 70's. It would be 1983, before they released their first LP, though. Here are the Ottawa headbangers with the title track off of their debut album.
Most of Lulu's career has been in the softer, poppier realm. Not really my cup of tea. However, this Scottish songstress could really belt it out when she wanted to. Here is a funky version of Traffic's Feelin' Alright. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNqa8go0fXc
Okay, this might be the longest combined song title/band title that I featured in nearly two years of daily blogging. Today's song is from a one-off Italian prog rock LP, Canti D'Innocenza - Canti D'Esperienza. Those of you who hate prog rock, will definitely hate this tune(and vice versa) as it is firmly in the genre.
Houston Express was the tenth album(over over 60) that jazz saxophonist Houston Person recorded as a a band leader. And you've never heard of him. This particular album was more of a soul funk album than straight up jazz. Keeping with the Houston theme, here is the track The Houston Express. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1TTA3DjAPM
Johnny Moped was a British proto-punk/punk band that for a brief period featured Chrissie Hynde before the Pretenders were formed. Here is the band from their 1978 long player, Cycledelic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6dDkpFI_dg
How about some early 80's German fusion to kick off your weekend? Brassy Brew only made one album, 1981's Bus Stop. Here is the first track off of that LP.
Canadian psych fusion band, Mashmakan, was mostly known for appearing on the 1970 Festival Express train tour of Canada with the likes of the Band, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead. They managed to release a couple of albums of quality stuff. Check them out!
Cibo Matto made some delightfully weird music in the 90's. Cibo Matto is a duo consisting of two Japanese woman who formed their band in New York and named it after an Italian phrase for crazy food. They released a couple of albums in the 90's before taking a decade off. Here is a track off of their first album, 1996's Viva! La Woman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOL8fDISewA
By 1996, Phish had been together for 13 years and were approaching one of the their career peaks. Add to that, the recent end of the Grateful Dead following Jerry Garcia's death and Phish was then(and arguably still is) the biggest jam band on the planet. They memorialized this mid 90's peak with a live release from Las Vegas. Here is Suzy Greenberg from that run. This song is indicative of the Phish sound without being to Phishy and scaring away newcomers.
Paris punk band, Stinky Toys, once shared a 1976 bill with the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, The Buzzcocks, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Toys were definitely the most forgettable of that bunch, but they made some really good punk music before it was fashionable. Here they are from 1977.
Jackie Wilson was a legendary live performer, whose reputation should be closer to Otis Redding or James Brown. He left it all on the stage. In fact, he suffered a massive heart attack at a concert in 1975 at the age of forty. He would slip into a coma for eight months. He managed to recover and live another nine years, but he would never be the same. Thankfully, we have the recordings. Here is Jackie from 1966.
Egg Hunt was a one-off project of former Minor Threat lead singer, Ian Mackaye and Jeff Nelson. They only released one single(two songs). They described it as post hardcore. I'm not so sure about that, but it is interesting.
Abacus were productive German prog rockers, releasing four albums in the space of their three year existence. Here is the second track off of their self-titled debut long player.
I'm pretty bad at matching holidays with thematic song selections. It's Thanksgiving in the U.S. and I've selected an obscure pop psych song from a Scottish beat group. Oh well, if you're sick of the holiday themes, you might enjoy something different.
Hmmm, how to classify The Flock...Maybe a psych rock fusion prog band out of Chicago. They changed a lot over their years of existence, but here they are in rockin raw form from their self titled debut album.
By the early 80's, young 20 something guitarist Adrian Belew had already played with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, the Talking Heads. He was also just tapped to play guitar for prog rock legends, King Crimson. Still, Adrian found time to record his first solo album, 1982's Lone Rhino. Here is the lead track from that LP.
John Charles Edward Adler, aka Twink, is an English drummer who spent time with the Pink Faeries and the Pretty Things. In between those engagements, he recorded a funky little solo album in 1970. Here is a largely instrumental number.
The band Salem Mass was from, you guessed it, Sun Valley, Idaho. This psych/hard rock/prog band that was heavy on the Moog really only one album during their early 70's experience, but it was a good one. If you come across it in the wild, pick it up!
I like my jazz without vocals in almost every situation, with one glaring exception: Mose Allison. He's the only one I'll listen to on a regular basis. This guy, who just passed away at the age of 89, was not only one of the smoothest vocalist's of his era, but he was also a phenomenal songwriter. Like many people of my generation, I first heard Mose' name while listening to Pete Townshend's introduction of Young Man's Blues on the Who's Live at Leeds LP, a song that Pete pointed out that Mose wrote at the age of forty. He also wrote songs that were covered by Van Morrison, Blue Cheer, Cactus, The Yardbirds, Hot Tuna, Leon Russell, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Paul Butterfield, and Johnny Winter among countless others. Here is one of his loungy tunes showcasing his voice and clever lyrics.
Seems to me that this first single from a Dutch hard rock band could have benefited from some better production/revision. However, there was enough here to suggest that this band could have produced some quality music. But, they only lasted about three singles worth of tunes. Thanks to the internet, I am able to enjoy them.
Silver Apples were way ahead of their time. Listen to this song, and it seems hard to believe it was from 1968. They seemed to be a forerunner of the electronic music movement that wouldn't get started in earnest for another ten years. Well, maybe then, Silver Apples were just an anomaly. In any case, it is some quality intense music.
It's not often that I dip into reggae music on this blog. That is probably an oversight I should correct, starting now. So, here is one of the masters of the craft with a politically charged song during challenging times.
Jazz/Blues pianist had a long career in the industry. He performed for over fifty years based in New Orleans. Here he is with a rather novel track from 1961.
Man, do I love Holly Golightly's voice. I first heard her sing during her guest appearance on the White Stripes' It's True That We Love One Another, the final song on their epic 2003 Elephant LP. Listening to that song, I was like "who is this?!". So, I dug through some of her solo stuff and her Headcoatees catalog. Here she is from her 2000 release, God Don't Like It
Today's song is one of those tunes that I would play over and over again when it first came out, because that's what you do when you are in your mid-twenties and like a song. There was just something about this Boston area native singing in French over fuzztone guitars that just worked for me. See if you agree.
Most musicians slow down when they get older. Their music tends to fade as the light of inspiration dims. Well, that was not the case with virtuoso jazz drummer, Buddy Rich. Buddy was 56 years young when this 1973 album was released. It's a real gem. Check it out!
I did not intend to feature performers named "Leon" on two consecutive days. That was just a coincidence. This Leon, Leon Paul-Phillips, I don't know much about. I found his 1972 album, London Underground, on the internet. Most music-bot websites describe this as prog rock, but as usual, these sites are wrong. This is a funky instrumental track. The whole album is worth checking out.
Leon Russell has such a distinctive voice. You instantly know it's him singing even if you've never heard the song before. The Tulsa native has been out there performing for sixty years. So, if you get a chance to see him, do it. Here he is from a live performance back in 1970.
Today we have another entry from the newly released I'm a Freak, Baby compilation featuring the works of underserved British freakbeat/heavy psych bands. Like Fusion Farm and Barnabus, The Kult never achieved much commercial success. They did seem to borrow a bit from Hendrix, but it is a good song nonetheless.
Today, a psych band covering a Buddy Guy blues composition is being featured here on Deep Rock Mining. I just love this tune. If I'm being honest, the Creedence Clearwater Revival version is better, but I've already featured the Fogerty brothers, et al in a previous post.
How about some funk for your Friday? Well, not many could do it better than James Brown's backing band. Here they are with one of their first instrumental releases.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives was a Swedish band that had a nice run of 15+ years releasing six long players along the way. They called it quits in 2012. Here is the band from their fourth LP, Origin Vol. 1, released in 2004.
There was a lot more to the D.C. Punk/Hardcore scene than Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Here is an example of a band from a slightly later wave of DC hardcore. There are quite a bit of styles crammed into this short tune.
Curtiss Maldoon was a British folk rock duo consisting of Dave Curtiss and Clive Maldoon. I had not heard of them until yesterday! So after aurally perusing their debut album, there are about three tunes that lean to the rock side of "folk rock". This is one of them. Good stuff. The band would make one more album in 1973, but split shortly thereafter.
Today's selection is some real quality proto-punk. The year is a bit of a guess as this Detroit band's music was not released(to my knowledge) during their original run in the mid 70's. It could be 1974. In any case, it's clear that the band was influenced by fellow Detroit legends, the MC5. That is not a bad thing. The Punks' music finally got a release in the mid 2000s. Here they are at their finest.
Wow, he's really gone off of the deep end with this blog. Polish fusion on a blog purportedly about rock! Well, just give it a listen some of Zbiginiew Namyslowski's work is up there on par with Miles Davis. This is definitely not grandpa's be-bop. See if you agree.
The Rubber City Rebels were from, you guessed it, Akron, OH. They had a great proto-punk sound at the time of punk. They managed to befriend the Dead Boys and opened for them at CBGBs. After a while, the band moved out to LA to blend in the scene out west. They did have much commercial success and fizzled out by the late 80's, but they had a good run. Here they are from their first release, a split EP with the Bizarros.
Just in the mood for some old fashioned 80's metal today. Here is a New York band featuring a lot of Aquanet and one EP to their list of musical contributions.
In late 1967, Donovan Leitch, aka Donovan, was asked by a friend to write a song for a new Danish heavy psych band, Hurdy Gurdy. Donovan tore off the song "Hurdy Gurdy Man". For whatever record company reasons, the song was not immediately delivered. As a result, Donovan recorded the song himself and released it to great success. Those Danish psych rockers would soldier on, nonetheless. They wouldn't actually put out an album, though, until 1972, and it would ultimately be their only full length release. But what a release it was. If you have the chance to check out the whole album, do so. It is some great hard rocking psych.
Glass Harp was one of the more popular bands in Kent, Ohio in the early 70's(along with the James Gang). Today's song is from their second album, which sounds more like late 1966. I'll take it, though.
Texas garage rockers, the Sparkles, had been around for ten years by the time they released their sixth, and biggest, single which is featured here today. The band would soldier on through the 60's and disband in 1972.
Chicago-born blues guitarist/singer Kal David was in many bands in the 60's and early 70's. By 1972, he formed a new blues rock outfit with former members of the Electric Flag and the Buckinghams. They managed to release three albums in four years before calling in quits. Here they are from their self-titled debut release.
Whenever I think of Pearl Jam in the context of the Grunge movement, I get annoyed. They did come up in Seattle at the peak of the grunge genre, but they weren't really grunge to my ears. I seem to like PJ better when I just think of them as a rock band. Sure, a lot of their stuff was over played in the 90's, but they had some good rockin' tunes.
Today's song, while not unknown, is underrated in my opinion. This track, featuring Neil Young on guitar, is probably my favorite Pearl Jam effort. It's one of those songs, that for whatever reason, hits me on an emotional level and always brings me right back to my mid twenties.
Dana Gillespie has had quite the varied career. In addition to recording music in the folk, pop, rock, and blues genres over the years, she had also appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar and in several movies. Here she is from her first album recording a tune that was written by Donovan.
Brooklyn born jazz saxophonist, Arnie Lawrence, had been a journeyman player for a number of years, releasing a few albums and appearing on many more. By 1976, Arnie was in his late thirties and with the help of some friends recorded an experimental jazz masterpiece, Unobstructed Universe. The title track and also name of the band he created for this endeavor is featured here today. It is probably the funkiest bit on the record. Some of the other tracks get real weird, which is great too.
After the demise of Silverhead, Michael Des Barres went on to form the band, Detective, with former Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye and others. The band, not surprisingly, sounds like an extension of Silverhead's music only in the late 70's. It doesn't work quite as well, but there are some decent tunes in the mix.
Nova Scotia's finest had been around since 1969, but probably saw the apex of their success in the late seventies. And, man, does this video scream late 70's excess or what? It's arena rock with all of the good and cheesy elements.
Going way back in time today all the way to the 50's for a massively underappreciated garage band from Tacoma, Washington. The Wailers were putting an edge on early rock n' roll before it was cool. See if you agree.
In 2008, Sean Lennon started a duo with his girlfriend, Charlotte Kemp Muhl called The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. They did some shows, released some singles and then released a full length album by 2014, Midnight Sun. This is a nice psych record that will probably never be given its due because of Sean's celebrity parents. But it's worth a listen. This record seems to be a nice accompaniment to Sean's next project with Les Claypool that was featured here in January.
German avant-garde/psych/prog rockers, Neu! recorded and pressed several albums in the 70's that are now worth a pretty penny on vinyl. There's good reason, too. They produced some real quality music. This is how synthesizers were meant to be heard(in my world view, anyway). Check this track out off of their self titled debut album.
I don't know much about today's Entry on Deep Rock Mining, except to say that this British group had only one single. This was the A Side. It was backed with Wind of Change. This is pure psych released at the height of the movement.
No, not that "We Built that City", this is a completely different and better song. Chevy Heston was a brooding 90's band from Boston. I remember hearing some of their music on WBCN's "Boston Emissions" local radio show on Sunday evenings. I ended up picking up the CD and it went into heavy rotation, often playing as I fell asleep. If you like this tune, you'll like the whole album, as it pretty much extends the theme.
A couple of weeks ago, on a cool Saturday morning, I was sifting through a box of records at a yard sale in my town. As I went through the usual yard sale fare(Tattoo You, Four Way Street, The Stranger, and about a hundred others), I stumbled upon two colorful LP's that I was unfamiliar with. So, I bought the collection. Later, online, I checked out these colorful LPs that were by a group called Yello. They were definitely the most valuable of the bunch. Yello was a Swiss electronic band that made some really interesting music in the early 80's. Many of their songs are shorter, and today's song of the day selection certainly is on the shorter side. I encourage you to check out more of their work, if you like the style.
Today an Indianapolis funk fusion group with a hint of Santana is being featured. Funk, Inc released five albums in four years during the 70's. It's a bit smooth for my normal tastes, but definitely groovy. Here they are from their third release, 1973's Hangin' Out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhAdGdbcGa8
Hmmm, where have you heard this song before? Well, you probably know it better as the song played during the opening credits of Quentin Tarantino's feature length directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs. That's how I've always known it. And why shouldn't I? It was a perfect choice by Tarantino.
However, in the course of creating this blog post, I came across two interesting facts. First of all, the George Baker Selection was not an American soul band as I had imagined. They were actually a Dutch rock band. Secondly, the band made some sort of video for the song back when it was released in 1970. It seems clear after watching it that Tarantino must have seen the video, as well, because there are elements to it that he mimicked in the very opening scene for which it featured in Tarantino's classic. The link to that opening is below:
In the nascent days of this blog, Jesse Hector's Hammersmith Gorillas were featured with a grungy version of the Stones' Luxury. That was the garage rock legend was in his twenties. Today's song is a lost classic, rediscovered a few years ago, from when Jesse was in his forties. He definitely still had it.
When Robin Trower left Procol Harum in 1971, he took a decidely different direction. The sound that Robin would develop over the next couple of years would make a distinct leap from the 60's to a slicker, more produced, 70's sound that seemed to suit him better. In Trower's case, this change absolutely worked. He was able to feature his virtuoso guitar chops much better in the new format. In addition to Robin's playing on today's track, check out the mesmerizing bass line towards the end of the tune by James Dewar. Good stuff.
The Jesus and Mary Chain were one of those bands that I was aware of in the 80's, but made no effort to find out more about the band. I think that my mistaken impression of them was that they were just another new wave band. Upon further inspection(thirty years later) I found their alt/post punk music to be very interesting with an edge to it that I never imagined. Here they are from their debut album, Psychocandy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkPRQG77YiA
Modern day UK rockers, Dirty Thrills, seemed to have found the recipe for mid-70's arena rock excess that was originally created by the likes of Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, and so many others. See if you agree.
I love one of the terms used to describe the music of Curved Air, Acid Folk. That about describes it. Or maybe it just describes the sound of the electric violin which is prominently featured here. Curved Air's initial incarnation lasted from 1970-76. Today's lost classic was a live version of one of their songs that was recorded in 1976, but not released until 1996. This live performance even features future Police drummer, Stewart Copeland on drums.
The Creation's "Making Time" probably shouldn't be considered underappreciated anymore because of the recent spate of appearances the song has made in commercials and movies. I think it all started with the 1998 movie Rushmore.
Before 1998, this great tune sat dormant in the minds of most who'd ever heard the song to begin with. It was originally released back in 1966 as the first single from the British garage band. Even if you've heard it, it's worth another listen.
This short-lived LA psych/experimental prog band(with a terrible name) managed to release one LP,. a self-titled 1968 release. It's weird, but really good. Check it out.
For today, enjoy a Finnish metal band doing their version of a glam rock classic from 1983. The link below has the video of the performance, which is also pretty fun.
Earlier this month, a song by Fusion Farm was featured in this space. That song was recently released on an epic new set called I’m A Freak Baby: A Journey Through The British Heavy Psych & Hard Rock Underground Scene 1968-72. Here is another heavy psych tune from the same release from Barnabus. Barnabus was together for only a couple of years in the early 70's, but left us some great material. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqA8RC-Y9H0
I don't know much about this Israeli garage/psych band except that they released an EP and a few singles in the late 60's/early 70's. Check out this B side from 1969.
In the post Kurt Cobain days of the mid-90's, I kept searching for the next big musical thing that would sweep me up and start taking all of my time. For a while, I thought that may be electronica. With acts such as the Chemical Brothers and Fat Boy Slim, I thought there were going to be a whole bunch of similar fast-paced, heavy hitting electronica hits. While there were a few, there weren't that many that stoked my interest. I soon turned my interests towards live local bands. But looking back, the Chemical Brothers still sound just about right to me.
The Cake, not to be confused with 90's pop rock legends, Cake, were a blue-eyed soul group from New York in the late 60's. This band is popular with hipsters of a certain age. But don't let that dissuade you. This is a cool take on a classic.
The word "electric" appears to have been a bit overused in the 60's. Just in this blog space, this is the fifth such installment of an "electric" band. Below are the others:
Alt rock godfather, Mike Watt, first started out as a member of the Minuteman, a punk band closely tied with Black Flag. After that band ended, due to singer/guitarist D. Boon's death in a car accident in 1985, Watt formed an alt rock band that would also lay some groundwork for the next decade's grunge movement. Here they are with the title song from their first major label release.
In addition to making ambient flavored spacy prog rock, Ozric Tentacles have another distinction. They are true DIY'ers in the sense that they have been releasing their own music for over thirty years without major label support. Check out this number from their 1993 release, Jurassic Shift. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGVT8poFuOA
One learns some interesting things when writing a daily musical blog. For example, I've had this Joe South version of "Hush" in my iPod playlist for a few years now, thinking that it was a cover of the Deep Purple classic. Come to find out that Joe actually wrote this song for Billy Joe Royal to record in 1967. Deep Purple must have been inspired by that version, because they then recorded their own version for their 1968 debut album, Shades of Deep Purple. Joe then decided to record it himself in 1969 for his LP, Games People Play. Now, I love the Deep Purple version for how they stretched it out into some interesting musical territory. But, this version is just a great little soulful song.
The Pack A.D. are a British Columbian duo that started out sounding very much inspired by the White Stripes. Since their formation, they have broadened their sound. Here they are from their third LP, We Kill Computers. You can certainly hear the White Stripes influence in this track.
This is not your father's Byrds' music. The former Byrds' frontman with the angelic voice and distinct 12-string guitar sound is almost unrecognizable in his 1976 LP, Cardiff Rose. This is mostly due to the album's producer, Mick Ronson, who happened to have toured with Roger the previous years on Bob Dylan's Rolling Thurnder Revue tour. Here Ronson seems to be pushing some of the new punk sensibility onto Roger.
Twentieth Century Zoo was blues/psych/rock band from Arizona that managed some regional success during their three year initial incarnation. They managed to release and album and a few singles. Here is the B Side to their first single.
By 1971, Alice Cooper was an established act. Their fourth album, Killer, was one of the best. In addition to hits like Under My Wheels and Be My Lover, there were some deeper cuts on that album. With today's song, the band stretches out to cover a lot of musical territory.
Now here is a song that was uncovered(for me) by Quentin Tarantino in his 2007 movie, Death Proof. I remember hearing this song on the soundtrack and being blown away by the vocal. The Beatles had previously covered this Burt Bacharach number, but this version stands out more to my ears due to the outstanding vocal performance.
The performance in the clip above is from a short-lived ABC popular music show called The Music Scene, hosted by David Steinberg and Lily Tomlin. Smith' s lead singer, Gayle McCormick died earlier this year at the young age of 67. RIP.
Italian prog rockers, Goblin, are known for their 1970's soundtrack work for Dario Argento's horror movies. Today's song, while spooky, also has a fusion sound and was featured in one of Argento's best movies, Suspiria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTTEnz0z-Ss
It's been a while since we dipped our collective toe into some prog rock. Here is an Italian prog band that only released one album in the 70's, and that was only available on tape. The album got a proper CD release in 1991, a decade after the band broke up. The vocals here are a bit weak, but the rest of the music is proggy heaven for me.
A wonderful new 3 CD compilation of British freakbeat has been released, titled "I’m A Freak Baby: A Journey Through The British Heavy Psych & Hard Rock Underground Scene 1968-72. I'm sure that several of the tunes from this new collection of old lost classics will make their way into this blog space in the coming months. If you would like to purchase this collection, here is the link.
Today's selection is Fusion Farm's cover of a Bob Dylan classic that was originally released on their one and only 1971 LP, Rush Job. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB5HJeSDMkE
I just heard some Alternative TV for the first time last week. This is a band that sounds post-punk that was happening in the UK during the heights of punk. They were ahead of their time.
Out of the ashes of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets were formed in the mid 80's. They were fairly more "pop" sounding than their antecedent band, but they made some good music if you're in the right mood. Here they are off of their second album, Express. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mnx8jnsYfc
Every time I hear music from the Spencer Davis Group, I don't think about how they were a cool garage band or the instrumentation of its band members. I am just always amazed at seventeen year old Stevie Winwood's vocals. That is clearly what sticks out for me. Here is the band from 1965. Nevermind the poor lip synch here, the vocals are just great.
It hardly gets any rarer that the B-side of the one and only single released by a German actress singing in French over a pre-recorded freakbeat rhythm track that borrows a bit from the Velvet Underground's first album. Well, that's 1969 for you.
I don't know much about today's featured artist, Sounds Synonymous, except that the recorded a very heavily fuzzed psych single back in 1969. Thankfully, in 1998, a compilation CD titled A Fistful of Fuzz was released that unearthed many lost psych/garage tunes. Enjoy!
Despite their Facebook page claiming that they play a combination of punk and smooth jazz, there is no smooth jazz. This snarky band from East Oakland has been around since about 2010. They aren't famous and won't ever be because their music isn't compromising. They are a nice throwback to a better time, though, and should be enjoyed by those with discerning tastes...
Japanese deathrock pioneers, Auto-Mod, weren't always so heavy. At first, their music was more post-punk/new wave in nature. Here they are from their first LP, which was at least partially recorded live.
Today on Deep Rock Mining, an underrated Detroit proto-punk is being featured. At different times, this group included members of the Stooges and the MC5. They originally lasted from 1973 to 1985, but have reformed sporadically since 1995. Here they are with the B Side of their first single. Fans of the Stooges should appreciate.
French prog rock/jazz fusion Magma really took their music to the extreme. They had a lot of interesting work. For me, they were a bit out there with all of their vocals layered onto their music, so I still haven't gotten through the lion's share of their music. But, I was interested when one of their members broke off to make a solo record that sounds distinctly different. Zabu's 1972 effort, My Coffin's Ready, is much more rock oriented than Magma. Check out the single from Zabu's one and only solo album.
Styx often gets a bad rap among rock critics, and it's kind of understandable. As I scroll through some of their hits, I see many tunes that turn my stomach(Lady, Renegade, The Best of Times). And Mr. Roboto was a caricature of their most despised work. There were a couple of hits that I didn't mind, though. Come Sail Away and Suite: Madame Blue come to mind. Still, beneath the hits, there were some other good tunes. Here is an original off of their first self-titled album. It sounds like Styx with a bit more lead guitar. Check it out.
Los Angeles band, the Leaving Trains were alternative rock before alt rock meant grunge. Their music's got a punk sensibility with a bit more of a nuanced feel to their music. Here they are off of their fourth LP, Transportational D. Vices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YGIZAhdIHE
Today, I'm featuring a trippy little number from the early days of psych. Released about a month before Sgt. Peppers, it was just another hallmark of the musical changes that were seeping in and on the verge of blowing up in the Summer of Love.
The Woggles are a garage band's garage band. They have been banging it out in clubs since the early 90's. Here they are with the first track on their first album.
Definitely going with one of the heavy hitters of all time, today. Albert King is probably my favorite bluesman and nearly 30 years after I first purchased this CD, it still grabs me every time. I absolutely love Albert's guitar tone. No, this isn't a deep cut from Albert's discography, but it is under appreciated all the same. So, listen to him slay the audience of the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco one night in 1968.
It sure took a long time for me to get around to the godfathers of psychobilly, The Cramps. Well, without further ado, here are Lux Interior and band with a nice song about pets.
