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...
While Australian Doug Ford was playing lead guitar for the Master's Apprentices, he also had a small side project with a band called Ash. Here is one of four released songs by that outfit, all released in 1970.
After the German prog outfit Tibet formed in 1972, it would take 4 years before releasing their first single and another three years after that before their only full length album would be released. By this time of course, prog was past its peak. The band didn't last much longer. Here they are with the B side of that 1976 single with a very eclectic sounding song.
Tucky Buzzard was an English hard rock band that released a number of albums in the early 70's under the tutelage of Rolling Stones' bassist Bill Wyman. Here they are with a cover of one of Bill's compositions.
Das Ding(aka Danny Bosten) created his own 'cassette only' record company in the early 80's. Several electro-minimal wave music tapes were made and released. About ten years ago, interest was drawn to this Dutch artists' early work and a new album was recorded and released(on multiple formats). Here is a lengthier track from that release that sounds right out of the 80's.
Now for some electronic rock that seems a bit late(or is it a lot early). Anyhow, I'm not really sure. In any case, I wish I heard this music back then instead of the drivel that was played on mainstream radio in 1985.
In the past, I've featured several Nigerian bands in this space with the music tending to be mostly Afro beat/funk(Tony Grey, The Mebusas, Aktion, and The Apostles). So, today, I'm going with the king of Nigerian music and Afro-beat, Fela Kuti. Here is one of his better known tracks, but still mostly unknown to the English speaking public.
I guess I've been listening to more modern stuff these days. This will be the fourth post in the last week featuring post year 2000 music. I guess there may be hope for the future! Here is a stoner/psych band from Lyon, France with a track that is decidedly hard rock.
As you might expect, a solo album from the lead guitarist of the Troggs might be a loose affair. And you'd be right. Here is a bluesy number from his 1969 effort, As I Am. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0izzdj6o9Y
I just read a few hype articles about the artist behind today's song of the day. I don't know if Mattiel is the next big thing or not. I also don't know how unique her story is, but I know that I'm liking her strange vocal stylings more and more. Her debut self-titled LP is full of moody, neo-psych/garage like tunes that grow on you.
Not to be confused with Blackfoot, Blackfoot Sue was a British glam band formed by twin brothers, Todd and David Farmer. The band released a couple of albums before changing their name to Liner and carrying on through the end of the 70's. Here they are off of their debut LP, Nothing to Hide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpOuhd4Xf4o
Truly an interesting experiment, the Øresund Space Collective has taken the philosophy of improvisational jazz or jam bands to space rock/psych. The band consists of a variety of musicians who drop in and out of the line up for the times that they have recorded music over the last thirteen years. More information on the band can be found here. Here they are off of a 2006 session/album with a longer track.
Hunx(aka Seth Bogart), had a variety of bandmates over the four or five years of the band's existence. I really liked their later stuff featuring Shannon Shaw on lead vocals. Here is the opening track off of their 2013 release, Street Punk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y6bbN1gqwM&feature=youtu.be
I was recently leafing through a collection of vinyl records for sale and came across the album Too Much Pressure by The Selecter. I had heard of this band as one of those British ska bands of the early 80's. So, I bought the collection and this record was exactly as I had heard. It's really upbeat and takes you in spirit to the early 80's. Here is a track off of that debut release by the band.
The thing that I like most about today's song from Styx is that it doesn't really resemble the rest of their catalog. This was the B side of Lady, which was always a bit nauseating to me. So, it was refreshing to hear this song that actually rocks. To be fair, I am tolerant of a couple of their more popular songs(Come Sail Away and Suite: Madame Blue), but never otherwise understood their appeal.
Cozy Powell had quite the resume for a rock drummer. He played with the Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Emerson, Lake and Powell, Whitesnake, and Black Sabbath(in the 90's), just to name a few. Here he is with a short lived band, Bedlam, formed with the former lead guitarist from Procul Harum, Dave Ball.
Some of my favorite Doors songs were primarily written by their quiet lead guitarist, Robbie Krieger. These include Tell All the People and Peace Frog. He also wrote Love Her Madly and the band's biggest hits, Touch Me and Light My Fire. Of course, Jim Morrison absorbed most of the spotlight for that band, but Robbie's contributions shouldn't be taken lightly. All the more interesting was Robbie's mid-1970's shift to playing jazz fusion. I only started digging in recently. Here he is off of his 1977 Robbie Krieger & Friends LP.
One of Turkey's biggest pop/rock starts of the 70's and 80's made some really interesting music. Here he is with a recently uncovered instrumental track from early in his career.
If you ever find the debut Italian press vinyl record of this skilled library music band, please send it to me! Just kidding, of course. The record is worth nearly $1,000. Here is the opening track off of that release.
Escape-ism is Ian Svenonius' latest identity and album. Released just last year, this album came into my consciousness as a recommendation from Henry Rollins in an article about vinyl. I'll definitely seek this out on wax, but in the interim I'll have to just enjoy the download.
Scrounging for vinyl records in the Boston area, one cannot escape the November Group. Every Spring and Fall as I hit up area yard sales, I must see this Boston new wave group's EP or singles multiple times. So eventually, I bought one of them. And it wasn't bad. Here is a track off of their self-titled debut EP.
Julio Pereira was and is one of the most respected musicians in Portugal. For the last forty plus years, he has been playing traditional Portuguese music, folk and world music with acoustic guitars, violas, and mandolins. The interesting thing to me is that before his place in Portuguese musical history was cemented, he was part of a psych rock outfit called Xarhanga. Here they are with one of two singles released by the band.
Acid Rock or Neo-Psych doesn't seem to capture Harsh Toke's sound. This San Diego band puts out an onslaught of guitar solo driven rock similar to Earthless and Heavy Blanket. Of the twelve songs that this band has released over the last five years(spanning two albums and two EPs), today's selection is only one of two tracks under ten minutes long. The other came in at 9:47! This song is the most compact but equal in intensity to their other songs.
Who is the most successful British singer that you've never heard of? The answer may by Toyah(Wilcox). She's sang punk, post punk, pop music and more, releasing over a dozen albums and having much chart success in the UK but relatively unknown in the United States. She is also married to Robert Fripp, for which I was unaware before writing this post and thought it curious that her latest LP was In the Court of the Crimson Queen. Anyways, here she is from her debut 1979 LP, Sheep Farming in Bernet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN7rr1iE3Nk
Remain in Light is definitely my favorite Talking Heads album. There's something about the experience of playing together for a few years combined with Brian Eno's production that makes this record stand out as ahead of its time. Here is the second track on Side 1.
Early in his career, Houston born jazz/r&b guitarist Melvin Sparks spent time playing with Hank Ballard and Little Richard, among others. As his career grew and his chops improved, he would go on to support many jazz and blues outfits. He was also often the bandleader as he released six solo albums between 1970 and 1981. Here he is with the instrumental debut track off of his fourth album, 1973's Texas Twister. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gufaeqtW56I
Having been a member of the Hampton Grease Band, and having played with the likes of Little Feat and Frank Zappa, guitarist Glenn Phillips has had quite the musical career for someone you've likely never heard of. He's also released over a dozen solo albums. Here is an angular little number off of his second LP, 1977's Swim in the Wind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eVns5Rm8XM&feature=youtu.be
The other day, I was leafing through some records at a gentleman's house in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was selling some jazz records. As I perused the collection of mostly 1940's LPs with sleeves in rough condition, there was this bright and relatively new sleeve. It was the full length release from Wild Tchoupitoulas, a diverse group of New Orleans area musicians. The album featured support from the Neville Brothers and was produced by Allen Toussaint. So, suffice it to say, I bought the album and rushed home to hear it. And I was not disappointed! Check out this track.
