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...
Gary Walker, who had spent time drumming for the Standells and the Walker Brothers, formed his own band in 1967. By 1968, Gary Walker & The Rain had recorded and released a highly underrated album, boringly titled Album No.1. Here is a beat/psych track from that LP that is worth your time. Check it out.
Ed Hall, a band not a person, was a punk/hardcore/psych/noise rock outfit from Austin, Texas that put out six LPs between 1988 and 1996. Here they are with a track off of their 4th album, 1993's Motherscratcher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pbgJdqeY4&feature=youtu.be
About a month ago, I heard the sad news that former English Beat and General Public lead singer Ranking Roger had died of cancer. While I was never a huge fan of the English Beat(aka The Beat), they did have some ska-based songs that bring me right back to the turn of the 80's. Today's track, while pretty popular, is one of those songs. Here they are with their unique version of the Smokey Robinson classic.
The Incredible Bongo Band was a studio created outfit of various musicians brought together in the early 70's by record executive Michael Viner to create soundtrack music for movies. While music was created to support the big screen, time was used to make some other recordings, hence the release of a couple of albums with this material. Here is an instrumental track off of their first release.
Several weeks back, Rock n' Roll lost another legend, Dick Dale. Dick was arguably the king of surf guitar. It's funny because he was actually from the Boston area. Still, Dick moved out West and made a legend of himself and his unique sound. Here he is from his 1962 long player, Surfer's Choice, where he slows it down a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lesNGkateWg
And now for a late-to-subgenre Welsh NWOBHM band that managed to put out an EP in 1985, but could get nothing else released prior to the band's dissolution in 1985. They did manage to reform in 2016 and are still playing some gigs today. Here they are with their most recognizable track.
Firmly in the Joy Division camp of post punk stylings, Oxford, England's Play Dead produced some high quality music in the 80's, churning out 3 studio albums, 3 live albums and a number of singles. Here they are from one of those early 45's.
I've never been a big Madonna fan. However, growing up in the 80's, it was not really possible to avoid her music. I must have inadvertently heard one of her songs every day from 1984 to 1990. That said, I found a few of her songs to be interesting over the years(Burning Up, Justify My Love, Ray of Light). Recently, though, I stumbled onto this early early Madonna track that is much more post-punk in its sound. Check it out.
Michael Bruce, rhythm guitarist for the Alice Cooper band, must that seen the writing on the wall when lead singer Vincent Furnier started to personally adopt the identity of the band name. As such, he started working on a solo album that would ultimately get released in 1975. Shortly thereafter, he and other band members would split from Alice Cooper to form their own band, Billion Dollar Babies. In any case, here is Michael with a glam centric track from his solo debut, In My Own Way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_5fe3RjQo&feature=youtu.be
Alright, it took me almost 1600 daily posts, but I'm finally getting around to Led Zeppelin. Nineteen year old me would be shocked, as I was madly in love with the band at that point in my life. They seemed to be the link between older blues/early rock n roll and hard rock/heavy metal. As I got older, though, my interest in the band's music would wane. This was due to their music being overplayed on rock radio and the fact that they repeatedly borrowed other musician's work without proper accreditation.
Still, when they were good, they were great. I thought of featuring a track from Physical Graffiti, my favorite of their studio albums(perhaps Custard Pie or Sick Again), but ultimately decided to feature what I loved most about the band, their early live energy. Jimmy Page truly sounds gacked out for this January 7th, 1970 gig at the Royal Albert Hall covering the Little Richard classic. The link below actually includes film of the unedited performance(which has some soundboard issues). Enjoy.
Puss n Boots was created in 2008 as a casual musical vehicle whereby its members could learn to play instruments they weren't accustomed to in a friendly, no pressure environment. For Norah Jones, this meant taking on lead guitar. For the most part, they were covering songs they loved. Over time, they started to develop a nice repertoire. By 2014, they recorded an album, No Fools, No Fun, to capture the feel of their live experience. Here they are covering the Neil Young classic.
Just stumbled across some late 90's progressive rock in my digital archives. Gordian Knot in a band of rotating musicians centered around bass guitarist Sean Malone. Here they are from their self-titled debut LP that has a lot of metal influences.
"Something Must Change" is the approximate translation of "Algo Ha Cambiado". At least that is my thirty year plus old high school Spanish class acquired knowledge is suggesting. In any case, this is the opening salvo to Pappo's Blues self-titled debut release. This Argentinian psych/blues hard rock band really played with an energy, especially at lead guitar. They would go on to release a number of albums in the 70's, but as usual I am drawn to the early ones.
Featuring future members of the Arrows, this short-lived glam rock band sure had a few great singles. Here they are from the B side of their final record.
Frantic, aka The Frantic, aka The Frantics, were a Billings, Montana based rock/psych outfit in the late 60's/early 70's. They managed to release one LP, 1970's Conception. Here they are with a short, harmonica infused rock song from that album.
Hammer and the Nails are a Boston-based Oi punk rock band that have been making the rounds for the last fifteen years or so. Here they are off of their first official EP back in 2010.
Most commonly known as Wilson Pickett's backup band, this funky Virginia band also had a few releases of their own over the years. Here they are from their 1974 LP, Follow The Wind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RzB_a3PLfU
Last year, I had the good fortune to see Australian psych rockers, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard live in Boston. Since I'd never heard of the opening band, I decided to come later, just as King Gizzard was starting their high powered set. That meant that I missed the opening band, fellow Aussie garage rockers, Amyl and the Sniffers. I had heard that they were good, and sure enough, I recently heard their full length release and it is confirmed. Here is a track off the album.
If you like today's early 80's funky Indian disco, you'll need about $650 of disposable income to afford a copy of the original vinyl lp. Fortunately, though, Chicago-based label Numero Group, is reissuing this classic for a much more reasonable price of about $20.
Leyton Buzzards were a London-based punk band that would eventually morph into a British pop group, Modern Romance, in the 80's. Here they are in more musical satisfying times(even if it sounds like they may be borrowing a bit from Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown).
Back in 2001, Auckland's The D4 strangely managed to get some airplay over here in the eastern United States. I immediately loved their sound, went out and bought the CD. I then promptly forgot about the band. Apparently, they released a follow up album in 2005, which I've never heard. Maybe I'll check it out. For now, I'll listen to their big "hit".
The Monochrome Set were a post punk band from England that just had a great sound. I'm surprised I hadn't gotten around to featuring them here before. Here they are from their second release, Strange Boutique, sounding a little bit like Love Tractor(or did Love Tractor sound like them?).
Aeroblus, a short-lived hard rock Argentinian band, sounds like a cross between ZZ Top and Black Sabbath. Here they are from their only release back in 1977 showing more of their ZZ Top side.
A few days ago, I was listening to my iPod on the long ride from Boston to NYC and Alan Hull's Breakfast came on. That song has been featured in this space in 2016, but I hadn't really appreciated the lyrics so much. Hull was a great songwriter. So, once I got home from my trip, I downloaded some songs from Hull's main band, the Celtic rock outfit, Lindisfarne. Here is a track off of the band's second album, Fog On The Tyne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1qFUIcSF9g
The Tragically Hip were one of Canada's rock n' roll jewels of the 80's/90's and beyond that didn't have much success elsewhere. They were a solidly good band that kept it together through their 2016 tour of Canada. By this time, lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, so the band knew it would be their last time around. Downie would die in October of the following year. Here they are from their sophomore release, Up to Here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw2krdBz7IA
Oh, to have been in Lagos in 1986, what a time to be alive, or so I would imagine. I've been listening to a lot of 80's Nigerian funk/disco lately, and there is some good stuff. So much better than the European/North American disco of a few years prior. Here is a single released by Hotline.
Inbetween the wonderful raw rock/proto punk days of the New York Dolls and the garish 80's Buster Poindexter lounge act persona, there was a short and interesting solo career for David Johansen. Here he is off of his self-titled debut LP with an aptly titled funky track.
