Lesser know band that you love

[hikarateboy]

A year or two back, maybe 3, DaveL started a thread about bands that you loved that never made it or people just never knew about. Some of the examples were Off Broadway and The Shoes (Hamer content now satisfied so no longer required for replies )

I remember saving the page so I could go back and explore some more of the bands but I lost the page. I'm hoping we can recreate it so I can raid the stash for good new/old stuff to listen to. Any type of music is fair game.

This is right down Pam's alley.

[Ethan]

That's easy...Laurelei. http://www.myspace.com/laurelei Members are now in Hopesfall and local band One Amazin Kid. Laurelei is something of a legend around here in the Charlotte hardcore scene.

[MCChris]

Taxxi--Early MTV band. Kinda power pop. Their "States of Emergency" album is great. .38 Special's Danny Chauncey and "Americal Idol" judge Randy Jackson played on it.

New American Shame--Second coming of Bon Scott-era AC/DC. Their self-titled release is this generation's "Highway to Hell." 10 kickass rockers, not a dog in the bunch.

[hardheartedbill]

[edgar_allan_poe]

Michael Stanley Band, & Donnie Iris

MSB is from Cleveland I believe...cool tunes.

Donnie is a local Pittsburgh guy who had some national success in the 70s and 80s. He still performs in Pittsburgh and still kicks ass.

[MCChris]

Michael Stanley Band, & Donnie Iris

MSB is from Cleveland I believe...cool tunes.

Donnie is a local Pittsburgh guy who had some national success in the 70s and 80s. He still performs in Pittsburgh and still kicks ass.

Great ones Poe! "Ah...Leah!" is one of my favorite songs ever.

[Jack C]

drivin n cryin is one of my all-time favorite bands. They never really made it.

Gruntruck was a good heavy band out Seattle that never went anywhere.

[edgar_allan_poe]

Great ones Poe! "Ah...Leah!" is one of my favorite songs ever.

Donnie can scream with the best of them. I used to own the Gibson V that was used on a few of Donnies albums. His guitar player was *very* underrated. I also went to College with Donnies daughter Erin.

Edited to add that a lot of people don't realize that Donnie was the singer for the Jaggers(50s-60s?)...thats him singing "The Rapper"

Rap....oh rap rap rap...they call him the rapper.

Rap rap rap..you know what he's after.

LOL!!!

[hikarateboy]

Poe, That is a great example of some stuff I bought because of the last thread! Bought all the Donnie Iris records I could on vinyl for like 10 total and loved almost all of it.

What was the Micheal Stanley Band stuff to get?

I'm liking my ability to access these other bands mentioned being that came up with the web mean Instant access to see what you think. I love the internet, maybe too much.

Speaking of Shoes I cant find anything on them that tells me much and never see a record in the used shops

[mattb]

I caught a band this weekend called "Brand New London Blues" HOLY CRAP! They were amazing. I can't stop listening to their CD. I have been trying to find a Website for them, but I guess they don't have one. They play locally here in CT alot I guess. If you ever have the chance......Check em out.

-MattB

[SouthernShred]

Neither one of these exist any more I don't think, but Disneyland After Dark and The Red Devils...

[silentman]

dada

Enchant

Spock's Beard

Transatlantic

[serial]

A band out of the Philly area really made me take notice. They opened up for Cheap Trick in '98 for the first night of the first three LP shows. They were originally called "Dragstrip Courage" (at the time of that show), but had to change b/c of a New England band that had the brother of Big Head Todd or somebody in it. The PA band was much better IMHO. The band centered around Jason Karaban (guitar/vocals) and later became Grand. Grand's album was awarded an ASCAP album of the month when it was released and then they promptly disappeared. Great stuff. Jason moved out to LA last year and is doing stuff out there.

For older stuff, Dillon Fence outta NC always had some cool stuff.

Even further back, I've always been a huge Crack the Sky fan. Up through 1980 or so, they rocked.

Iris' "Love is Like a Rock" was one of the few cool poppy guitar tunes (along with Ah Leah) from the early 80s radio, which pretty much sucked.

Edited to add that Dada has some great stuff.

Stuff I've run into recently includes the Damnwells (they were much better live than on record), Superdrag and Ash.

[jujisque]

Check out a band called "Pain". Go to http://www.thepainpage.com to find out more. They're based out of Alabama.

Here's their description of themselves:

PAIN (pãn) n.

1. A musical group comprised of six dumb males, one voluptuous female, and a drummer. Lots of horns and lots of good times. A healthy new dose on the old school punk tip with fresh new grooves to widen your smile.

2. Plenty of nice melodies, wrapped around lyrics about kooky kids, lovely girls and people we hate. The guitar is mean, the bass is lean, and the lead vocals are easily understandable. Pain: its music with a wang to it.

[serial]

Of course, after spouting all over the place about two weeks ago, I didn't drop the Shazam. They are pretty much my fave band at the moment. Check out Fuzzbubble too if you like power pop (thank to Pammy on both of those!).

[BruceM]

Speaking of Shoes I cant find anything on them that tells me much and never see a record in the used shops

I've got a Shoes "best of" cd, Ted. I'll burn you a copy...

[Turdus]

Love Nut: Their second CD "Baltimucho" was scheduled for release on Interscope, but apparently the deal fell through. Eventually released on an Indie. Brilliant Power Pop. Andy Bopp went on to form Myracle Brah. They've got some killer stuff too, but in my opinion there is a bit more filler.

[Jack C]

Anyone know anything about "Supagroup"?

Someone (I think Turdus) posted an MP3 from them a couple years ago and I still have it saved on my computer. Great tune. Just wondering if anyone bought the album.

[DaveL]

Great idea bringing this back Ted!

Here's my faves...

UFO and Thin Lizzy should have been household

names in america, why they weren't I don't know...

D Generation: 90's NY band, dolls/deadboys meets

hard rock, very well done, 2nd album produced by Ric

Ocasek which I loved...

Circus of Power: another excellent 90's NY band their first

albums completely ROCKS...

Sloppy Seconds: a really good punk pop band from

Indiana. Their "Destroyed" album is one of my fave albums

ever.

Kix: I always thought Kix should have been huge but they

always confused the hell out of me. Their first album

was a killer fun rock and roll album and then did cool kids,

which was kind of new wave-ish... and the next album

sounded like ratt and then the next one sounded like motley

crue, yet at the same time, they always had this AC-DC

obsession... still a kickass live band...

[Nuclear Wessel]

Great topic, and there's lots of great music out there that you won't hear on hit radio!

My faves:

Ozric Tentacles

Cocteau Twins

The Innocence Mission

and from way back, Starcastle.

[saxmanjack]

My vote for best guitar-less band would go to Weather Report, especially their "Heavy Weather" from the late '70's. You bass players would find it interesting...

[Turdus]

Anyone know anything about "Supagroup"?

Someone (I think Turdus) posted an MP3 from them a couple years ago and I still have it saved on my computer.  Great tune.  Just wondering if anyone bought the album.

LOL.. yep, that was me.... the former Turdus. I saw the CD in Tower one day, but did not pick it up.

Going to have to add Bad Religion to the list. They've got a boatload of records out. And I've said it before, nobody writes better lyrics than Greg Graffin. Pick up "Stranger Than Fiction", if you're into intelligent hard punk.

Edited to add: BR is classified as punk, but to me, they are just rock & roll.

[Brooks]

yeah, ozric tentacles has some cool stuff.

other cool instrumental stuff under the radar:

will bernard

tj kirk

dave fuiczynski

cool hard rawk stuff under the radar:

riot

mindfunk

burden brothers

[elduave]

Nina Gordon

Expanding Man

Odds

The Yayhoos

Mother May I

Loveless

[Nuclear Wessel]

Anybody heard of, or remember the Fents?

They released one album that I know of, "The Other Side" on Passport Jazz (now out of business) in '87. Great fusion album. Instead of sounding like jazz musicians trying to rock, these guys were definitely rock musicians with jazz accent.

Their guitarist Ted Hall is great. I learned a whole bunch of licks from that album, many of which I still use, and as often happens with guitarists who've been playing a long time, those licks have evolved and from those seeds, whole new crops of musical ideas have grown. The guy was a great inspiration to say the least.