Comrades in Arms
Whether they know it or not, these artists inspire us to keep doing what we do by simply doing what they do. We have chosen to ignore the more famous ones who have already had their 15 minutes of fame and instead focus on the ones who, in a fair and just world, would be respected for the brilliant artists they are (or were.) You owe it to yourself to clear your mind and just listen.
All Links go to the best official or unofficial websites we could find, which is sometimes tough to do with obscure artists.
Simply put, there is no band as talented as this collective group of musicians in the history of popular music, be it jazz, rock, or blues. Led by guitar guru Robert Fripp, this collective continues to push the boundaries of music like no one else has, always sounding like the past, present and future have blended together. The individual musicians (Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford...) have all forged brilliant careers worthy of notice themselves, but we group them here as a starting point to what is truly a new language waiting for you to learn. You'll spend the rest of your life exploring the worlds they've forged.
In the world of hip hop there are many talented souls, but on top of the heap stands Aceyalone, the greatest MC on Earth. His rhymes flow like melted chocolate and his lyrics manage to be intelligent and musically perfect at the same time. He's made freestyling into an art form no one can match, though many have tried. A great artist who has influenced many yet will probably never achieve their level of fame, as is wont to happen to the best of them. Catch him live if you can!
Yeah, U2 isn't bad, but no band burned in the cold corporate musical climate of the 80's with as much passion as The Call. Led by Michael Been, they pushed through the 80's with little commercial success despite being hailed as the "future of rock and roll" by Peter Gabriel or having high-profile fans like Martin Scorcese claim their greatness. Been's lyrics pierce right through the bullshit of human self-deception and force you to confront your own shortcomings, all in an equally stripped down rock n' roll style. All their albums are solid and worth tracking down.
Though each of these artists have their own equally impressive individual careers, they get lumped together often due to their marriage. T Bone began as a member of Bob Dylan's 70's band but by the early 80's was releasing his own masterful folksy albums, years before Americana was even a musical term. Often criticized for being "too moralistic", Burnett's songs are beautifully crafted with a lyrical twinge of dissatisfaction in our own shallow selves. His albums are few but are all worth ten times their price, though you'll rarely find them in stores. Between albums he has produced many top musicians and bands, including Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison, The Wallflowers, The Counting Crows, Los Lobos, and Bruce Cockburn. He is also the genius behind the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? combining old and new American classics to create a mythical tapestry of music for the film.
Sam Phillips has had a strange career. It began as an 80's Christian pop star, a la Amy Grant, where she cranked
out a few wafer-thin albums of little merit. Christians loved her and she was on track for a very successful career
in this vein until the late 80's, when she released her first masterpiece, The Turning, produced by
soon-to-be-husband T Bone Burnett. Contemporary Christian Music is anything but introspective and honest, yet this
was exactly that- an album full of fears, doubts, and true passion. Leslie left her Christian safe haven, changed
her first name to Sam and started releasing critically-acclaimed album after album on major labels as she continued
her collaboration with Burnett. The 90's brought us several watered-down Sam Phillips clones (hello, Alanis Morisette!)
with their mid-range grungy vocals et al, but no one matches the catchy melodies or insightful songwriting of Ms.
Phillips herself.
The most innovative band to emerge in the 1990's is this one, who bends the line between melodic pop and avant-garde brilliance like no one has before. Their music manages to be incredibly twisted and dissonant yet sugary sweet and catchy at the same time, something that just isn't supposed to happen! Words fold over to fit their offbeat frames- nothing sounds like it should work and yet you won't get the tunes out of your head. On top of that, they have managed to play genuine hardcore punk, pop, ambient, and glam rock all in a very brief career. How? Listen and find out.
Forget U2- the greatest rock band to ever emerge from that British Isle is A House, a powerful Irish band full of humorously bitter lyrics and catchy folk-rock melodies that can't be touched. Another band that flirted with success without ever grasping it, A House released their fifth and final album in 1997 after a frustrating career of unexposure. We miss them dearly.
You've heard his music, oh yes. If you've ever seen a loony tunes cartoon you know his music- playful jazz that bebops while Sylvester gets pummeled. Scott was much more than a jazz musician, though- he was an innovator of the first degree, first with complex instrumental arrangements performed live in a time before multitrack recording and studio wizardry and later by building (and playing) electronic instruments years before such a thing ever became popular. His legacy can be heard in many places, from commercial tv to Soul Coughing sampling, yet credit is rarely given to this genius of composition.
The 90's brought us a lot of recycled ideas, including white funk and poppy punk, but the band that does it best is Self, overflowing with catchy, catchy songs. Self is basically a one-man operation; Matt Mahaffey is the mind behind the music, dispensing pop tunes like cans of soda. Even his throwaway b-sides are irresistible, so where's the radio airplay he deserves? Ah, such is the world we live in- you'll find his debut masterpiece in used cd stores for $1.99 - a better bargain can't be found.
The most under appreciated band in the history of rock music is easily this one, and it's easy to see why. Led by the brilliant Terry Taylor, Daniel Amos began in the mid 70's as a Christian country western band. After a couple of albums in this vein, they reinvented themselves first as an ELO-ish rock band and then quickly as a quirky new wave minimalist outfit. On top of that, their lyrics became cynical and critical of the world they knew, that of Modern Christianity. The result was a band with almost no fans, since the mainstream was too close-minded to consider a "Christian" band as worthwhile and Christians weren't about to allow their fragile bubble worlds shatter with the harsh reality of their empty lives. Somehow Daniel Amos made it through into the 90's, always growing musically and expanding stylistically into an incredibly tight and solid band, even if their name did mutate first into DA and later as "The Swirling Eddies" as artistic frustration set in. Their music continues to be intelligent and challenging, led by the incredibly prolific Terry Taylor who STILL hasn't lost his songwriting skills after almost 3 decades worth of work. A testament to what can be done when you have something to say, even if it seems no one wants to listen.
While the world mourned the 10th anniversary of Lennon's death, few noticed the passing of another musical great, that of Kirsty MacColl who died much too young while swimming in Mexico. Married to big-time producer Steve Lilywhite and a frequent collaborator with musical greats the Pogues, Kirsty released several gorgeous solo albums ranging from folk to cuban music, though all of them with her trademark sardonic wit. Why fate couldn't have taken Britney Spears instead, no one can say, but at least Kirsty lives on in her music.
Oh so smooth! These guys mix classic Brazilian funk with American pop in a delightfully unique blend of odd rhythms and clever wordplay you won't hear anywhere else. Just when they sound funky they break into noisy grunge, and then back to a simple pop diddy that floats away. You can tell these guys are just letting their imaginations roam free and the result is music that takes you by surprise. A David Byrne discovery with 3 albums to boot, Geggy Tah is a refreshing voice in that otherwise dull world of modern music.
A Chuck D with a much sharper edge, Michael Franti is the Gil Scot-Heron of our generation, rapping with ferocity as he tackles on more than just wanting booty and cash. His first attempt, The Beatnigs, lacked focus (both musically and lyrically) but his next incarnation as The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was right on target, hitting the social bullseye with his words while the music pushed rap into noisy directions. Incarnation #3 is Spearhead, his most successful outfit to date, a funkier and soulful group which unfortunately seems to be heading away from the commentary and towards the party, but is still far above most groups' musical and lyrical quality.
The spirit of Cream lives on in this band that has somehow managed to take the most overdone rock and roll pillar, the blues, and make it sound fresh yet again. The Masters can jam with the best of them and never sound stale or repetitive thanks to some great songwriting from leader Chris Goss. For their second album they somehow managed to snag the great Ginger Baker, and the result is one of the greatest blues albums ever made, bar none. They are now selling their albums exclusively on line so go support the best blues band around!
No band has garnered as much praise from its peers as King's X, a band hailed as the best around from many musicians as diverse as Gene Simmons, Robert Palmer, and Pearl Jam. It's easy to hear why- there is no greater trio out there, and their style blends the beatles, heavy metal and progressive rock into one very unique package, with heartfelt lyrics to boot. Thanks to an unsupportive record label, they released album after album of masterpieces as they waited for their "big break" to no avail. Nowadays they seem content to stay in their little corner as they offer us album after album of growth and innovation, always building on what has come before yet with a new twist again and again. Their uncommercial sound will probably keep them from fame, but anyone with an understanding of the language of music cannot deny their amazing songwriting.
This guy is a madman on guitar, experimenting as if Adrian Belew was possessed by the spirit of Jimi Hendrix. Noisy and brilliant, he splatters notes around clever melodies in everything he does, which includes being David Bowie's #1 musical collaborator since the late 80's. His style dictates the feel of the late great Tin Machine, a band he formed with Bowie which produced 2 amazing studio albums. He's worked with the Bentmen, Frank Black, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, the Rolling Stones... but his greatest achievement is his first solo album, The Sacred Squall of Now, which just shines from beginning to end.
Bjork fans can worship their diva all they want but nothing she's done compares to the output of this great 80's band from Iceland. Bjork's solo work suffers from a lack of solid music behind her wailing vocals, and that's exactly what the Sugarcubes provided- a quirky and funky backdrop of pop perfection which gave Bjork a base for her voice to spring from into crazy areas. This was a perfect band- the rhythm section provided a funky and solid pulse, the keyboards added atmosphere and fun drama exactly when needed, and male vocalist Einar Benediktsson was the perfect complement to Bjork's crazy outings. Without these other components, Bjork's work is little more than sometimes-interesting vocal fluff with an occasionally catchy number, yet the Sugarcubes remain a mostly-ignored novelty rather than the great Europop band they will always be.
One look at this man's discography and you won't believe he exists- he has literally made, produced or played on hundreds of albums in every genre imaginable while working with the greatest musicians of our time... and he's not that old! His greatest achievement to date remains his supergroup Praxis, featuring Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Buckethead and Brain- all great musicians themselves- a band that will go from speed metal to 70's funk in the blink of an eye like a bipolar schizophrenic on acid. It has to be heard to be believed. Laswell dabbles in all areas of music including ambient / dub work which will test your patience and force you to pay attention (check out his album WEB.) It's not always easy, but it's definitely food for the mind.
Mexican rock music has, for the most part, ranged from bad copies of American bands to decent copies of American bands... but Cafe Tacuba bypasses the issue with their own originality, making their mark not as a good Mexican group but as a great group, period. Their unique blend of latin music with hardcore punk and everything in between will blow you away and get you grooving. Apart from their own material, they've released an entire album of cover songs (Avalancha de Exitos) so different than the originals it stands as a great original work redefining the concept. And if that's not enough, David Byrne's a huge fan! So are we so check them out.
"The other Brian Eno" as we think of him, Bill Nelson's career is uncannily similar- he began as the guitarist for a glam rock band (Be Bop DeLuxe) and has since crafted his own universe of music ranging from electronic pop to ambience galore. His discography is huge since he cranks out album after album like a mad scientist in a musical lab. Playing all the instruments himself, Nelson continues to manufacture his sound into this new millennium. Enjoy!
The greatest musical family is not the Partridge's but Danielson, the brother-sister outfit from New Jersey cranking out a twisted alterna-folk-rock muse complete with Frank Black-like screeching and toy pianos. Pre-pubescent voices combine with those of big brother Daniel (the main creative force) in a quirky and raw delivery. Their albums are great and their live performances even greater as we watch the siblings dress like doctors and nurses, moving and playing in sync to their own masterful blend. They're way too weird for the mainstream, but their music's a dream.
If I was a girl, I would be in love with this hopeless romantic who sings whimsical songs in a trademark nasally voice about the simplest things. Richman sees the world through rose-colored glasses, and he's kind enough to give us a peek. His songs are so different than the typical angst-ridden whining of most rock bands, and his melodies are shamelessly cute and pretty! The result is truly alternative music, whether it's with his old band the Modern Lovers or any of the solo work he's made. Perhaps you've already seen him as the guitar-playing troubadour in Something About Mary, but you owe it to yourself to listen to his albums.
We cannot end without paying tribute to the fire of Jello Biafra and company as they tear a new asshole out of corporate America. The ultimate medicine to the Reagan years, the Dead Kennedys invented hardcore surf punk type music packed with more sobering truth and conviction than a barrel full of revivalist preachers. Sure you've heard of them, but have you heard them? Thank God someone kept the torch burning for a decade... now it's our turn.
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