A Virtually Unknown/Rare Album that You would Recommend...
 

This would be a great way for us to share some super inputs on obscure music artists or underrated albums....

Which album in your collection would you consider obscure, unknown and underrated, yet amongst the greatest albums of all time?

For me, its "Fur and Gold" by Bat for Lashes (fronted by Pakistani singer Natasha Khan) - its the best Bjork record that Bjork never made...

The Woodentops "Giant" 1986 (maybe not that rare, but certainly got overlooked)

from AMG:

This album, the group's best, explores a wide range of variations on the band's signature manic pop style, here adding occasional marimba, trumpet, accordion, and strings to the mix. The nervous single "Get It On" is presented in an intricately redone version, an improvement over its appearance on Well Well Well. Other great jittery numbers here include the frantic "Love Train" and "Travelling Man," as well as the stun-level manic "Shout" and "Hear Me James." The midtempo numbers here are generally excellent, especially the warmly expressive "Good Thing" and the lovely, loping "Give It Time." "Last Time" is a sadly yearning number with some odd touches that nearly undermine its mood, while "So Good Today" is a breezy, accordion-dominated selection that shamelessly flirts with wimpiness and only partially escapes. "Everything Breaks" manages to combine martial drums, funk guitar touches, a ringing arrangement, and production-number aspirations into one very effective package. There are also two songs that are just plain wacky fun, the nerdy Devo-inspired number "History" and the hiccuping fiddle-flecked song "Love Affair with Everyday Living." Production values here are utterly inspired. If you like pure, bouncy pop, you'll love this release.

Might Could

Their albums are only available off their website.

It is four guitarists, all instrumental. Ignore the blurb about heavy metal below, they are very acoustic sounding and mellow. There are a few free MP3s on their page.

Thanks to this thread, and pulling up their site, I would have never known a new album was done. Can't wait to check it out.

There are a couple of Canadian albums that immediately spring to mind whenever a question like this is asked.
First, the best album I have ever heard, "Tom Cochrane and Red Rider" (1986) by Tom Cochrane. Sounds like a greatest hits album, with great song after great song and only one dud.
Then there is the arcane duo Strange Advance, who made three classic synth-pop albums in the '80s, each one of them incredible: "Worlds Away" (1983), "2wo" (1985), and "The Distance Between" (1988).
Another great obscure (I think) album is "Space Flower" by British band The Wild Swans.
Edited to add: "Hats" (1989) by Blue Nile and "Fields of Fire" (1986) by Corey Hart (don't laugh, it's excellent).

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My suggestion would be <i>Rainy Day</i>, a one-off album of covers by an ad hoc collection of LA "Paisley Underground" stars like Susannah Hoffs, David Roback, Karl Precoda, and Michael Quercio. They covered such '60s-'70s classics as "John Riley", "Flying On the Ground Is Wrong", and "I'll Be Your Mirror." It's never been released on CD as far as I know, and I treasure my vinyl copy which I've had for more than 20 years.

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If you're into post-punk at all, there's no reason this album shouldn't be part of your collection. That is, if you can find it anywhere... it's awesome.

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Haynes Boys - Guardian Angel

This 1996 album was the only one put out by the band, led by Tim Easton (kind of obscure himself, I guess) before he went solo. If you like roots rock/alt country/whatever, this is a great album, start to finish. It was even cooler when I moved to Columbus and could pick out the Ohio references (315, Franklin County, etc.).

"Bitters Past" is one of my all time favorite songs:

I remember too many drinking songs
When I broke the bottle the drink was all gone
It’s a curse or worse the wine stained letters at the bottom of your purse
That say, "I miss hanging with you"
"I miss laying with you"
I don’t want to grow old drinking
But I want to grow old drinking with you

I know too many drinking songs
When I broke the bottle the songs were all gone
I’m uphill until I crack my skull on the wagon wheel
But still I miss driving to you
I miss riding with you
I don’t want to grow old drinking
But I want to grow old drinking with you

You bring the bottle, I'll bring the glass
We'll scrape the bottom and swallow the bitters past
I don't want to grow old just drinking
I could grow old drinking with you

I remember too many drinking songs
When I broke the bottle drink songs they'd both gone
It's a curse or worse the wine stained letters at the bottom of your purse
That say, "I miss hanging with you"
"I miss laying with you"
I don't want to grow old drinking
But I want to grow old drinking with you

You bring the bottle, I'll bring the glass
We'll scrape the bottom
And swallow the bitters past
I don’t want to grow old drinking
But I want to grow old drinking with you
I don’t want to grow old always drinking
I could grow old drinking with you
Drinking with you
Drinking with you
Drinking with you
Drinking with you

There's some listed on Amazon Marketplace for really cheap. I saw a used copy at the CD Warehouse (or whatever it's called now) on Sawmill Rd. in Columbus, but that was last year before I moved. I almost bought it again, just in case I wanted to give it to somebody in the future, but I passed.

(Tim Easton's solo albums are great, too)

Scatterbrain - "Here Comes Trouble"

Black Lab - Your Body Above Me, hell, the other three are amazing too (See the Sun and Passion Leaves a Trace). Not a bad song on any of the three.

My friend used to have that shirt. Man, that brings back memories.

Just listening to that on the way into work today. Ist is a good album indeed.

Here's a few really hard to find ones:

Bongwater- "Double Bummer": sprawling double album of art-rock experimentation made by a bunch of NYC scene veterens and the actress Ann Magnuson. Weird , funny and totally unique.

Nation of Ulysses- "13 Point Plan to Destroy America": a forgotten Dischord Records punk classic that's fun and utterly explosive.

801- "Live": Brian Eno and Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera put together an insanely good band of prog/art rock viruosos and did a bunch of shows as 801 in the mid-seventies. On their one album, they start of with my favorite version of the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" ever and keep getting better. This also includes Eno deadpaning his way through "You Really Got Me". He's the anti-David Lee Roth.

If you are into power pop, The first disc by a local seattle band called Super deluxe is pretty good. They almost made it big, we're on a couple of soundtracks for movies.

Alejandro Escovedo
Thirteen Years - just a terrific studio disc, and my personal favorite
More Miles Than Money: Live 1994-1996 - live (duh) and certainly in his element

Why this guy isn't a household name is just beyond me. A powerful combo platter of alt-country and rock.

See him live for the full effect, where his Iggy cover of I Wanna Be Your Dog will melt your head. Out-fucking-standing.

Get a sample or two of Al's sound here: http://www.alejandroescovedo.com
There's a different embedded tune on each page, or check out Five Hearts Breaking from the Gravity disc:
http://www.alejandroescovedo.com/music/fivehearts.mp3

16 and Savaged by Silverhead. Released 1973. Bandmembers include Michael Des Barres on vocals and Robbie Blunt on guitar. Blunt later became a co-songwriter and guitarist on the early Robert Plant solo albums.
A friend in high school bought the 8-track because the girl on the cover looked like his ex-girlfriend. We would listen to it over and over driving around in his car. Probably not one of the greatest albums ever, but this baby rocks and one of the best albums nobody's heard of.

Robert Pollard/Doug Gillard - Speak Kindly of your Volunteer Fire Department


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Saw this guy on Austin City Limits (I think?) a couple months ago, and I was like "whoa, never heard of him, and he's awesome!"


My choice is not all that obscure, but it's Big Country's second album, Steeltown. With the subject matter, double guitars, and Steve Lillywhite's wall-of-sound production, it's like David Lean's Dr. Zhivago or some other widescreen epic. I always get annoyed when these guys are referred to as "one-hit wonders", when their first couple of albums, at least, were complete masterpieces. The drummer and bass player were (are) a world class rhythm section, who did a lot of studio work, and also toured as Pete Townshend's band in the 80's. And their double guitar sound was just awesome, IMO---acoustics, electrics, clean and distorted, heavy reverb, chorus, delays, tremolos, and the trademark e-bow--all utilized with great taste and a postpunk disdain for excessive soloing. Also great lyrics and songs from Stuart Adamson, RIP :(

And great live--here's the title track from a later concert:

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Really? It was a pretty popular college radio album at the time. I have it on vinyl and CD. :)

Anyone ever hear of Thermadore? As far as I know, they only made one album and its pretty damn good.

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Replicants - s/t

Replicants was a side project of Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards of Failure; Paul D'Amour, formerly of Tool, and Chris Pitman. The band recorded one album, comprised entirely of covers of musicians such as The Cars, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Steely Dan and Pink Floyd, among others. The album is known for pitting John Lennon's bitter slam against Paul McCartney, "How Do You Sleep?", against McCartney's more lighthearted "Silly Love Songs" within three tracks of each other.

Also, Failure's Fantastic Planet album is one of my desert island discs.

Masters of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus - Awesome early 90s power trio...a throwback to classic rock that didn't sound dated (and still doesn't). Plus, somehow two young American kids managed to convince Ginger fucking Baker to be their drummer. There is absolutely no excuse for "She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)" not to be a classic rock radio staple. Amazing album.

The Actual Tigers - Gravelled & Green - 2001 album that sounds like Paul Simon's Graceland mixed with a stripped down Dave Matthews Band. Yeah, I know, it doesn't sound very appealing, but it's really quite awesome.

Jack Drag - Dope Box - Late 90s alternative/indie act. Don't know how to describe 'em but they're great.

I'm sure it was on some college stations, but I'd bet many people have never heard of it.

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I know they were huge in the UK, but never made a dent across the pond. In my top 5 of all time.

Both of these are trippy, psychedelic, and really great to chill out and listen to when working, exercising, or going to sleep:

Phutureprimitive - Sub Conscious

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Myspace
Amazon

and

Younger Brother - A Flock of Beeps

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Metallica - ...And Justice for All
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Beatles - Beatles
Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction

come on...i had to be that guy

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Mary's Danish - Circa
An L.A. alt. rock band that should've been huge in 1991 when it was released. Instead, the world embraced the grunge Seattle scene. Great and varied alt. rock filled with irony and a dash of humor.

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Sarah Fimm - Nexus
For those who thought Sarah McLachlan got stale after Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, give this great album at spin.

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Snakefarm - Songs From My Funeral
Trip-hop folk. Imagine if someone like Portishead did covers of well-known folk standards like Black Girl (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?), All the Pretty Horses and House of the Rising Sun. That's this album.

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Vanessa Daou - Make You Love
This album oozes sex. Smooth pop/jazz/dance. Her best album ever, better than Zipless, her debut, which got her the most press, then the world sadly ignored her. Includes a beautiful and haunting cover of Jane's Addiction's "I Would For You".

Great call, probably my favorite Jam album. I tend to hold Jam albums up as the model for almost perfect rock production values. You can always hear every instrument SO clearly, and at the perfect volume, but there's no overproduction---very lean. I also loved that Weller was such a diverse writer that he could write a song about ANYTHING, angry punkish social/political commentary, tender, poignant romantic ballads, slice-of-life rockers--he just had few boundaries as a writer, IMO. And, although he asked a lot of profound questions, unlike a lot of his punk contemporaries he didn't usually supply you with simple answers.

I'll throw in one more---Wall of Voodoo's Call of the West. Yes, it spawned the hit Mexican Radio, but the whole album was really awesome and creative. WOV started off as a group to do soundtracks for low budget horror movies, and they kept the weird synths and some synth drums, minor key tunes and odd percussion. But what set them apart was singer Stan Ridgway's folkish Americana-noir storytelling lyrics. He was kind of like a deranged Bruce Springsteen who had watched too many Sergio Leone movies, film noirs, and Outer Limits episodes:

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Lots of excellent recommendations here. I'll add one as well that I picked up for $2 at a used CD store:

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"Pat Fish/The Jazz Butcher is one of the most brilliant incisive pop writers that Britain has produced since the glory days of Ray Davies and Pete Townsend. Criminally overlooked by a media obsessed by the next big thing instead of what is actually good. A truly great songwriter, surely due promotion to the premiership this time"
Alan McGee founder, Creation Records

Interesting thread; I would second many of these recommendations. Here are my own:

Liquor Giants
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Liquor Giants (Matador) 1996
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Every Other Day at a Time (Matador) 1998
Two great back-to-back albums by this band formed by Ward Dotson from the ashes of the Pontiac Brothers. They pack songs with throwaway hooks that other bands would build careers on. RIYL: Big Star, the Move, or the Stones.

Pugs
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Pugs (God Mountain) 1993
No Wave pop from Japan, fronted by gorgeous Debbie Harry wannabe Honey K. Sort of like Blondie meets the Geraldine Fibbers. They eventually signed to a major Japanese label, then an American indie, tried to become the new Boredoms and failed miserably. Their debut album is still untouchable, though. RIYL: Romeo Void or X-Ray Spex.

Love 666
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American Revolution (Amphetamine Reptile) 1995
What if every member of Slider-era T. Rex were 20 feet tall, amps powered by industrial turbines, and they had enough THC in their systems to stun a buffalo? What would you call that? - Stoner Glam? OK, that's what this is. RIYL: the MC5 or playing Blue Cheer at half speed.

I have that album...somewhere. "Three Days" is one helluva a catchy tune.

Weren't a couple of the bandmembers in Mary's Danish -- another L.A. area band that released 2-3 albums?

I just mentioned them, before getting to the second page. Heh.

Great band. I liked Circa. Don't have their other album.

I wouldn't say this album is obscure, more under the "overlooked" category, but Davi'd Garza's This Euphoria is an awesome album. It made me want to get everything he's ever done.

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Best Buy's "New Music" touted him as new artist to watch (even in commercials), but it didn't do anything to boost his sales. The album, however, is euphoric.

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Rosie Thomas - If Songs Could be Held

Two of the songs on this CD have gotten some play on TV (Brother's & Sisters last season and the Heroes season 2 promo) , but the whole album is pretty good.

If you like Sarah McLaughlin (sp), or maybe the piano songs from Tori Amos, then you'd probably like this. Her speaking voice is very high and squeeky, but her singing voice (to me) has a smooth, almost haunting sound to it.

Powderfinger - Odessey # 5

Huge in Austrailia, unknown here.

Yukihiro Takahashi - Neuromantic.

A largely unknown, early '80s synth-based New Wave music classic.

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Even more obscure (unavailable on CD), is Concrete Scheme by Modern Man.

Modern Man were a New Wave/Post-Punk band produced by Midge Ure. The core of the band were members Colin King and Danny Mitchell, who later became the group Messengers (who sang backup for Ultravox on two tours, and released several great synth-pop singles). "Concrete Scheme" was their only album.

This is one of my favorite albums. I usually spin it at least once or twice a month.

I would say either <b>Poster Children</b>'s <i>Junior Citizen</i> or <b>The Slackers</b>' <i>Redlight</i>...
-ringding-

If you like that, you'll surely like Strange Advance, which I mentioned further up. Sounds very similar in style. I recommend the anthology album "Worlds Away and Back" as a starting point, if you're interested. Nothing but great tunes from these guys.

Quiet Company - Shine Honesty