Inevitably, while searching for new things, one is bound to come across oddities. I don't mean that one encounters music that one doesn't like, that's easily let go of. What I mean is, what are some bands/albums/songs you've come across that you think are actually pretty good, but maybe don't really fit with the rest of your record collection (or whatever you've got) for whatever reason?
I've got a whole pile, but I'll share a select few.
I'll begin with Strange Bargain which seems like it's only half-serious, as far as bands go. I think they're pretty ok, but nothing special. I was actually surprised to find they had a presence on the internet.
Years ago, a friend gave me Atom & His Package's second album, A Society of People Named Elihu which I found oddly catchy. The guy's voice shouldn't work, but it does. And his lyrics are strangely good. Me and my black metal friends and Philadelphia are solid examples.
Lastly, a now defunct jam band called Percy Hill that had a pretty good sized following . . . at the turn of the century (fuck, I feel old). I can't find the album I had online, other than at Amazon in mp3 format (boo) or CD. The used CD goes for a reasonable price though who knows about the condition until it's in hand, but a new copy seems to be going for $53, so fuck that. Anyway, the lyrics from this band were generally pretty interesting. 313.
For physical media, some of my favorites are: Annette Peacock - I'm The One This lady was signed on with RCA in the 70's. David Bowie cited her spaced out synth aesthetic as an influence for Ziggy Stardust. She was also one of the first to use a Moog on stage, though she was singing through a modulating filter rather than using it as a generator. The CD I have was signed by her, but the reissue wasn't mobbed -- in fact I was a month late and I still got copy #107 of 150-- so you can probably still find signed copies floating around. Conehead Buddha - The Man With The Hat Really solid ska outfit. The Man With The Hat is live and really well rehearsed, with more-complex-than-your-average-ska-band harmonies, rapping, and a tight a capella climax near the end. They never got too popular, but they're worth listening to if you're into that kinda thing. Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene Electronic music from 1976. Jean-Michel Jarre helped further popularise electronic music, making more poppy and danceable music later in his career. His early works are dominated by progressive, textural electronic compositions like Oxygene, though. It's all done with tapes up until his album Zoolook, which is the first ever entirely digitally produced album, taking advantage of sampling by using snippets of languages from around the world. plus, it's catchy as hell- I definitely recommend Zoolook. Isao Tomita - The Snowflakes Are Dancing More 70's electronic music, this time electronic covers of Claude Debussy. Tomita does it beautifully, too. He uses formant synthesis for vowel synths that sound alive, and really captures the direction and emotion of the music. If there were ever a synthesis virtuoso, it's this guy. La PPish - Paya Paya I found this CD at a thrift store. Couldn't read it, but listening to it revealed some japanese ska. The engrish JUMPINGU DANSU DANSU DANSU really gets me, and it's noise-tinted so there's some sonic interest there for me. strangely likeable.
I recall finding the Dukes of Stratosphere when I was a kid and thinking it was "odd." It made a perfect fit in to my collection of XTC and Beatles stuff though. Another band that I'll never shake out of my collection that is normally a band people either love or hate is Trip Shakespeare. Still love them. Just got home after 10 days and can't wait to jump in to my collection again. I'll look for some outliers. Cheers!
I've got a mix of vinyl. I've got some great Sugar Hill Gang stuff that I don't often listen to, but appreciate every time I do. Neil Diamond, John Denver, some 80's break dance stuff, Banarama and some early Madonna. I like to buy odds and end stuff. Yellow Magic Orchestra.
You have a great collection of music IMO. A little New Order heavy, but still great! I miss having it as a part of my collection :-) -I often miss your Talking Heads catalog.
I'm going to stick with music that I have a physical record of it (12-inch or 7-inch vinyl). If there's one album I have that doesn't fit with the rest, it's without a doubt My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno and David Byrne. It's the most experimental and ambitious of the bunch, and it's great but it's also hard to listen to more than half of it at a time.
bgood79, any oddballs floating around in your music collection? Now that I look at my vinyl, I'd say the strangest, meaning not in place with the others, music I have is Count Basie, big band stuff or maybe Pearl Jam. Ever since mk introduced me to them, I've been searching for some Mills Bros vinyl. They would definitely be the odd ball in my collection, but I can see the appeal.
Good question. I'm in Florida so I'll get back to you with more but last year I got a box of my grandfather's records and one of them caught my eye because it was on the 'Nonesuch' label (Wilco). It was Morgan Sobotnick's 'Silver Apples of the Moon'. Crazy science fictiony synth stuff that is not for everybody. Benny Kessler actually mentioned it on the fb a bit ago. Ive had plenty of late drunk nights listening to it.
Just a quick listen indicates that your grandfather was in to some pretty far-out music. Nice. Any other gems in granddads collection?
I bet you can get em for a dollar online.
You are probably right, but I've never bought a record online. I like just stumbling across them in stores. Now that I have the Mills Bros on my mind I'm sure it won't be long till I find one, or two.. or three.
I'm not particularly into Grime, but a friend showed me this album and I love it:
Since my thing is eclectic music, I suppose my most unexpected oddity that I like in my collection is a Christmas album: Bummed Out Christmas, A Rhino compilation from 1989. In fact it's one song in particular that makes me love this album: "Santa Came Home Drunk" by Clyde Lasley and the Cadillac Baby Specials. The track opens with the slightest introduction ever: the guitar gives and arpeggio and a guy says: Oh sure, there are other brilliant jabs at Xmas on there: "Christmas in Jail" (about the only track I've also heard on the radio), "Santa Got a DWI", even a George Jones tune and Dan Hicks opening with a rollicking "Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit". Even the cover is appropriately depressing: a photo of a lighted, white plastic Channukah bush in a hotel room in downtown LA before its rebirth. It's about the only Christmas music that never makes me want to punch humans.
It's just a guy making story riffs using brand names: "He swam the Three Rivers... went up to Ol' Grandad...". Meanwhile there are a couple women in the background singing "ooooh, shame on San-ta... whoo-oohoo-woo... Santa's drunk again." At the end he says "Santa be back again next year. I can't help it, drinkin' this good gin," as the guitar and backing track fade out. "You heard about Sanna Claus?
Santa got drunk last night, and lemme tell ya,
lemme name some of them whiskies..."