Obscure Tunes That You Should Listen To

[ZapperZ]

While I listen to popular hits, one of my favorite thing to do is to seek out obscure tunes/songs that most people don't know about, but are, in my opinion, great tunes/songs. Especially now with iTunes, it isn't difficult to simply get one particular track to sample. I find that many independent, smaller labels are more daring in their offerings, and there have been many songs that actually are as catchy and creative as any of the hits that you would hear.

Do you have any that you would recommend? Any music genre counts. In fact, the wider the range of the music genre, the better. Since I started this, I'll give my first two suggestions:

1. "Falling Through A Cloud" by Uttara-Kuru,
2. "Jalan Kopo" by Sabah Habas Mustapha.

Both of these are rather up-tempo numbers.

Zz.

 

[Poop-Loops]

I listen to Death Metal. While popular enough not be called "obscure" by your definition, still isn't nowhere near "popular".

Why do I listen to it? Because it is the only genre that I can turn to when I am very mad, or in need of a laugh. I present you with Kill Your Mother/Rape Your Dog by Dying Fetus: (indecipherable swearing, but nothing visually bad)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Qr9ElWhJD4

No, that's not their official video for it, but I like it nonetheless. Google the lyrics, too, you'll be surprised.

Besides that, I like to listen to Apocalyptica. At first it was just 4 cellists, now it's 3 cellists and a drummer. Fairly known amongst metal-heads, but more obscure than Dying Fetus.

I present you with Toreador (instrumental):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n7kfbs3Pkzg

Lastly, I've always liked video game music. From the boops and bops of Pacman and Mario, to the orchestrated symphonies of games like Metal Gear Solid or Neverwinter Nights. Unfortunately, I can't find any good Youtube examples of those, so you'll have to listen to it through Zshare.

Boss Battle Music from Neverwinter Nights:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/895807995051ce/

Intro theme from Metal Gear Solid:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/8958205ff58b47/

Here's the intro theme from Metal Gear Solid 2:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/895814721c8e91/

Mr. Game & Watch's stage music from Super Smash Brothers Melee:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/8958307098cb94/

Finally, another one from Metal Gear Solid. I can't tell, but I think it's Celtic. I wish I knew how to get my hands on more of it.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/89583839594fe8/

When you think about it, a lot is required of video game music, because you are expected to listen to it for a few hours (sometimes even a few hours at a time) and not get sick of it. Three of the examples I posted were intros, but the Mr. Game & Watch one you can play for an hour or so at a time depending on what you are doing. And it's just a series of beeps and bops. When you're playing the game, it really fits.

 

[rohanprabhu]

Ellen McCain: Still Alive [Portal soundtrack]

Children of Bodom: Thrashed, Lost and Strungout

 

[Poop-Loops]

Still Alive was written by Jonathan Coulton. Here's his website:

http://jonathancoulton.com/

And the best cover of Baby Got Back ever can be found here:
http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Baby%20Got%20Back

(click on "play the song")

 

[binzing]

Sweet poop, Apocalyptica is a great band!

 

[Einstienear]

I myself have a taste for classical music AND RNB.

The music and pieces from the 21st century are quite enticing as they share new taste in style and technique.

Patrick Doyle is a remarkable composer.

More Deeds is one of his best pieces.

Einstienear

 

[rohanprabhu]

The Ataris: The Nights the lights went out

 

[Chi Meson]

The Bats from New Zealand are one of the best unknown bands of all time. One of the original talents of the spectacular "Flying Nun" record label. Their best works is from the first two albums, from the late 80s. Here's one of them:

North by North. It's on youtube. Try to crank the bass up, because it is very bass driven. The video is low budget from the 80s, which means it's not so great, but still pretty good considering what most videos were then. In fact, the video kinda gets in the way of the image produced by the music. So look away the first time.
On the menu to the right (on youtube) there are a few more songs. If you like this one, I recommend the live performance of "Never Say Goodbye". There is also "Flowers and the Trees," which was released in 2006.

Ooh! After following a chain of videos, I found this from the singer's first band, The Clean: "Anything could happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAl5qcTgmy0&feature=related
This is from 1981 or 82. These bands were big in "College Radio" during the 80s which means they influenced many of the innovative bands of the 90s.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Bats from New Zealand are one of the best unknown bands of all time. One of the original talents of the spectacular "Flying Nun" record label. Their best works is from the first two albums, from the late 80s. Here's one of them:

North by North. It's on youtube.

Holly cow! I think I've heard of this tune, but never knew the title and who performed it! Thanks!

Zz.

 

[_Mayday_]

I love this song, I can't say I've heard anything similar.

Radiohead - 15 Step
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WedRDYmtvX4"

 

[glondor]

Along the vein of soundtracks, I remember playing halo with my teenage son years ago. The sounds and music in that game were awsome. The music really set the tone of tension and excitement. We found halo 2 was not quite as good music wise and halo 3 lost the music power completely.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5969164764657495372&q=halo+soundtrack&total=1314&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

There are many links here. This is the opening sound track.

I personaly like track 8 alot.Tense gaming here for sure. track 8-The Gun Pointed At The Head Of The Universe

 

[Cyrus]

The Bats from New Zealand are one of the best unknown bands of all time. One of the original talents of the spectacular "Flying Nun" record label. Their best works is from the first two albums, from the late 80s. Here's one of them:

North by North. It's on youtube. Try to crank the bass up, because it is very bass driven. The video is low budget from the 80s, which means it's not so great, but still pretty good considering what most videos were then. In fact, the video kinda gets in the way of the image produced by the music. So look away the first time.
On the menu to the right (on youtube) there are a few more songs. If you like this one, I recommend the live performance of "Never Say Goodbye". There is also "Flowers and the Trees," which was released in 2006.

Ooh! After following a chain of videos, I found this from the singer's first band, The Clean: "Anything could happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAl5qcTgmy0&feature=related
This is from 1981 or 82. These bands were big in "College Radio" during the 80s which means they influenced many of the innovative bands of the 90s.

Cool song. Makes me want to scream, "I want my MTV!"

 

[binzing]

VH1 and VH1 Classic are two of my favorite TV channels, even if they only play fairly well known stuff, its a good place to find good music. I find that modern MTV is nearly useless and is just reality TV and rap.

 

[Chi Meson]

Cool song. Makes me want to scream, "I want my MTV!"

Don't tell me you actually remember the 80s?

I remember seeing the original "I want my MTV!" commercial featuring the 3 members of the Police shouting:
"Call your cable company
and say 'I want my MTV!' "

 

[Einstienear]

Well, some music from the classic era HAVE been proven to relax and make the person listening to them smarter.

Hey, Its been proven
Einstienear

 

[Cyrus]

Don't tell me you actually remember the 80s?

I remember seeing the original "I want my MTV!" commercial featuring the 3 members of the Police shouting:
"Call your cable company
and say 'I want my MTV!' "

That was before my time. However, I do know sting and the police. You'd like spoon, have you heard them? Spoon is good.


All The Pretty Girls Go To The City

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000069DOH/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[Chi Meson]

I like Spoon. They play regularly on SOMA FM's Indie Pop channel (my iTunes home base). "The way we get by" is pretty well known, though. I think it's been used on a commercial already, so I think "obscure" is not an appropriate adjective.
Whaddaya know! Playing RIGHT NOW!
http://somafm.com/recent/?indiepop

 

[hotcommodity]

1. Soulfly IV- by Soulfly. This one always calms me :)



2. Filter- The best things. A little more upbeat.

 

[Einstienear]

Some songs like "mad world" and "Don't let go" are quite depressing.

Yet we still enjoy them.

Cheers

Einstienear

 

[fuzzyfelt]

This is a really great idea for a thread. I like listening to the music introduced here. I'd heard the Bats, but not the earlier band and liked that a lot. I'm still in antipodean 80s/90s genre mindset, so here are some, but I'll think about some other genres.
Go-Betweens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5CRiS8bRTw&feature=related

Died Pretty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL_S_S7x7gU&feature=related

Riptides
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP_Nyde-ZZI&feature=related

Hope they are obscure enough!

 

[ZapperZ]

This is a really great idea for a thread. I like listening to the music introduced here. I'd heard the Bats, but not the earlier band and liked that a lot. I'm still in antipodean 80s/90s genre mindset, so here are some, but I'll think about some other genres.
Go-Betweens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5CRiS8bRTw&feature=related

Died Pretty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL_S_S7x7gU&feature=related

Riptides
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP_Nyde-ZZI&feature=related

Great suggestions! Thanks. I've never heard any of those. They are very 80's! I especially like that Riptides tune. Reminds me of the UK scene during the 70's and 80's.

Hope they are obscure enough!

Yeah, but I think the tunes that I suggested are more obscure, since there aren't even any YouTube videos of them! :) They are, however, on iTunes.

Zz.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Great suggestions! Thanks. I've never heard any of those. They are very 80's! I especially like that Riptides tune. Reminds me of the UK scene during the 70's and 80's.
Yeah, but I think the tunes that I suggested are more obscure, since there aren't even any YouTube videos of them! :) They are, however, on iTunes.

Zz.

Thanks! And, yes, quite a few of the bands of that ilk did spend time in London. Another band from the same town as the Riptides, The Saints, have been credited with being one of the first punk bands, before the Pistols.
I'll try harder to be more obscure!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Ellen McCain: Still Alive [Portal soundtrack]

Children of Bodom: Thrashed, Lost and Strungout

CoB is one of my favorite bands. They have many better songs than TLS though :)

 

[ZapperZ]

This is another good one. I'm not sure how obscure this one is since I think this group hit it big in the UK with the album that had this tune.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4330986436826273604&q=japan+quiet+life&total=101&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2"

They also did a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Second that Emotion" in the same album.

Zz.

 

[Chi Meson]

Japan. Jeez, I forgot all about that band. People, before you judge, this is before "New Wave" was a bad word. This recording seems to miss that signature sound of theirs; specifically, the fretless bass. I had their live album "Oil on Canvass," which I used to cure my headaches. Once I got my reading glasses, I didn't need them as much anymore.

 

[Cyrus]

This is for you Chi!

 

[Pythagorean]

Andrew Bird

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Great suggestions!

Japan also did a nice cover of Velvet Underground’s ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ which reminds me of how I can’t find any version, let alone the long, live version of Jonathon Richman and the Modern Lovers’ ‘Ice Cream Man’ on youtube. Nor for that matter, ‘I’m A Little Aeroplane’ (my kids like them), although it isn’t particularly obscure as it can be heard on Sesame Street from time to time, if you happen to watch that. However, Roadrunner is on youtube.

For very obscure, I really like a type of zouk music that some friends have introduced me to. There is nothing like that type of zouk on youtube as far as I can tell, which has much less interesting zouk songs.

Prodigy’s Out Of Space reminded me of this- not sure how obscure it is, but it took me a while to recall it!
Max Romeo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHS0U-_pC9I&feature=related

 

[RocketSurgery]

I present the lovely Tori Amos. I don't know how popular she is but she is a really skilled musician and singer. I found out about her because she did a duet with Maynard James Keenan from Tool. She has a habit of playing a keyboard and a piano simultaneously when performing live.

Tori Amos - Caught a Lite Sneeze
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QiZpUbdxVNw

Having trouble getting up in the morning?
Try some Australian death metal. Less caffeine then coffee, with twice the kick.

The Berzerker - Noone Wins
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_gqVVQ-q8Zs

 

[Poop-Loops]

Welcome to Bucketheadland by Buckethead.

 

[RocketSurgery]

Buckethead is amazing.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Apocalyptica. Thank you Poops I haven't heard of them before.
I think I still prefer Rasputina though(very popular in goth-industrial circles and fairly unknown otherwise).

And for those that like more traditional cello there is Zoe Keating, formerly of Rasputina.

Soul Coughingis one of my favourite bands that never got far.
Mike Doughty, formerly lead singer of Soul Coughing, is slowly reaching Tom Waits status as that famous guy that most people seem to have never heard of.

Devil Doll is a good female rockabilly/blues/torch singer.

 

[Borek]

Hmm, for some reason I am in a mood for Hungarian tracks today...

Locomotiv Gt - Ringasd El Magad (but none of the versions I have seen on youtube - studio version as published on the vinyl is much better IMHO).

Omega - Gyöngyhajú lány

Being teenager at the time they recorded these pieces surely helps ;)

 

[Woozya]

While I listen to popular hits, one of my favorite thing to do is to seek out obscure tunes/songs that most people don't know about, but are, in my opinion, great tunes/songs. Especially now with iTunes, it isn't difficult to simply get one particular track to sample. I find that many independent, smaller labels are more daring in their offerings, and there have been many songs that actually are as catchy and creative as any of the hits that you would hear.
Zz.

You are right
My favorite music style is Uplifting Trance
I recomend

Cellec - Love Of My Life (original mix)
Tukan - Light A Rainbow (Cj Stone)

The second tune is the classic one of Vocal Trance
Enjoy

 

[d1ff30m0rf1zm]

Woozya - Some favorites: Alt + F4 by Alt + F4, Passing By by Darude, some of Steve Porter's stuff (ex. Electric Jelly; its mostly house), Zu Dicht Dran (don't know the artist), Synth and Strings by Yomanda, Feeling Good by Jokke, Kick Off by Dj Dean, a bunch of hardstyle and speedcore, and of course Cybotron, Joey Beltram, etc.

Anyone listen to minimalist techno? ^^