little known musicians we should hear


I know i'm missing out on some great obscure or relatively obscure music. please give me your recommendations. include anyone (or any lp) you love and recommend without reservation, if it may not be well known.

my short list would be:

alejandro escovedo-singer/songwriter/gtr player/band leader
the hank dogs - u.k. folkies w/ 2 albums
anne briggs - more folk from the u.k.
richie haven's new lp "the well" (if you ever loved any of his stuff, you need this!)
I just don't know any great obscure classical, jazz or rock...uh, the velvet who?

honourable mention:
"u.s. mombs" (my 16 yr old's a drummer. this is her thrash band. so sue me, I like seeing it in print)
tagyerit
If you like the blues, Little Toby Walker-Cool Hand (acoustic and alone) Kerry Kearney Band-Welcome to the Psychedelta (good mix blues, delta, rock-high energy stuff). Bought these recently on Long Island, NY after seeing them preform at a blues festival. Good stuff
Cheers
Ncarv, Towne Van Zandt is great! I think he did something with Steve Earl recently (maybe it was a tribute). A few others:
Osibisa (african "rock/jazz")
Colin James & the Little Big Band (two albums)
Laurie Lieberman -- she may be pretty well known
Government Mule -- they should be familiar, but just in case
My two cents:

After Crying - progressive rock (although the denomination is a little... limiting? there's much more than "rock" in their music).
a sample review of an After Crying album
Talented and sophisticated musicians from Hungary. Many say (and I agree) they are at least as notable as King Crimson.

Aother great artist: I was wondering if there are any Leon Redbone fans in the Audiogon community?
There are thousands of little known musicians who have made brilliant recordings and are (imho) criminally under appreciated. Almost everyone hates some great artistic achievments,(most oprea or c&w efforts usually hit the gag reflex here). Few people easily break out of the "I like what I know and I know what I like" syndrome, as a result we miss out on alot of asthetically rewarding stuff. If you listen to King Crimson,(early Bruford era), Mahavisnu Orch. (1st two), Capt. Beefheart, Massacre (Fred Frith), most of Can and the stuff really sinks in (plays back in yer' head alot), you are in trouble. You will probably be broke from a need to score stuff like: Acme Rocket Quartet (1st), Air (w/Fred Hopkins), Amoebic Ensemble, Arcana, Area (start w/ Crac), Art Zoyd, Arti+Mestieri, Attention Deficit,Back Door, Banyan, Joey Baron, Bass Army, Bella Band, Gregg Bendian, Tim Berne, Bi Kyo Ran, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Ed Blackwell, Blast, B.L.U.E., Raoul Bjorkenheim, Blind Idiot God, Hamiet Bluiett, Boom, Christer Bothen, Francois Bourassa Trio, Brand X, Anthony Braxton, Caspar Brotzmann, Alain Brunet, Hasse Bruniusson, Buckethead, Don Caballero Uri Caine Alex Candelaria, Cartoon, Chainsaw Jazz, Thomas Chapin, Gigou Chenevier, Nels Cline, Clubfoot Orch. Roberto Columbo, Conglomerate, Graham Connah, Conventum, Cos, Vincent Courtois, Curlew, Andrew Cyrille, DFA, Dark, Data Direct, Daniel Denis, Jean Derome Deus ex Machina, Doctor Nerve, Dave Douglas, Paul Dresher, Marc Ducret, Dun, Trevor Dunn, Dysrhythmia, Either Orchestra, Embryo, James Emery, Ensemble Nimbus, Equip Out, Ellery Eskelin, Etna, and Everyman Band to name a few from the A - E crowd.
Jellyfish ... great Pop

The Producers ... California intelligent pop

Kevin Gilbert - a Deceased genius again from CA.

Gentle Giant - The kings of 70's Prog... IMHO