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What unknown musical artist would you like to share with your fellow audiophiles?

When it comes to music, about half of my friends are "collectors" and the other half are true audiophiles. It seems the collectors are so obsessed with the size of their collections, that they leave no room in their budget for quality audio equipment. I think the audiophiles, with their focus on quality over quantity, are the ones with their priorities straight. So, unless you are on an unlimited budget, I'm guessing that audiophiles are more selective in their musical purchases. That being the case, I'm curious about what "buried treasures" have you been able to find? Thanks for responding and I look forward to discovering some good music, based on your suggestions.

I'll lead off with the band Crack The Sky, most notably their first two albums: "Crack The Sky" (1975) and "Animal Notes" (1976). I would describe them as a cross between Be Bop Deluxe and Frank Zappa. Their music is unique and totally unmistakable with anyone else. Choice cuts from the debut album are: "Ice;" She's a Dancer;" "Mind Baby" & "Sleep." Choice cuts from Animal Notes are: "Animal Skins;" "Wet Teenager;" Virgin....No" & "Maybe I Can Fool Everybody."
mitchagain
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,821 posts
 

Yeah wolf, Edmunds made two Love Sculpture albums, one sort of Progressive, one pure Blues, like Peter Greens’ Fleetwood Mac. But it was when he went solo that he really found his forte. His hit single of Smiley Lewis’ "I Hear You Knocking" in 1970 (on his debut album, ironically entitled Rockpile) provided him with the $ to invest in Rockfield Studios in Wales, where he spent the next few years teaching himself how to recreate the sound of both the Sun Records Rockabilly he loved, and the Phil Spector Wall Of Sound he used on his second album, Subtle As A Flying Mallet. My all-time favorite Rock ’n’ Roll guitarist/singer/producer.

Speaking of under-acknowledged guitarists, Danny Gatton is as great a player as the world has ever heard. Vince Gill, himself a fine guitarist, nicknamed him The Humbler. A Telecaster master.

n80
2,117 posts
 
I think that when we talk about new or different or 'unknown' those terms are relative. Probably not many quality recorded acts that no one here will have never heard of. But there will be lots of those that not many of us have heard of.

I mentioned The Struts. They've been on the late night shows and were sort of the anchor act for the Victoria Secret Fashion show recently. So hardly unknown and they've been touring for 4 years. Still, a lot of folks here probably haven't heard of them.

One of my favorite and much lesser known acts is the Teskey Brothers. Heard of them here on Audiogon. If you like R&B in the vein of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, etc, you'll like these white kids from Australia. Good stuff. I emailed their agent a few weeks ago and they will be touring the US this summer.
mitchagain OP
446 posts
 
For the Dead Can Dance fans:

You might want to check out Volume 1 of the KCRW "Rare On Air" series of CD's, as it contains Brendan Perry doing a great acoustic version of "The Captive Heart."

Some other highlights from these series are:

Volume 2 contains Lloyd Cole's stunning cover of Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat;" and, this is one of the only recorded versions that you'll find of this song.

Volume 3 has a haunting version of "She's Gone" by The Tindersticks.

Volume 4 has a very good version of "So Real" by Jeff Buckley.
wolf_garcia
6,708 posts
 
I've worked with 2 current Telecaster geniuses, Julian Lage and Jim Campilongo, neither of whom are well known really except to anybody who has heard them play. Lage turned to Telecasters after years with hollow bodied jazz boxes and acoustic guitars being his thing, and now with his trio and the most recent Nels Cline "Currents, Constellations" album (mind blowing) he's soaring out there. His two trio albums are pure magic. Just saw his trio at Berklee and he's simply amazing for both his beautiful technique and songwriting, and really among the best. I've been a fan of Campilongo since the "Little Willys" Nora Jones thing and saw his trio the first time at the now defunct Living Room in NYC. Did a show with him later in CT and man...there's a mind blowing Tele player right there, with an astonishing command of the thing...above the nut harmonic bends galore. Brilliant.
marqmike
840 posts
 
Wayne Stewart and Friends title  Aspen Skyline
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