a guest series, courtesy of a very friendly lawyer
THE UNHEARD MUSIC
Here’s a set of songs that I absolutely love and no one’s ever heard. Some arrived in the collection from free downloads or CD samplers when those were a thing. Some I knew back in the day and chased down after music hit the Interwebs. Others I’ve had so long I can’t remember where they came from. All I know is that, when I include one in a mix or pass one on to a friend, the response is always the same: “What a great song! I never heard of this band before!”
As a precaution, I searched through the site and determined that not only did none of these artists feature in JC’s titanic 800 song countdown—they have never appeared on TVV at all! And to make sure they’re not great recent songs that folks just haven’t gotten around to checking out yet, every one of them is at least 10 years old, and most are double that.
Have you got a pet band or song that no one knows about? If you do, list it in the comments. We can have an audience participation Fictive Friday made up of unheard songs from the good folks that frequent this corner of the ‘net.
Standing By – The Actual Tigers.
This Seattle band was formed in the 90’s and was originally called Willis after the Diff’rent Strokes (American sitcom) character. They got signed by Capitol, changed their name, and released one album, Gravelled and Green in 2001. Then they disappeared.
This trio made their way around the NYC scene in the early 80’s. Folks like Echorich would remember them playing at Danceteria and would have heard this song in the clubs. From their third and final LP, 1984’s Deal With It. Sadly, they folded in 1985 and guitarist Oliver North died of a heroin overdose two years later.
Goldie went to graduate school in Boston in the 80’s, exactly when The Turbines got together. She remembers dancing to it down The Rat and other local dives. I’d never heard it and Goldie couldn’t remember the name of the band. When the Internet arrived I did some digging, learned the band name and its songwriter, John Horvoka. I found the guy still living in Boston, selling insurance or whatever. He was really chuffed to be contacted by a fan and cheerfully mailed me a copy of this 7” single, their only one, released on Arf! Arf! Records in 1984.
This song was on a compilation put out by Simple Machine Records, the home of indie bands like Velocity Girl and Tsunami. Can’t figure out if they were from NYC or San Francisco, but they released a few records on a few labels in the 90’s. They reformed at some point and released more records, but I haven’t heard any.
Patient Patient – The Morning Benders.
This was a great quartet out of Berkeley, California. I saw them with the kids a couple of times, and young Sam struck up a digital correspondence with bandleader Chris Chu after meeting him when the band opened for Supergrass at the Avalon here in L.A. This is an album track from their 2008 debut, Talking Through Tin Cans. They released another album in 2010, then moved to Brooklyn and morphed into a forgettable band called POP ETC.
The band name translates to “French fries,” but it’s also a homonym for “Pop Has Freed Us,” the name of their publishing company. They released three perfect records and then called it a day to pursue graduate degrees. This is an album side off their third and final LP, 2000’s Buildings and Grounds. I love it so much that I once wrote to the guitarist/songwriter, Tony Goddess, to ask what the chords were. He was about as happy to be remembered as John Horvoka and sent me a chord chart and a nice note. A song so hooky it should originally have been dedicated to Linear Tracking Brian, so let’s do that now.
Another tune whose source I don’t remember by an artist I know nothing about. Wiki tells me that Jenny O. grew up on Long Island, like I did, and that she’s released a few albums. This tune is off her first, Automechanic, released in 2013. It’s a solid little song, but her harmonies are so beautiful they take it to another level.
If You Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself) – Pete Droge.
Cheating a little here because I think my bandmate Dr. Dave knows Pete Droge, or at least has heard the song. Not sure about that, but no one else seems to have heard of him. This song is from his debut album, Necktie Second, from 1994. Mr. Droge worked with guys like Pete Stroud and Matthew Sweet, but I don’t know any of their music.
Everything You Give Me Breaks – Godstar.
This band named themselves after a song by Psychic TV. They’re Australian. This tune appeared on their 1993 album Sleeper. They released another one and broke up circa 1995. That’s everything I got on Godstar.
Sister Ray Charles – JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound.
Crank up this track if you want to get a party started. Now known as JC Brooks Band, these Chicago soul merchants have been at it since 2007 and are still active. This banger is from their second LP, Want More, released in 2011. They haven’t released a record in 10 years, but they’re still a going concern.
Bonus Track: The Unheard Music – X.
Everyone’s familiar with Los Angeles, X’s debut on Slash Records back in 1980. But this album track is where today’s post gets its name, so let’s give it a spin. And remember to hit me up with your own unheard music.
Jonny
You certainly know my tastes, Jonny. All but one band here is unheard of in my little world and, you guessed it, it’s Papas Fritas. Big fan! Did you ever see them? They opened for some biggies and one not-so-biggie we both love… the Sugarplastic! Now that’s a double bill! Looking forward to listening to these offerings. Cheers!
I’ve a lot of time for Hopper, a perky little unknown band who released an excellent album on Factory Too 30 years ago, with some production involvement from Bernard Butler. The single Ridiculous Day is majestic. (One comment on YouTube so meets the obscure criterion):
Hopper – Ridiculous Day (Album Version)
Tony Martin – ‘Barriers’ 1984. A much played classic here at JiveLad Towers.
As one wag said in the YT comments: the best New Order song they never released. Could it have been the B side to Temptation?
Look for the 7” version to start with, running at 4 minutes.
The thing is, who the ‘eck is Tony Martin? I have tried over the years to track him down to no avail. I have even emailed the producers/technicians credited and drawn a blank. The name ‘Tony Martin’ does lead you down many wrong paths.
Does anyone have any ideas or leads at all?? Help!
In 1993 there once was a band called Mr Rays Wigworld. Their first single was a six minute blast of indie psychedelia and it was awesome. It was called Faster Kittykat (play play) and books, film, poems and plays should have been based on it.
Swc
Think the Turbines were raised on a diet of B-52s.
I could (sadly) do this all day. But will leave it at 4 until next time!
A few from the late 70s when I was an avid listener to the Peel show. Perhaps they’re really well known? I know none of my crowd back then had ever heard of any of them (except the last one who were a local band)
https://youtu.be/z5TBLGYDbxI?si=qfJjf64rqpsH7wlF
https://youtu.be/7RQZBkEehdY?si=I92e10YCJBasnLJ3
https://youtu.be/yMlnotsvT5k?si=02LD6dVLtTblERpA
https://youtu.be/iHVuCXO1_Wg?si=VzJmkRnsOsn4lW_P
Ha! I’d also suggest a dive into Mr Ray’s Wigworld. Very under-rated
WAAAAAAH HEY!
papagaia loiro – PIPA DE MA$$A
hey fever – Whu Else
sasuke- Alanis Yuki
how the shadow is clear – oidopuua vladimir oiun
バンザイ〜好きでよかった〜 – Ulfuls
paralyzed – wei zhongle
anti-meme – gobby
babe don’t go – triad god
gorof (elixir) – dur-dur band
down to the river – brittle brian
light, raking – polvo
El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes by Niza!
I’ll throw in this from 1999, Anorak Lou by Genelab.
Also, AC Marias in 1989, ‘One of our girls has gone missing’
I’d offer Delicate Vomit. 3 x 7″ singles each containing 3 songs. I’d suggest Jack In The Box but can’t find a digital version, so Machine, it is.
Active in the early 1990s from Newcastle Upon Tyne. They played the 13th Note which is were I bought the first single. The internet tells me the bill included Milky Wimpshake and headliners Starstruck.
There’s a non-released track Potato Head which can be found on youtube.
Flimflamfan
PS: what a great idea. I hadn’t heard of any of the bands on your list.
Flimflamfan
There’s probably a few really obscure singers and bands who have been featured at some point on the blog via the ‘Saturday’s Scottish Song’ series that might be worth giving a mention to. But I’ll stick to the one….primarily as it didn’t pick up a single comment when posted back in Sep 2024
Boo Hoo Hoo – Fire
https://app.box.com/s/ytkrnpwbedlio9y071pp5kkv99sc263k
Great post idea, Jonny, and to add to this Obscurestock’s bill, I offer:
Your Elders: Your Elders
Leaving Mornington Crescent: Seventeen
Coulter: Aim Your Guns at Washington
Strangeways
@thepopman – Amazingly I was just mentioning Those Naughty Lumps to someone at work last week. I only ever knew the band’s name, never heard anything by them, so thanks for that!!
Fraser
Can’t get enough of L.A. janglers The Dream Boys. One album in 2013 and… poof… disappeared. I’ll go with the song Sometimes, but all of Side A of the album is perfect.
Brian again. That was me with the Dream Boys.
El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes – Niza
Anorak Lou – Genelab*
Your Elders – Your Elders
Seventeen – Leaving Mornington Crescent
I had a wee peek at the post this morning and would add my tuppence worth to the above.
and…
Hey Baby – Chia Pet
*The song released after this was rubbish though.
Flimflamfan
Blimey, there’s some belters in there… and I’d only come across one of them previously (the Pete Droge tune). Thank you.
Wa-Hey! Surprisingly…and perhaps not so considering my hit and miss swims in the musical seas…only familiar with The Turbines…Picked up that 45 back in the day…probably around 1987 or ’88 or so. Interestingly, after getting it, in a pique of nostalgia looking through some old pictures from years earlier I spotted an old college chum wearing a “Wa-Hey!” sweatshirt, from around the time that 45 would have been released. Was he a fan of the band? Or was it just something he’d been sent by a pal from Boston? It’s apparently a locally favoured Bostonian idiomatic greeting, though an internet search also traces it to other locales acrost the pond. I will, sadly, never know as the one time said old chum contacted me in the early days of the internet I responded in a rather snarky manner regarding an old girlfriend and an evening wherein they had gotten a bit more friendly than was proper and forever put me off The Cars. Never did hear back from him. In all fairness, he did start out with a silly question, and I was raised on Mad magazine and permanently influenced by their “Snappy Comebacks to Stupid Questions” feature, so my mastery of social graces does sometimes fail. I come by my Hermit title honestly.