obscure music?

liking the boredoms on the internet vs. having to explain to coworkers what you mean when you say the band you saw the other night had seven guitars bolted to a fencepost, three drummers, a keyboard player and an orchestral bass drum, and it was really loud

so who on AIM put you up to this?

i like it when skot talks about all sorts of weirdo 70s cutout records that no one has even heard of. i don't even think some of those bands have heard of themselves. but it's fun to check out.

http://c.myspace.com/Groups/00007/35/43/7403453_l.jpg

Liking stuff solely for obscurity's sake is one of the oldest lies ever.

I can't have "normal" conversations with co-workers about music. They all look at me like I am alien.

http://www.forcedexposure.com/images/homelogo.gif

http://www.subpop.com/images/small/sfs-sev.gif

http://www.forcedexposure.com/images/newreleases.gifhttp://www.forcedexposure.com/images/search.gifhttp://www.forcedexposure.com/images/catalog.gif

http://www.crippled.com/logos/cdhw.gif

http://b8.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01376/80/72/1376812708_m.jpg

i mean, i definitely like finding out about lesser-known artists. but i can't stand it when people are all elitist about it. you can just HEAR it in the tone of voice. "i'm really into Dreamboat Gorilla"

like it's the most impressive thing ever that they like a band named Dreamboat Gorilla.

Tracer started a thread for those people a long time ago

real-life trolls

FASCINATING INSIGHTS

dreamboat gorilla rulez

i like music b/c it magically just kind of happens to me.

thread of missing luriqua

request everyone try to use the CDHQ homepage gif more often

In the non-ILM world, 'obscure music' doesn't mean Dreamboat Gorilla. It means anything that's not top 40 or a tv/radio jingle.

six finger satellite was great.

Zen Guerrilla were pretty dope too!

i know which is even more annoying, xp. i once got into this whole argument with a Belle and Sebastian devout, who was poking fun at me b/c i like janet jackson. i got upset. i was like, YEAH AND YOU LIKING BELLE AND SEBASTIAN JUST PUTS YOU OVER THE TOP. YOU'RE JUST THE ZANIEST GREATEST PERSON EVER.

TELL US MORE

IT IS LIKE A STRANGE AND AMAZING THREAD FILLED WITH LEARNING AND ANALYSIS

I'm not aware of a rule that prevents enjoying both B&S or JJ.

AMAZING COLOSSAL INSIGHTS RIGHT HERE!

I remember when I first got to college I had my case logic of like 200 CDs of the orb and orbital and future sound of london and aphex twin and shit and I would show it to my new undergrad buddies and bet them cash money they'd never heard of any of it. Because they hadn't. I was such a little shit.

i'm not aware of that rule either but this person was. that wouldn't make sense to him. they just don't go together.

I wouldn't really take money though.

best Dreamboat Gorilla album

"xp. i once got into this whole argument with a Belle and Sebastian devout, who was poking fun at me b/c i like janet jackson. i got upset. i was like, YEAH AND YOU LIKING BELLE AND SEBASTIAN JUST PUTS YOU OVER THE TOP. YOU'RE JUST THE ZANIEST GREATEST PERSON EVER."

The story of this argument is just like the plot to Rocky IV.

try too hard = ILM motto. or at lest the English translation from the Latin, prob.

Oilyrags OTM. Telling regular folks I used a Robyn Hitchcock song for my wedding dance will ALWAYS bring about a puzzled or unknowing response.

Surmounter, I don't know what people you hang out with but in my world those sorts of people disappear by the time you're 30.

I like digging for obscure postpunk nuggets but it sure isn't a badge of honor or something to hang over anyone else's head! No one I know in the real world outside of a few fellow music nuts would give a crap!

see, i'm 24. so i have a little ways to go b4 these people disappear.

lol dude who used robyn hitchcock for a wedding song calls himself mr. odd

Are you implying I'm odd or not odd enough?

whichever makes me cooler than you I guess

I don't turn 30 until next week

i never like to talk about music w/ppl that aren't really into it. i just say i like stuff like led zeppelin and regular music (which i do), why would you want to try to talk about some weird shit w/ppl that don't care?

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/289964

what do you consider regular music?

jesus Surmounter you're almost twice the age I always assumed you were when reading your posts.

anyway, there's a lot of good popular music, you could go your whole life listening to just popular music and not get bored there's so much of it. but for those of us who aren't loathe to "pay too much or attention try too hard" it can be pretty rewarding to dig a little deeper.

sure. and i do dig deeper -- often. i just don't like the rejection of popular music based on its popularity.

(and vice versa)

It makes sense to hunt out obscure things AS POPULAR THINGS ARE IN YOUR FUCKING FACE all the time and seeking them out when they're already there is a bit lame. You can't reject them unless you're a total recluse.

It's nice to hear some really truly awful shit once in a while too.

there's something about clinging to other people's opinions on music that turns me off.

yr not really following yr own admonition here surmounter - who cares why other people listen to any given kind of music

It's nice to hear some really truly awful shit once in a while too.

-- Mister Craig, Friday, April 11, 2008 4:16 PM (19 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

^^ going in "truth bombs" thread

i don't know that seeking out popular music is lame...

anyway M@tt OTM

well, i think there's a big difference between digging deeper for lesser-known music, and using this as some claim to superiority, which is the part i loathe.

what do you consider regular music?

-- Surmounter, Friday, April 11, 2008 8:09 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

like i dunno, regular music that ppl like....like if someone likes classic rock i'd rather just talk about tom petty or aerosmith than be all like DUDE THE SECOND SIR LORD BALTIMORE RECORD IS CREWSH!! DO YOU LIKE DUST??!? or if they like indie music we could talk about like the shins or something instead of whatever wierd shit.

or better yet talk about sports.

Aren't YOU using your viewpoint as a "some claim to superiority"?

well, i think there's a big difference between digging deeper for lesser-known music, and using this as some claim to superiority, which is the part i loathe.

-- Surmounter, Friday, 11 April 2008 20:22 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link

How much of that is actually the case though?

Is it just hipsters generally you dislike?

Matt OTM; talking about sports is always better.

not really catsup, i think liking something obscure is just as valid as liking something incredibly popular.

yeah i totally agree matt, i veer away from conversations like that too

i don't know if i want to get into a conversation about hipsters just yet

Aren't YOU using your viewpoint as a "some claim to superiority"?

^^^on the real

but I hate sports!

x-post

all sports?? no way

It's weird too. In my old town I was an obscurantist, where I live now I'm a pop kid. I put some Deerhoof on a mixtape for a friends's party and he wouldn't put it on out of fear. That was depressing.

i really haven't met anyone with truly "obscure" taste who copped attitude because most of the time they were just excited to tell you about cool music you might not have heard before.

the people who the most attitude are the ones who think that if it isn't well known or they haven't heard it before, there must be a reason for that and that reason must be is the music is lame.

honestly there is not a single pro sport that I give a single shit about. playing sports is one thing, watching other highly paid adults to do it = me not caring.

I find that while some people who like obscure stuff or have absurd amounts of knowledge often hold it over people, sometimes they are just stating their interests plainly with no subtext and it's the insecurities of the person who doesn't know as much that caused said person to perceive some sort of arrogance. Not always, but sometimes.

DICHOTOMY

People with specialist subculture knowledge that I find unpleasant and grating:
bikes store employee types / hardcore cyclists

People with specialist subculture knowledge that I find exciting and friendly:
music nerd types

dan selzer otm

do you guys think we can beat the "varied taste" post count

yes otm xpost

nah, Surmounter is still too early in his transformation into The Lex to inspire a true clusterfuck thread.

OTM dan

It's always about insecurities, except when it's one obscure music guy giving tips to another obscure music guy, then it's possible one of them is being obnoxious.

anyone want to throw in a "people who listen to vinyl are just posers that pretend that they prefer it" opinion to ratchet up the post score?

the people who the most attitude are the ones who think that if it isn't well known or they haven't heard it before, there must be a reason for that and that reason must be is the music is lame.

-- omar little, Friday, April 11, 2008 8:34 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i really don't know about this

It's nice to hear some really truly awful shit once in a while too.

-- Mister Craig, Friday, April 11, 2008 4:16 PM (19 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

^^ going in "truth bombs" thread

-- Alex in Baltimore, Friday, April 11, 2008 4:18 PM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

spoken like a true ebony eyez fan

I don't loathe people who like Janet Jackson, but I loathe people who loathe people who loathe Janet Jackson.

People who like obscure music are dumb and that's why I only listen to Steely Dan and The Eagles.

"Liking" music is so passé anyways. It's all about the indifference now.

People who like obscure music are dumb and that's why I only listen to Steely Dan and The Eagles.

-- ian, Friday, April 11, 2008 4:44 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Well I only listen to ABBA!

Nothing but Beatles for me.

Of course, I never have fewer than 4 albums playing simultaneously in the same room. I'm just THAT into them.

I find that while some people who like obscure stuff or have absurd amounts of knowledge often hold it over people, sometimes they are just stating their interests plainly with no subtext and it's the insecurities of the person who doesn't know as much that caused said person to perceive some sort of arrogance. Not always, but sometimes.

-- dan selzer, Friday, 11 April 2008 20:35 (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

OTM

yes that can definitely be true

Someone accused me of being a snob for saying that I liked a band's first album best.

?? that's just random. what album?

Obscureness is no longer a property inherent to the music itself, dudes. No, it's about how you listen to it. Anything can be obscure if you listen with an appropriately obscure attitude.

My favorite Obscure record was the first, Gavin Bryar's The Sinking of the Titanic.

Obscureness is no longer a property inherent to the music itself, dudes. No, it's about how you listen to it. Anything can be obscure if you listen with an appropriately obscure attitude.

-- libcrypt, Friday, April 11, 2008 4:58 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

QFT; http://advancedtheory.blogspot.com/

My favorite Obscure record was the first, Gavin Bryar's The Sinking of the Titanic.

-- dan selzer, Friday, April 11, 2008 9:01 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

^^^ totally the best LP on Obscure by a long-shot. The other one I like is the Bryars and John White LP "Machine Music."

I have this

http://www.discogs.com/release/27671

I only have Obscure numbers 1,2,3 and 10, and I have 6, Michael Nyman's Decay Music on CD. Had high hopes for that one as I really like Nyman, especially his punkier early stuff, but that one was a bit too "obscure" for me.

I think I've only met one person who fits this cooler-than-thou stereotype. He was roommates with an ex-girlfriend of mine, and he worked at the Univ. of Chicago radio station. She once happened to mention that she liked minimalism, and he said, "Like what?" -- when she said Glass and Reich, he rolled his eyes. Really couldn't deal with that dude. (Weirdly, he later showed up in illustrated form in a Jessica Abel comic book.)

Oh wait, there was also the party I was at with Hstencil and a Pearl Jam song came on and I was like, "Isn't there something so great about hearing these early '90s songs, something kind of nostalgic?" -- and he glared at me and said "No." Haha!

hahahahahaha.

so annoying!

hstencil otm

miss that dude

Pearl Jam is terrible

It's no temple of the dog ;)

"Oh wait, there was also the party I was at with Hstencil and a Pearl Jam song came on and I was like, "Isn't there something so great about hearing these early '90s songs, something kind of nostalgic?" -- and he glared at me and said "No." Haha!"

I can totally imagine saying this.

suzymc

Yeah, I don't even like Pearl Jam, but dude was just so humorless and condescending about it!

That's because not listening to Pearl Jam is SERIOUS business.

what was like a big hit by Pearl Jam? i wasn't zoned into that at the time...

suzymc

Wow, did Hstencil just win the Turner Prize or something?

I should also note that it was like the second time I'd ever met him, so it seemed a little more douchey than it would've been if we were actually friends.

Tuo-mounter

"She once happened to mention that she liked minimalism, and he said, "Like what?" -- when she said Glass and Reich, he rolled his eyes."

This on the other hand is really pretty lame.

I would just like to say that hstencil was very nice the one time I met him which was something like 10 years ago

why is everyone talking like something very tragic happened to him??

He died of condescension.

I worked with hstencil for a while. We was tight; haven't talked to him in months though.

I heard gygax! killed him

it was a murder/suicide thing IIRC.

and as irritatingly snobbish as hstencil could be about music, he was still right 95% of the time.

He's a LOCAL BLOGGER now

Either way not liking Pearl Jam /= fetishing obscure music. It just means you don't like Pearl Jam.

i like the weird pearl jam songs, like BUGS.

does this make me an obscurantist?

maybe, maybe not

He could have disagreeing with the sentimental statement and not reflecting on Pearl Jam.

Well, what it meant was that he was the kind of guy who was comfortable making absolute statements of taste with people he barely knew, which I guess rubbed me the wrong way. (I mean, what if I was a big Pearl Jam fan?) But that's probably for another thread.

yeah there's no right or wrong, sure, nabisco, whatever you say. everything's "all good in the hood," yo.

-- hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, August 11, 2005 2:58 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Link

It sounds like this issue is mainly a problem at parties. The solution, therefor, would either be to not go to them or get so trashed that you're already more obnoxious than the obscurist. And, you know, everyone else...

Good tip.

the people who the most attitude are the ones who think that if it isn't well known or they haven't heard it before, there must be a reason for that and that reason must be is the music is lame.

-- omar little, Friday, April 11, 2008 8:34 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i really don't know about this

-- Surmounter, Friday, April 11, 2008 1:41 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

this type exists

This thread makes me smile.

I know a fair amount of people who think this is how I approach music, valuing the obscurity, but the real problem isn't that I like things that are obscure, it's that I'm cheap. When you hear me talking about that awesome Horslips album that I picked up (apparently not obscure in Ireland, but whatever), it's because it's two bucks. The reason that I look blankly when you're describing the latest Wilco album? The damn thing's at least $12 new. I only pay that much when I've seen a live band.

Also, something I like when talking about music is talking about it with people who are already familiar with it. I feel like obscurity often works against that, aside from specialized forums, since I feel like there's only so much you can say to someone who hasn't heard something before their eyes glaze over.

im pretty sure i can get u that new wilco for free if yr interested

Also, something I like when talking about music is talking about it with people who are already familiar with it. I feel like obscurity often works against that, aside from specialized forums, since I feel like there's only so much you can say to someone who hasn't heard something before their eyes glaze over.

This was a nice by-product of starting to listen to the radio again, five years ago, after ignoring it for so long: I could have conversations with co-workers or friends about Jay-Z or whatever.

"(I mean, what if I was a big Pearl Jam fan?)"

Uh so what?

pearl jam sux dreamboat gorilla ftw

(I mean, what if I was a big Pearl Jam fan?)

slap with glove + pistols at dawn

I mean should he have spared your feelings by pretending that you were right and there was something great about nostalgically wallowing in the wonder of Pearl Jam? Yay for communication!

No, he shouldn't have pretended I was right, of course not -- it's more about being tactful. I mean, you say "Yay for communication," and that's kind of my point: what bothers me about people who are constantly making dismissive comments is that they effectively shut down good conversation. The problem wasn't that he disagreed with me, it was the way in which he did so. Plus, it was such a trivial, off-handed comment for me to have made in the first place that his retort smacked of "I want to make sure you know that I don't listen to shit like that." Fine, who cares?

B-b-but your question was so leading??! What else could he or should he have said? "No there isn't and here is why. . . " following by a twenty minute pedantic lecture about a comment that was a throw off for you anyway. In person his response might have been nastier/more brusque, but written it out it seems fine to me.

the only thing that i remember about hstencil is that he got all butthurt because he thought i had a bad attitude about playing free jazz.

Alex, I don't really remember the conversation that well, so I don't remember what exactly I said. I do know that I wasn't addressing him specifically -- there were a few of us standing around, and I was talking to no one in particular, and my comment was more or less rhetorical, but he felt the need to chime in. Later, our mutual friend apologized and said "J. is kind of a dick sometimes."

Anyway, I already regret dredging up a 6-year-old party conversation, since it's not like it still bothers me or anything; I just thought it was kind of funny and played off Hstencil's online persona well (this, a year before I even discovered ILX).

i don't know, i'm the kind of person that i think about the other person a LOT during conversation. like if i know they like something, even if i don't, i really try to say something positive about it. sometimes it's weird cuz i'll be hating on something but then they say they love it and i have to like concoct this favorable take on it...

six finger satellite was great.

I saw them on severe exposure tour @ black cat. it was great

am now trying to convince as many friends as I can to buy early janet jackson records tho

Control, early Wax Trax, what's the difference

i have to like concoct this favorable take on it...

So you're insecure in your own opinions?

I know what you mean, Surmounter, although I don't know that I try to say something positive as much as I try to couch my dismissal in gentle terms, like saying, "Oh, I guess I wasn't really into that one so much" instead of "OMG I can't believe you liked that, it sucked." That's just with people I don't know that well, though; if I'm with friends, then I can be a total asshole sometimes, haha.

maybe not so much that as i tend to want to agree with people a lot. i'm like afraid of hurting people's feelings. i have this one friend who makes it a BIG POINT to tell you EXACTLY how she feels about something, even if she knows your opinion is completely different. which is something i can't do

i don't know, i'm the kind of person that i think about the other person a LOT during conversation. like if i know they like something, even if i don't, i really try to say something positive about it. sometimes it's weird cuz i'll be hating on something but then they say they love it and i have to like concoct this favorable take on it...

there's something about clinging to other people's opinions on music that turns me off.

compare and contrast

right ;-) with my boyfriend i can be a total asshole which is refreshing

i was really interested in this thread two hours ago and then ilx happened

it's more a conversational thing, shakey -- it's a matter of manners, to acquiesce to the other person's viewpoint somewhat, even if you don't totally share it

did ILX used to be less.. what it is now? I seem to remember it being friendlier in the greenspun days

btw this thread inspired me to listen to some Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at work today. it was OK.

xxp Yeah, that just seems polite.

I dunno I guess I do it too to some extent - altho I'm more inclined to try shift the conversation and find common ground about a particular subject than to express an opinion I don't really share. If someone tells me they like something I hate I'm liable to just keep my mouth shut. unless they're being really obnoxious about it.

did ILX used to be less.. what it is now? I seem to remember it being friendlier in the greenspun days

Haha, what prompted that, Daria?

btw this thread inspired me to listen to some Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at work today. it was OK.

I walked out of a show of theirs once. I, uh, couldn't take it.

Re: Wilco
No, not really. It's just going to be something else that goes in the "to listen" pile, and I still owe reviews on enough crap that I don't need more. I was just using them as a general "new release"-ish thing, even though it's a year old. It was something that my girlfriend's sister just couldn't believe I hadn't heard when it came out, and I kinda felt like I wasn't willing to spend the money and effort to listen to something that I'd probably like incrementally less than all the previous Wilco albums.

This was a nice by-product of starting to listen to the radio again, five years ago, after ignoring it for so long: I could have conversations with co-workers or friends about Jay-Z or whatever.

Yeah, I feel like a lot of people who complain about folks only liking "obscure" stuff have a really warped view of what's obscure and what's mainstream. Like, my blindspot tends to be the big "indie" like Arcade Fire or Belle and Sebastian or Spoon (anymore). So it's like, y'know, I was excited about the new Janet Jackson or Rihanna or whatever, even though I probably won't buy 'em, I'm at least radio familar and enjoy 'em. But that mid-tempo rock? I'm just never anywhere that I hear it, and I don't really feel like seeking it out just so I can have conversations about it.

I think this kind of douchebagery is a symptom of youth. Once you get past a certain age, people aren't really like this anymore. Because eventually they realize that they would rather have friends and that they are going to die someday.

Haha, what prompted that, Daria?

Most threads I've posted on aside from rolling 2008 ringtone?

surmounter, i've found that lots of people who don't have patience for artistic appreciation suck as people. they tend to be douchebags into self-promotion, who can't be bothered with shit that doesn't directly advance their douchebag selves. (i guess there's an argument to be made that demonstrating your obscure knowledge is self-promotion, albeit demented and sad; either way, i'll take that over dudes discussing how awesome they are at golf and getting laid or whatever.) conversely, like catsup, i've found that a taste for obscurity is a good sign someone doesn't suck as a person. but hey, we all run in different circles

hmm... i mean, i think it seems like i don't appreciate a taste for the obscure. i certainly do -- i mean, in certain circles, some of what i listen to is obscure, and it's always disappointing when people can't relate to it. yup just wanted to clear that up.

it's strange how even Kate Bush is so obscure to a lot of people i interact with... that's always such a let-down.

who the fuck is kate bush

"I only listen to top 40 and Sublime Frequencies"

--Steven Q. Shasta, Wakeboard Extraordinaire

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is one of my favorite bands, not because they are obscure, but because they are AWESOME.

your results may vary, of course

SGM put on one of the worst shows I've ever seen at the Elbow Room. Later, I noticed that they didn't look anything like their photos, or sound anything like their clips. I never bothered to figure out what happened, but SGM was on the bill, and the band claimed to be SGM. Is it possible there are two?

was there a botoh dancer at the show you're thinking of? They did a tour a few years ago that was 100% improvised with a dude in a cage.

these days i mostly rely on metacritc and the quarterly "waht is best" roundups in the various rolling threads. try to hear the stuff everybody in respective threads agrees upon, hasn't steered me wrong yet.

what is it with people who think completely obscure music is cool?

All music is cool

i mean, ugh. does this piss anyone off? it's like you're not really with it unless you like some band no one's heard of

why does it piss you off? because you really to be "WITH IT"? who do you hang out with, 13 year olds???

really WANT to be

try to hear the stuff everybody in respective threads agrees upon, hasn't steered me wrong yet.

-- BIG HOOS aka the steendriver

haha don't worry, there are plenty of land mines waiting to go off in your face in those threads

you have to choose between being pissed off about something and not giving a shit about it; you can't have it both ways

I think what Surmounter is talking about is some left-field bands that other people have tried to sell him on that aren't actually any good. One of the sad truths about the inability of the vast majority of musicians to make any money these days is that many of them fit the same description.

Also stence's comment was perfect and funny, jaymc you gotta lighten up!

some left-field bands that . . . aren't actually any good. One of the sad truths about the inability of the vast majority of musicians to make any money these days is that many of them fit the same description.

Name names.

why does it piss you off? because you really to be "WITH IT"? who do you hang out with, 13 year olds???

At least Surmounter has a sense of humor about being a special princess.

???

http://blog.gaseum.co.kr/attach/2/1033-113075_1_F.jpg

Also stence's comment was perfect and funny, jaymc you gotta lighten up!

Argh, I know it's funny, that's why I said "haha!" at the end of my post. At the time, though, I was kind of like, "who does this clown think he is?"

Someone's probably already said this, I hope, but I can't be arsed to read through 168 posts of trollbait-carcrash, which I'm assuming is what's here, but surely in the age of the internet barely anything is genuinely obscure anymore, and thus people whining about this are just too thick to google.

Hahah Sick Mouthy OTM!

Surmounter, I mean no offense. I know we share a love of Kate Bush, and that in itself is a deep bond. But I also think "coming across as a 12-year-old" is a valid comment to make about your posts at times.

There are plenty of people in this world who think Kate Bush is obscure.

Oh bloody hell sure there are! And you couldn't believe my eyes when someone told me they heard Kate Bush in an elevator in London I was like WTF? That would never happen in the US in a billion years.

Name names.

I don't know, virtually every indie rock band of the last eight years!

Also: Pearl Jam. There's a reason it's rare to hear them at "90s nostalgia nights" (shudder)

It's kind of amazing Pearl Jam became as huge as they did considering that they had the shelf life of a nanosecond (and I say this as someone who is more positive than negative about them).

THIS THREAD TOTALLY MADE ME RETHINK MY ATTITUDES RE: SHIT. WHOA.

THREAD OF GREAT LEARNING

did ILX used to be less.. what it is now? I seem to remember it being friendlier in the greenspun days

-- daria-g, Saturday, April 12, 2008 12:01 AM (16 hours ago) Bookmark Link

it was smaller and more cohesive... but search 'doomie' for some real heartwarming greenspun-era friendliness.

surely in the age of the internet barely anything is genuinely obscure anymore, and thus people whining about this are just too thick to google.

-- Scik Mouthy, Saturday, April 12, 2008 7:31 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Link

not outside the mentalist hothouse that is ilx, no. what are these no-obscure-music-knowing rubes supposed to google?

"obscure" "music"

http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Recommendations

^^ seems to mean radiohead.

1 Radiohead 92
2 The Beatles 64
3 David Bowie 57
4 Belle and Sebastian 51
5 Björk 45
5 Muse 45
7 The Doors 44
7 Sigur Rós 44
9 The White Stripes 43
9 Portishead 43
9 Pink Floyd 43
9 Nine Inch Nails 43

lolololol

"I'm totally into obscure bands, like Pink Floyd and The Beatles!"

STRANGE

Only real path to obscurity nowadays: Release only on vinyl/cassette/8-track.

and limited numbered hand-painted CDR.

not outside the mentalist hothouse that is ilx, no. what are these no-obscure-music-knowing rubes supposed to google?

I kind of meant that if someone mentions a band that one hasn't heard of, and thinks may be obscure, that all one has to do is google. Not that one would, when desirous of getting into obscure bands, sit at google typing 'obscure / dreamboat gorllia" or whatever.

i don't think it's obscurity that is attractive. i think that the type of person who explores is attractive.

i met someone who once described his favorite running song as "kind of obscure" and proceeded to explain that it was Blur's "Song #2".

STRANGE

-- Surmounter, Saturday, April 12, 2008 3:45 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

it makes me feeeel strange

HAHAAHAH! You've heard Thee Majesty haven't you!

http://www.last.fm/group/A+Museum+Of+Tonic+Obscurities

Hardcore Pearl Jam fans have a touch of obscurantism, don't they? They like to rave about how experimental and non-commercial PJ became during their No Code/Yield/Binaural era -- "this isn't the Pearl Jam you'll hear on top 40 radio," "this is better than 99.99% of the shit that passes for mainstream 'grunge' these days" "Ed Vedder doesn't care what anyone thinks" "they really stuck it to Epic Records, huh?" etc. Plus the fans have a billion rare bootlegs to fight over, and Vedder isn't above bigging up semi-obscure acts like The Frogs and Sleater-Kinney.

It seems like some music fans distance themselves from the masses by pursuing a bunch of super-obscure acts, whereas others gain so much esoteric knowledge about a few mainstream acts that they feel like they've one-upped the casual fan. It's quite possible to be a music geek/hipster/curio hunter/obscurantist even if your favorite bands are all household names.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is one of my favorite bands, not because they are obscure, but because they are AWESOME.

most accurate statement on ilx ever.

xpost "m the g is an idiot" should quickly replace it.

Hello, mr. 4-hour-xposter waht???

My favorite Obscure record was the first, Gavin Bryar's The Sinking of the Titanic.

-- dan selzer, Friday, April 11, 2008 10:01 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Link

I'm actually going to check this out because of this thread. That's why this thread is useful to me. Thanks Dan.

Can't speak to the others, but this version of The Sinking Of The Titanic is great, albeit obscure, I guess.

What I think is funny is that indie kids these days want to be into bands that might be "obscure" in some frames of reference but are not actually very obscure, in that they are on large labels and have expensive promo campaigns and play big shows and such. Because if they were truly obscure then they wouldn't be able to bond with other indie kids over their mutual appreciation, and that is the main objective.

Does that make sense? Like they want to be able to say "I love The Arcade Fire. You love The Arcade Fire too? Wow that is such an unlikely shared interest, we are totally soulmates, let's make out!" But they wouldn't want to say "I love Donny Donald and the Assholes! You've never heard of them? Oh, bummer."

"Indie kids" have always been like that, no? 80s Indie Kid: "I love The Cure. You love The Cure, too? Wow . . ."

But they wouldn't want to say "I love Donny Donald and the AssholesSteve Goldberg and the Arch-Enemies! You've never heard of them? Oh, bummer."

-- St3ve Go1db3rg, Monday, 14 April 2008 02:53 (3 minutes ago) Link

^^^ fixed.

No Donny Donald and the Assholes are a good band.

1) KILLING MUSIC
2) Donny Donald and the Assholes
-- Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Monday, July 3, 2006 10:19 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Link

Obviously I didn't just jump on the DD&tAH bandwagon.

oh my god someone please get to EXCELSIOR thread quick with the Donny Donald...

how is their denny lethargy collab

xpost

Will someone more sober than I am please start a poll for Donny Donald & the Assholes. Please.

First to write an essay regarding Sha Na Na comparisons to DD&TAH wins.

I ran into this dude who I hate for various reasons the other week and he was drunk and starting prattling on about all these bands he's going to be seeing. and he said 'have you ever heard of explosions in the sky?'. and I said 'yeah from that football movie soundtrack'.

Weren't DD&TAH once produced by Bruce Dunslap, the same guy who produced the legendary Dreamboat Gorilla LP "Long Way To The Top" from 1980?

ILX BREATHALYZER FAILURE BEEP BEEP YR COMPUTER WILL BE LOCKING UP IN 5 SECONDS

Yeah, he was at the controls on their eponymous EP in '87. It's out of print but I have a vinyl copy from the first run. "Reese's Peanut Butter Cups" is such a classic tune. Let's hold hands and listen to it.

Still waiting to see the reunion of Steve G01dberg and the Lesser Assholes.

i have more respect for people who like good popular music than people who like bullshit obscure music. for example, i'd prefer someone's favorite artists to be the Beatles, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, and Jay-Z than say any number of nonsense indie bands.

i have more respect for people who like good popular music than people who like bullshit obscure music.

challenging opinions

lol

"Reese's Peanut Butter Cups" rules. Have you got the 12" extended remix?

this thread was great for about the first 50 posts but then it got boring

matt h. and surmounter otm in those first 50

thank you, good night

xpost "m the g is an idiot" should quickly replace it.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is one of my favorite bands, not because they are obscure, but because they are AWESOME.

most accurate statement on ilx ever.

-- m the g, Sunday, 13 April 2008 21:27 (Yesterday)

xpost "m the g is an idiot" should quickly replace it.

-- brightscreamer, Monday, 14 April 2008 01:42 (11 h

ka-pow! you wound me! care to elaborate, or is this just a half-arsed zing fling?

never mind. my cack-handed copying and pasting kind of proved your point for you.

"was there a botoh dancer at the show you're thinking of? They did a tour a few years ago that was 100% improvised with a dude in a cage."

Nobody in a cage that I remember, but it's been a couple of years and I am reasonably sure that I was drunk. About the only mental image I can pull is a black woman playing keyboards.

By now I kind of hope that it was a prank pulled by the band, but at the time I remember being fairly annoyed. "I AM A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL PRESS! YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME!"

I do remember that they'd sent me a promo before the show, and that the promo was pretty good. I think I'll go see if I can find them again.

Also Goldberg's pretty much right, aside from the (previously noted) ascribing it as a current phenomenon. But it's kind of weird for me to be around people like that who are WAY into such a tiny slice of music. Like, you know every word on the Arcade Fire album and want to talk about hidden meanings? But you can't talk about, I dunno, Talking Heads, and you get freaked out by the Cambodia Rocks albums? That just seems weird to me, though I understand that I've got a pretty terrible sample set for what's normal regarding music listening.

that is a different sleepytime gorilla museum (?!) then, because they have no keyboard player, and the only woman in the band is Carla Kihlsted, who plays violin.

ctrl-f "challenging"