Almost Obscure Music

Some good jam songs...

2011-06-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

I can't say I'm a huge fan of jam bands. I do like the Grateful Dead, but I'm only a passive observer of music from acts such as Phish, Widespread Panic, Gov't Mule, Dave Matthews, etc. I know some people are feverish fans of the genre, so I'm not going to pretend I know anything about these bands. Instead, I'm just going to post a few of my favorite songs from some of these so called jam bands.

Reggae that isn't your average Bob

2011-05-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

Being that yesterday was Memorial Day and what is considered by many the start of summer in America it is only natural that some reggae tracks be posted for some true summer jammin. This post will just be four tracks that are reggae but not your average "One Love" "Three Little Birds" tracks. There is nothing wrong with some classic Bob Marley in any way, it is just that reggae is a genre which is largely unexplored. Most people find that they like Bob Marley but don't explore reggae any more to see what is out there. and in honesty if you ask someone if they are into reggae you will likely get a response which goes something like this "Yea, I like Bob Marley". Again, this is not a terrible thing, in fact there is a reason why Bob is the best known of the genre, he knew how to do it as good as anybody. Anyway, enough of the rant about how reggae is unexplored by the masses, on to the music, and starting this week all our songs will be posted using Grooveshark, it is better for finding quality versions of songs, and there isn't any chance they will be removed like youtube videos.

First up this week we have Steel Pulse, with their 12" Mix of "Leggo Beast". Steel Pulse is from England originally and their most known song is probably "Your House" or "Steppin' Out". Steel Pulse is classic roots reggae and their topics for writing usually consist of struggles against racism and contain messages of hope for the future. My favorite section of this song has to be the breakdown they do from 3 minutes until the end.

Next we have Gregory Isaacs with his song "Oh What A Feeling". Warning: This song may get stuck in your head, and the wonderful popping sound that plays throughout the entire song may play in your head for the rest of the day.

Third we have Peter Tosh with his song "Why Must I Cry". Tosh was actually one of the founding members of "The Wailers" along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer. This song is from his first solo album "Legalize it" and it is bursting with emotion, I love it.

Last but not least we have Bob Marley with "We and Dem". This is probably the most known song out of the bunch today but it is still far from as popular as his other hits (which I won't even name because you certainly know the ones I'm talking about). Interesting post note about Bob Marley is that he actually lived for a short while in Wilmington Delaware (10 minutes from my house) and worked at a local Chrysler car plant that is now closed, I know you don't care about this but Delaware is tiny and we take any chance we can to make ourselves feel important.

Classics (that don't get enough love) !

2011-05-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today's post deals with some music not quite as obscure as those from the first post. There is no doubt you will have heard of all of the bands in this post - most have at least one song that everyone knows from their favorite FM rock radio station. I wouldn't call these selections "deep cuts" -- more like second tier tracks from classic acts that don't get enough airplay. LET'S GET TO IT:

This first selection is from the classic Axis: Bold As Love album. It is Hendrix's best album in my opinion. What I love about this song is how it takes you on a bit of a journey. The opening verse and guitar are very gentle (much like a lot of the album), but build up perfectly into a chorus that really displays Jimi's vocal ability. After the chorus, enter the guitar solo - a solo that is pure Hendrix. By this time, you are completely enveloped in the song. This is when Jimi starts to take you on a wild psychedelic ride, starting with the call and response guitar riffs. Mitch goes wild on the drums at the same time, and before you know it, you are experiencing the best the Jimi Hendrix Experience has to offer. The only thing bad about this song is that it ends.

Here it is: the last song off Boston's self-titled, record-selling debut album. It is a nice change from the rest of the album's tracks - very complex-sounding, but structurally simplistic. The mixing is perfect. Delp's layered vocals sound perfect as always, but the real winner is the guitar solo. So many different tones in one solo, with perfect layering tying it all together during the last phrase. Just when you think you're going to be left with the softer side of Boston, the outro comes roaring in, and man does Brad Delp let loose. Do yourself a favor - listen to this album from start to finish. You won't be disappointed.

RUSH is my favorite band. I like them for their complex song structure and instrumental ability. This, however, is one of their most simplistically structured songs. This is what rock sounds like when virtuoso musicians play it - tight drum fills, a perfectly phrased rock guitar solo, and a driving bass line that stays within the song's context, but does enough do distinguish itself. Although 2112 is basically a concept album, the seven-part 2112 is unrelated to the other songs on the album. The sound of A Passage to Bangkok is somewhat of a return to the band's roots, aside from the drumming style of Neil Peart. Listen to all seven parts of 2112 and be absorbed by musical genius that is RUSH. Then listen to this track. It is pure RUSH and pure hard rock.

Steve Miller Band. Known for FM radio staples such as The Joker, Jet Airliner, Rock'n Me, Jungle Love...the list goes on. Many people may not even realize that they once played with a psychedelic-oriented sound in the late 60s. They slowly gravitated toward a more mainstream, clean-cut rock sound that produced all their hits in the 70s. Space Cowboy, off of Brave New World, is a stellar mixture of the band's two sounds. The main riff is very catchy (you'll instantly hear Lady Madonna by The Beatles), but the vocals and overall grungy sound weigh the song down (in a good way).

Absolute Randomness

2011-05-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today is going to be a seriously mixed bag of songs, everything from 3 stringed guitars to people singing in some language that I seriously don't even know.

Our first song comes from a good sir I discovered by watching Top Gear, he was the star in a reasonably priced car. His name is Seasick Steve and he plays anything with strings, mostly homemade stuff that is just absolutely rigged together, he makes it not only make noise, but make noise that is pleasing.

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Next we have an alternative band that goes by the name "Dinosaur Jr." My buddy turned me on to this song/band and I am very impressed. The guitar solo on this song from 3:30 or so until the end definitely takes you on quite a trip and will keep you guessing where it is going.

Coming up third we have a band that I found watching tv, they are called Staff Benda Bilili and they are seriously interesting, all the main singers are paralyzed from having polio when they were young. The band is from the Congo and the song is Sala Mosala, I couldn't tell you what it means, but I can tell you their name translates to "Look Beyond Apperances" and with music like this that truly isn't hard.

Coming up fourth we have the most interesting Jewish rapper/reggae fusion singer you will ever hear. He is Matisyahu, and while you may have heard of his bigger hits such as "One Day" and "King Without a Crown" here is one of his lesser known songs, as always sticking to his Jewish roots on this track. The song is "Dispatch the Troops" and I went with this live version just because he seems to put on some performance.

Last up we have a song by the Grateful Dead and one which has actually become my inspiration for my usernames on a majority of websites. The song is a cover of a folk song called "Iko-Iko" and in true Grateful Dead fashion they take it for a major jam, all I can say is jockamo feena nay indeed Jerry.