Old band recommendations

[perth shrimper]

Frequent posts recently have centred on tips for new, upcoming and modern bands.
Anyone you have loved in the past that might have slipped through the net that you would recommend?

My tips:

LITTLE FEAT - Boogie, funk, country and groove sound. Supreme musicianship and a slice of 70's Americana.

EMMIT RHODES - Mid 70's songwriter with a laid back California sound perfect for a cruisy afternoon.

AVERAGE WHITE BAND - Tight, ultru funky soul band with a bag of awesome tunes and stormin' horn section. Wierdly originating from Scotland in the 70's.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Good idea,

10 Years After - Late 60's early 70's guitar band led by Alvin Lee who was one of the best singers of the era IMO.

Widowmaker - mid 70's, formed from the remnants of 60's pap band Love Affair, great vocalist in Steve Ellis. I think they only made one album, i have searched lists for years for any other recordings.

Sutherland Brothers & Quiver - bit of a moody, harmonic band in the vain of Supertramp. Did the original and best version of Sailing.

 

[hexagon_sun]

Big Star - 2 albums of near perfect guitar-based 1970's pop music followed by a dark, fragile, beautiful third album that is still like nothing you've ever heard. Criminally overlooked at the time and even now they're best known for providing the theme tune to That 70s Show ("In the Street") and having been covered by This Mortal Coil ("Holocaust").

Pearls Before Swine - probably the finest band to emerge from the whole late 60s psychedelic folk/rock scene centered around America's west coast. PBS released 6 albums of superb songwriting, conscious lyrics and stunning arrangements. Unlike a lot of their contemporaries, drug references were kept to a minimum while the lyrics addressed more serious themes. Main man Thom Rapp proved he was for real by eventually quitting music for a career as a civil rights lawyer.

The Modern Lovers - outsider proto-punk that was light years ahead of it's time, it's almost unbelievable that anybody could have made music like this in 1974. If you like The Strokes but have never heard the first Modern Lovers album then shame on you - sort it out.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Quote[/b] (hexagon_sun @ Feb. 08 2006,11:00)]The Modern Lovers - outsider proto-punk that was light years ahead of it's time, it's almost unbelievable that anybody could have made music like this in 1974. If you like The Strokes but have never heard the first Modern Lovers album then shame on you - sort it out.

Were they Jonathan Richman's lot?

 

[hexagon_sun]

Quote[/b] (Uxbridge Shrimper @ Feb. 08 2006,11:17)]

Quote[/b] (hexagon_sun @ Feb. 08 2006,11:00)]The Modern Lovers - outsider proto-punk that was light years ahead of it's time, it's almost unbelievable that anybody could have made music like this in 1974. If you like The Strokes but have never heard the first Modern Lovers album then shame on you - sort it out.

Were they Jonathan Richman's lot?

Yep, although from what I've heard none of Richman's subsequent work is a patch on the first Modern Lovers album.

 

[Shrimper in India]

My recommendations would be:

The Sundays - perfect summer pop from late 80s/90s, album Static and Silence remains one of my favourite ever.

Anyone know where they are now?

Grace - Jeff Buckley - this should be in your record collection, if it's not, go out and get it. Amazing voice, tragedy is he only released one album before that fatal dip in the Mississippi.

Doolittle - Pixies. Anyone who likes Nirvana but hasn't listened to the Pixies should get this album. Set the way for the grunge scene.

That'll do for the time being...

 

[Uncle Leo]

Quote[/b] (Shepherd's Bush Shrimper @ Feb. 08 2006,12:35)]Doolittle - Pixies. Anyone who likes Nirvana but hasn't listened to the Pixies should get this album. Set the way for the grunge scene.

Hear hear Edster.

Definitely in my all time top three.

 

[Leeboy]

any early XTC - Franz and Chiefs have a lot to thank them for