Ok, so here is my new idea. Going through our lists, I found myself wanting to recommend some cds to people and I was a little curious about what other people had that I might like.

Sooo... Post your best kept secrets! What cds do you have that hardly anyone has heard about, but you ABSOLUTELY LOVE? Please post a link to the artist's website and/or try to find them on www.amazon.com or http://entertainment.msn.com/music/ and post links to samples so we can hear what you are talking about.

I'll go first. Ruby is the female Trent Reznor, IMO.

http://entertainment.msn....bum=104324

Scroll down and you can play sample clips from each song on the cd.



This cd rocks like a mutherfuck.




[This message was edited Fri Feb 6 14:24:19 PST 2004 by VinaBlue]

The Best Of Canned Heat...for a 60'/70's hippie band, they sure had a good grasp on the blues...

Brooklyn Funk Essentials

i have no secrets...even i laugh at som eof my music. spice girls and carly simon are possibly the worst offenders though.

but, i'm a fag so it doesn't count!

"Italians Fall Down And Look Up Your Dress" by Tragic Mulatto, a defunct art-punk band headed up by an obese lesbian tuba player named Flatula Lee Roth. Their song "She's A Ho" is one of my all-time favorites, and their cover of "Whole Lotta Love" is one of the most amazing covers I've ever heard.

They eventually broke up after getting arrested one too many times for having sex with each other onstage. They were a little deranged.

Here's a pic of them in action. WARNING: It's not pretty.

http://www.hipmagazine.com/tragic.jpg

VinaBlue said:

Well, that's why they're a best-kept secret of my music collection.

SassierBritches said:

Hey now, there's no shame in owning a bit of Carly. She's such an ingenue...a veritable will-o-the-wisp!

VinaBlue said:

I didn't mean like dirty little secrets.

I don't really have any secret CDs, but besides myself I've never heard of any one having Gay Dad: Leisure Noise which I find weird because it's a truly outstanding pop/rock album (from 1999) and I absolutely love it!
[This message was edited Fri Feb 6 15:23:03 PST 2004 by scififilmnerd]

GREAT Topic!

Downtown Science: Downtown Science

Fleming and John: The Way We Are

KMD: Mr. Hood, Black Bastards

Nadir: Distorted Soul (Soul)

Zion (Soul)

crash into june (rock)

Joe Montanna: It's Not A Game (hip-hop)


as for jazz, because jazz is horribly underappreciated by us in general:

Horace Silver: Horace Silver Trio

Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley

Judee Sill

I've been listening to her albums on repeat lately.She released two beautiful albums in the early 70s.If you like Female singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell or Laura Nyro you'll certainly like Judee.She has a loyal following of devotees to her music.She looks like a librarian but has a voice of an angel.You could only currently buy her albums on the Rhinohandmade website:

http://www.rhinohandmade.com



Here's more info:
http://www.allmusic.com/c...6gtra9kl4x

A couple websites dedicated to her,the second one has MP3s:

http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/jsill/

http://www.webnoir.com/bob/music/

I Judee
[This message was edited Fri Feb 6 16:09:25 PST 2004 by PhilG]

Don't think it's a "best kept secret" but, Cloud One's "Atmosphere Strut." Of course, it's old school. I let this get away and searched for it for years until I found it remastered. It's got just six cuts on it, but I usually only play the title cut. And I NEVER hear it on the radio so, it's my personal little gem.

jerseykrs said:

ooh-ooh ooh, it's like- ooh, it's like that you keep goin'

CinisterCee said:

"...the creator has a master plan...peace and happiness for every man...the creator has a master plan..."

crazyhorse said:

I have pt. I but not part II. Good choice.

Secret Secrets Joan Armatrading (1985)


The Mochasutra Tori Fixx (2000)


ReFixx Tori Fixx (2001)


Sota! Backroom Matches (2002)


Black.Out (Disc 1) Tori Fixx (2004)


-Kelis "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Live @ The Glastonbury Music Festival, June 2000)
-Kelis "Got Your Money/Mars" (Live in Germany)
[This message was edited Fri Feb 6 18:59:02 PST 2004 by JANFAN4L]

jerseykrs said:

I've got Critical Rhythm, produced, arranged, mixed and edited by the Brooklyn Funk Essentials.

scififilmnerd said:

They were pretty pants sir in my opinion. They just had a lot of hype around them becuz of their name (which I think is pretty cool though). Their singer Cliff (Jones??) was a bit of a goon I seem to recall. On the plus side, they did appoint the girl who lent vocals to some tracks on Primal Scream's 'Screamedelica' album, her name might be Rowetta, Im not sure.

I am a huge fan of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. God that was painful to say.

Started off listening to his stuff because of the famous "Spanish Flea" and thought i was being really ironic.

But the truth is, it is all just fantastic. I defy anyone to listen to Spanish Flea and not fall in love with the band.

Hope this link works for samples. No spanish flea, unfortunately, but you get the gist.


http://www.amazon.com/exe...vi=samples
[This message was edited Sat Feb 7 5:30:24 PST 2004 by TheFrog]

Going down my list, the albums that I find most people don't know about but should own, are...


Betty Davis - Betty Davis

Miles' ex-wife, Hendrix' bit on the side, great funk kinda Tina Turner but dirtier sounding voice, with Larry Graham on bass.

Cymande - Cymade (best of)

In my oppinion, one of the BEST 70's funk bands, but more african/carribean slanted in places. A HEAVELY sampled (from hiphop) collection of songs. When I get myself a bass guitar in the next few months, I'll be learning to this CD first.

Eddie Hazel - Games Dames and Guitar Thangs

Maggot Brain guitarists solo album, exceptionally funky insrumental shots (with Bootsy on bass for some of 'em), plus some VERY soulful singing from this guy. A great chance to see what the hype beyond Maggot Brain was about. Contains the best version of California Dreamin' you'll EVER hear. Only available on very rare LP (or Kazaa if you're lucky).

Gilberto Gil/Jorge Ben - Gil E Jorge

Tropicala album, featuring the Brazilian duo strumming their geetars, and singing each others tunes, but all the time improvising off of each other. A fascinating listen, with extremely energetic rythm and bizarre vocal scits in places. Contains a 10 minute plus version of Taj Mahal, the song the song writers of both Rod Stewart (Do you think Im Sexy) and Kylie Minogue (I should be so Lucky) lifted.

Keziah Jones - ANYTHING by this dude.

Blues/rock/soul/funk guy with unique style to his own. Unheard of outside mainland Europe at least.

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Darkest Light - best of

A funkstramental band who couldn't break it in the states, went over to Paris and made it big(ish). Again, a HEAVELY sampled band for hiphop

Mandrill - Mandrill/Mandrill Is

The first two albums totally ROCK, in a FUNK with dash of latin way. Again, sampled a few times. These albums are just 'OUT THERE'. A journey to listen to. And some amazingly funky guitarriffs going on.

Jeff Beck - You Had It Coming

I got interested in this after discovering he had won agrammy for bestrock instrumental for a track named Dirty Mind. I listened to the track and was BLOWN AWAY. Another take on 'modernised' blues, but this time, it's SPOT ON. The most powerful guitar riffs and solos work extremely well with the hardcore breakbeats or ambient house stuff, whatever you fancy in dance-land. In fact, I used to have many discussions with a house DJ friend about combining rock and house/drumnbass/techno. I even collaborated with him and we came up with a crappy but fun track (me on guitar, him lifting beats from other dance tunes). When I found this CD, I went back to my day job.

Oneness of Juju - African Rythms/Space Jungle Love

Kinda like Cymande, very jolly-funky and fresh sounding. Get both these albums! Some fantastic instrumentals on here, as well as great african-style songs

Mutiny - How's Your Loose Booty?

If you don't like funk, this compilation of P-funk a offshot band will NOT change your mind, because this IS THE FUNK. THIS IS THE TRUE JEM OF MY COLLECTION at the moment.

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

Forget whiny-boys Radiohead, Muse and Coldplay. Talk Talk set the ball rolling and have forever set the STANDARD for gut-wrenching suicidal rock. Listen to this album and you'll realise that Radiohead et al are just a bunch of fakers that don't know real pain.

Rasputin Stash - The Devil Made me do it.

A great gem of rare groove funk. It's a hard to find compilation with some more tighter, less outlandish funkadelic style funk. You'll recognise the title track as something "you're sure you've heard before, somewhere...".
[This message was edited Sat Feb 7 7:54:00 PST 2004 by Taureau]

definitely HUMAN DRAMA


Human Drama has been around since the late 80's, and they've released a string of brilliant albums.

Johnny Indovina is to Human Drama as Robert Smith is to The Cure - the leader and center of the group. He's an amazing singer/songwriter who performs with alot of passion. His songs are very dark, VERY melodic and if there were any justice in the world Human Drama would be as big as REM, U2, etc.. because they are just as good.

Johnny has just announced recently that HD is no more... but hopefully he will continue as a solo artist.

Check out more at www.humandrama.net

If you want to check them out, I would recomment getting "In a Perfect World - The Best of Human Drama" first. It's a good compilation, but really just the tip of the ice berg.

Classic HD albums include FEEL, The World Inside (utterly brilliant), Songs of Betrayal, Solemn Sun Setting and Cause and Effect. They also have done a covers album called Pinups that is very good, and a live record.


HD's music is very acoustic sounding, with alot of cellos and strings... but also an edge. Johnny's writing has always reminded me a bit of Tori Amos... very confessional, but not quite so obtuse and abstract.

Johnny is also a very cool person - he's e-mailed me several times, he responds to fans. It's a shame that there are so many no-talent bands out there making it big and an act like Human Drama has toiled in obscurity all these years.

sometimes they get labelled "goth", but they're not really. They have released some things on Projekt records which tends to cater to goth bands, so that's why HD sometimes has that label. But their music is melodic, acoustic-based alternative rock, very intense and emotional.

Check them out!

crazyhorse said:

co-sign! The Flat Earth is a classic album!!!
[This message was edited Sat Feb 7 8:48:30 PST 2004 by JonSnow]

The Boo Radleys. You've just got to hear Giant Steps, a landmark album, absolutely classic.



see www.bravecaptain.com for a 10th anniversary mini-site with samples, demos and live versions, along with all sorts of reviews telling you how good it is, and essays from the band telling you what a pain it was to make.

Other than that? [looks around room...] Dubstar's Disgraceful is good.

Oh, and Wendy James's solo album (after Transvision Vamp split), Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears (all songs written by Elvis Costello!) - a very good album I think.

PhilG said:

I just listened to "Till Dreams Come True". I hear a little Karen Carpenter in her voice, I don't know which came first, but that is my point of reference. Only she sounds sweeter and not as strained as Karen.



I really like her melodies.

JonSnow said:

Great review! I'm listening to "Madame Hate's Mad Search For Love" right now. I really like his voice.

TheFrog said:

Whipped Cream is real groovy.

Hey! You can hear samples of every song over here!! http://ubl.artistdirect.c...28,00.html

Yeah, I remember Spanish Flea. I'm mexican, so I remember hearing this when I was little. Tijuana Taxi...


Great stuff. Gotta love it.

VinaBlue said:

That's one of my favorite tracks!! Try Goodnight Sweetheart, also from Cause and Effect.

From Solemn Sun Setting, key tracks are:

Lost
My Denial
Single White Rose (so fucking gorgeous...)

from Songs of Betrayal check out:

Another 50 Miles
This Forgotten Love
Let the Darkness In
Blue

from The World INside, I recommend:

Tears
Look into A Strangers Eyes
This Tangled Web
Fascination and Fear


from Feel:

I could be a killer
Dying in a Moment of Splendor
Death of an Angel
There is only You



Hmm... i've been meaning to make a good HD compilation for a while, I think i've got the start of a tracklisting, LOL

VinaBlue said:

Yeah, Vina her demos are great but her albums are better w/ the full production. Her personal story is a bit more tragic than Karen w/ homelessness & drug addiction/overdose.