LJ Idol Week #2 - Topic: Follow Me

[prog_schlock]

This is my entry for Week #2 of therealljidol.

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National Obscurity

But what I need is not cut cost
What I need is a life where I've won
All the times that I've lost
What I need is not ways to go on
What I need is to slit my wrists and be gone
- Scott Miller, "Slit My Wrists"

In his liner notes1 for Game Theory's greatest hits album Tinkers to Evers to

Comments

[kickthehobbit]

Hey now, I know what liner notes are. :P

Obscure, obscure...oh God. I think by definition most of what I listen to is either not obscure, or not on the internet (see also: most of my CD collection). I'll do my best, tho.

White Antelope is a favorite-I love his cover of Silver Dagger.

Polica is a band that most of my friends have never listened to. "Maker", off "Give You the Ghost".

Another one I'm surprised more people haven't heard is All Thieves. We Will Be Dust.

Oh, and VAST. Here.

Howling Bells always gets confused with Broken Bells when I bring them up. Low Happening.

[logical_fallacy]

VAST aren't obscure, imo. They had mainstream radio airplay in the 90s. ;-)

But I love them.

[prog_schlock]

OH MY GOD! Silver Antelope's lead singer is the Fleet Foxes guy, isn't he?

Ok, googled, yes it is he on that song. Oh, that's gorgeous. I love his voice so much.

I also very much enjoyed the other three songs. Sorry its taken me days to respond - I wanted to have some time to listen to the music everyone shared before writing something.

Also, yes yes yes to VAST.

[kickthehobbit]

White Antelope is his solo project (or was, I guess). He did a bunch of really great folk covers. :)

I'm glad you like VAST! I...don't actually meet that many people that know them!

[sinnamongirl]

I'm gonna learn so much music from you, I can't wait... One band that just got reminded to me last night was For Squirrels (changed to Subrosa later), 2 of the members dying in a van accident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBbl3RpgNN4

I don't know how to embed in comments, or even if you like that sort of thing, so there's a link.

There's always, of course, Vic Chesnutt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rPyQFmGmb4

[prog_schlock]

I've never heard For Squirrels before. I'm always a little sad when I learn of a band that sounds great and they're either defunct or (in this case) dead. That's a great song, though.

I love Vic Chestnutt. Great Choice.

I like that you shared Squirrels and Nuts. :D

[sinnamongirl]

I didn't even realize I shared Squirrels and Nuts! I was away from the computer all weekend and was trying to think of others that would fit... Supergrass? Screaming Trees?

[xo_kizzy_xo]

1. I've heard of Game Theory but no, this is the first time I've ever listened to them.

2. I also know what a liner note is ;)

3. Obscure music? Erk, my tastes don't run that way.. I was MTV fangirl back in the day, lol! I always toggle between the 70s and 80s stations on Sirius. Now some of that music -- the 70s more so than the 80s -- is stuff I haven't heard in over 20 years, maybe more. Every so often they'll throw in a lesser-know work from a popular artist and I'll be like, hmm, I know the voice but I don't know the song...???

[prog_schlock]

I find that the young people these days don't know a whole lot about the cultural relics of albums/cds/cassettes/8 tracks. Why should they? I only know about Reel to Reel and victrolas and wax cylinders because I'm an audiophile and have done research.

Everyone has different passions in regards to music and art. I bet there's a film or a novel or something that you champion all the time - the thing that everyone has to see or read but nobody seems to have seen or read.

(for me, in literature, its the short story collection Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link)

[kickthehobbit]

Magic for Beginners is what got me writing!

[prog_schlock]

It's so good.

[bleodswean]

Yes. I completely agree. Obscure music can fade tragically fast into oblivion. It's frightening in how mortal a song can be. I'm glad that Game Theory and Scott Miller have such a devoted and comprehending listener and fan in you.

Most of my musical enjoyment is derived from the obscure. My list of favourite little known musical artists is pages and pages long. But I do wish more people knew Swans -

[halfshellvenus]

That was an interesting song-- and a deeper voice than most singers. Kind of refreshing. :)

[bleodswean]

Glad you gave it a try, K! Swans and Gira have been in my top five faves for decades now. I prefer the lower ranged male voice.

[prog_schlock]

I love The Swans. I was so amped when they got back together and was even more amped when "The Seer" turned out to be so amazing. I think they're getting a little more love now, but its still mostly from audiophiles rather than from the general public.

[favoritebean]

Thank you for introducing Game Theory. I must admit that the songs I listened to in the follow up post do remind me of what the Beatles might have sounded like had they formed in the 80s

[prog_schlock]

Yeah, the Meat Beat Manifesto were fantastic. They deserved a lot more attention - I only have Mindstream in my music library.

I'll look up both Amy Beach and Clifford Brown. I'm woefully underexposed to jazz in general and to classical post-Leonard Bernstein. Thank you for sharing!