Obscure Media Monday

2011-06-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

As of 12/17/10, this blog will no longer be updated. Thanks for reading!

As of 6/28/11, I've turned my attention to cleaning out my Netflix queue. You can follow along with that fun at The Taming of the Queue!

Horror-at-Sea

2010-08-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

While Shark Week seems to have become a media institution, there is more to horror-at-sea than fish with big teeth. Maritime folklore is filled with ghost ships and superstitions that are less wildlife related. These two smaller films take advantage of the situation of isolation that the ocean provides.

Below (2002)

Directed by David Twohy (Pitch Black) and co-written by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), Below is a ghost story in the classical sense. Set on a WWII submarine, the story is less about a ghost antagonist that needs to bested and more about the mystery surrounding the death of the sub's captain. The supernatural events occur in order to right a wrong, rather than kill everyone in sight. Twohy takes the opportunity to add some creepy visuals here and there, but resists making the climax effects-laden. The performances and writing are perhaps a little too modern, but the claustrophobic nature of submarine life is fairly well portrayed.

Triangle (2009)
(This trailer is spoilery.)

Triangle is a UK/Australian production (with no accents) that only had a DVD release in the US. Without giving away much more than the above, the plot of this movie involves a time loop (much like another semi-obscure movie, Timecrimes (2007)). Such a conceit requires very careful plotting and performances, and Triangle doesn't quite succeed in this. It cheats in an obvious way on re-watch. Given one watch though, Triangle presents some jarring moments and an ending that was truly surprising to me. Melissa George (30 Day of Night and quite a bit of television) gives a very good performance though the way the movie cheats undermines it somewhat.

Both movies are available on DVD and on Netflix instant view. Triangle is also available on Blu-ray.

Short Movie: Heartless (Whitestone Motion Pictures)

2010-06-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

Every week or two, my husband and I have a conversation about the publishing industry in relation to electronic texts and ebook readers. Every other conversation leads to Eric making the following point: movies are continually becoming easier to make and distribute. Historically, television and the movies haven't "killed" the written word, but what if instead of writing the story you want to tell, you could make the movie instead?

Tor and SF Signal have been showcasing a plethora of well-made independent short films. I'm not saying that movie-making isn't hard work or as cheap as writing, but I'm happy that services like YouTube and Vimeo are allowing film makers to distribute their work. A particular standout is Whitestone Motion Pictures' Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man, posted at Tor in early May.

This is film well done. The look is great, the performances are pretty good, and it's worth twenty minutes of your time when you're looking for a steampunky fairy-tale escape. All of Whitestone's projects have this lightly magical (and musical) sensibility to them. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them.

Personally, I never worry about whether one method of storytelling will supercede another. As long as tales continue to be told, I'm happy.

Movie: Trick 'r Treat

2010-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is the second of two posts about movies that were not given a theatrical release, but are still managing to find an audience.

With smaller, experimental movies (like last week's Ink), it's not hard to understand why a film was not picked up for distribution. The movie business is a *business* after all and investment is weighed against risk. A film by a new director, featuring unknown actors, and questionable plot accessibility is quite a risk.

Horror films are regarded as easy money. Their budgets are reasonable, as are their returns. Fear, it would seem, is the ultimate in accessible. When a horror film like Trick 'r Treat with a known director (Michael Dougherty, X2, Superman Returns) and name actors (Anna Paquin (the X-Men movies, True Blood) and Brian Cox (Deadwood, the first two Bourne movies)), is shelved, it's curious.

Trick 'r Treat is a homage to horror comics, and the horror anthology movies (Creepshow) and TV shows (Tales from the Crypt, Fear Itself) they spawned. The film is a collection of four stories mildly interwoven and containing a loose wrap-around. As horror movies go, it's mildly gory, fairly suspenseful, and full of "fun" scares. So, why wasn't it released theatrically?

Trick 'r Treat's R rating might have been some of the problem. While the target demographic for horror films is teenagers and films such the Saw franchise and Rob Zombie's recent movies haven't suffered from the rating, Trick 'r Treat doesn't look like R-rated horror. It's not torture porn and there are no grungy psycho-killers. Instead, Trick 'r Treat filled with wicked little stories with twist endings. Again, it's scary, somewhat gory, fun. It just happened to be in the R category according to the MPAA and may not have been available to what was perceived to be its target audience.

The hardcore horror competition, especially in October, probably also contributed to Trick 'r Treat's shelving. The film was originally slated for release in October of 2007. This release date would have put it against Saw IV and Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, as well as 30 Days of Night. Tough competition for the over age-17 dollar. A 2008 release would have had a similar problem: a Saw film and an R-rated remake (Quarantine). Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures finally released the film on DVD in October of 2009. It is available through all major retailers and rental services. And I don't think you need to wait until October to give it a look.

Movie: Ink

2010-04-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

This is the first of two posts about movies that did not receive theatrical release, but are still managing to find audiences.

The first movie is Ink.

Ink is a very nice example of a modern fairly tale. This is not an old tale re-envisioned, but instead it has its own mythos, or at least relies on fairly obscure folklore. It is unafraid to mix some vaguely technological elements (like the creepy TV screened incubi) with more traditional fairy tale tropes (the child stealing ogre and the blind fool). It presents its concept of how the world works with little initial exposition. I could present a succinct and non-end-spoiling plot summary, but I think that would do the film injustice. Ink is at its most charming when its not working too hard to tell an exact story.

Unfortunately, the most prevalent problem with fairly tales is that, they're pretty simple. The title character of Ink goes on his journey and, as he is accompanied and pursued, he learns about himself as a character along with the audience. While the movie is not preachy, it does end in an inevitable moral lesson.

The film-making is very good if taken within a certain context. Ink has several very distinct looks for its different worlds. The effects are cheaply done, but not necessarily cheap looking. I would not wish for this movie to have better effects, but I also can't see that it could have ever been a "big screen" movie. I'm not sure if it comes down to lack of polish exactly, but for me, Ink is a very fine TV movie. Not more than that.

Still, Ink has a certain Terry Gilliam aspects to it, and is a better use of an hour and forty-five minutes than the likes of Gilliam's Brothers Grimm.

Ink was not picked up for theatrical distribution. Instead Double Edge Films went truly independent, releasing the film on DVD and Blu-Ray and marketing for sale directly from their website and for rent from various retailers. They've also embraced the "give-it-away" strategy. The video is currently available on Hulu, and Double Edge's website urges free viewer (whether through Hulu or other means) to contribute.

Music: Ramona Falls

2010-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

A brief OMM, due to the lazy writer being lazy:

Brought to my attention by the excellent web comic Wondermark is the band Ramona Falls.

Hailing from Portland, OR, Ramona Falls has a sound that reminds me very much of Michael Penn (of "No Myth" fame¹). The vocals are similar though Ramona Falls augments lush acoustics with a little bit of electronic flare. I'll definitely be paying attention to this collaboration as well as Brent Knopf's more prominent project, Menomena. Ramona Falls 2009 album Intuit can be purchased through Amazon and more tracks are available for listening at their Facebook page.

¹ While "No Myth" is Penn's only top 20 hit in the US, his albums are generally solid, especially 1989's March, which is available in extended form through Amazon.

TV: The Unusuals

2010-01-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

Dramedy is a word that makes me cringe. It reeks of desperation. I imagine it to be the word a pitch man uses when trying to convince a studio executive that dramas can be comedic or that a comedy can be dramatic. "You know... a damedy!" With a TV history that includes shows like M*A*S*H and Scrubs, it would seem that such a desperate word would be unneeded. Drama is often better with the lightening aspects of comedy, and comedy can be kept from being frivolous by the weight of drama. Unfortunately, "dramedy" is used and The Unusuals was stuck with the label.

Set in NYC, The Unusals presents a homicide division filled with ecentric characters that specializes in not-straight-forward cases. At the center is Detective Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn, Joan of Arcadia), who is trying to shed her socialite past, and Detective Jason Walsh (Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker), a former baseball player and current diner owner. Other characters include a very Frank Burns-like "top" detective, a man who believes he will die before he turns 43, and other that has a brain tumor and may die in the near future.

The Unusuals premiered in April of 2009. ABC touted the show as the next M*A*S*H and had hopes of it being the next big crime drama. The first episode, like many pilots, is somewhat rough around the edges. It perhaps tries too hard to be funny given absurd situations. The performances are impressive though, especially Renner's. By the third episode, the show settles down. Audiences didn't give the show that long and it was quickly canceled.

All ten episodes of The Unusuals are currently available (as of 1/25/10) online at Hulu and Crackle.

Movie: Strange Days

2010-01-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

With a certain Kathryn Bigelow movie coming out on DVD on Jan. 12^th and a rather prominent James Cameron movie in the theaters, I felt it apropos to visit a little-seen collaboration of the two: Strange Days.

Released in 1995, Strange Days is set on the day before and the day of New Year's Eve 1999. As a near-future cyberpunk film, the technological advances are modest. The highlighted technology are SQUID decks and clips. SQUID is the ultimate in immersion entertainment. Not only does "playback" visually put you in the action, it sends feedback to your body to make you feel like you are there. Since the inevitable application of playback involves porn and vicarious crime sprees, SQUID devices are extralegal. Sleazy ex-cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient) deals in decks and clips, buying from the questionable and selling to the uptight. When a mysterious playback is left for Nero and his contacts end up dead, Nero has to unravel the truth before a race war erupts at turn of the millennium.

Strange Days pulls no punches. It is rated R and deservedly so. It is also a well-told mystery that puts its small amount of sci-fi tech to good use. The writing, provided by Cameron and Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York), is good. While the technology isn't as integrated or ubiquitous as it should be, the fictional 1999 martial-law Los Angeles is well made. Realizing that hand-held cameras would be too shaky and steady cams too bulky to capture true 1^st person point of view, Bigelow and Lightstorm Entertainment innovated a new sort of wearable camera.

Despite the action and acting pedigree (the film also features Angela Basset, Juliette Lewis, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Tom Sizemore), it received mixed reviews and a cool audience reception, making only $7.9 million during its short theatrical run. It is currently available on DVD.

Movies You Probably Haven't Seen

2009-12-26T00:42:00.000-08:00

At my regular journal I reviewed a slew of recently watched movies, but kept it in the realm of more widely released flicks. Here are four others that were seen on 500 screens or less:

The Merry Gentleman (2008) - Michael Keaton (Batman) directs and stars in this character drama about a depressed hit man befriended by a woman on the run from domestic violence. The film is quirky and slow in parts, but contains great performances.

25th hour (2002) - This was Spike Lee's first full-length film post-9/11 and it is a strange sort of love story to the city of New York. Edward Norton (The Illusionist) plays a convicted drug dealer that has one day of freedom before being sent to jail for seven years. The character's love of NYC is balanced against his impending lack of freedom and the option to avoid incarceration.

Bottle Shock (2008) - Simply put, Bottle Shock is a sports movie...but with wine. This movie is the underdog story of California wines versus wine "snob" Steven Spurrier at the Judgment of Paris in 1976. It's an amusing movie with a cast including Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping) and Chris Pine (Star Trek).

Population 436 (2006) - Jeremy Sisto (Waitress) is a census taker that discovers a disturbing trend in population of Rockwell Falls. This is a fairly decent horror movie in the vein of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" or The Wicker Man. Not high art, not flawless, but a good addition to the creepy-small-town genre.

One-Hit Wonder: White Town

2009-12-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

In 1997, Jyoti Prakash Mishra's band White Town joined the ranks of the one-hit wonders with "Your Woman." The song reached #1 on UK charts and topped at #23 on Billboard's Hot 100.

White Town - New Music - More Music Videos

A follow-up from the album Women in Technology was not forthcoming.

Unlike many other albums that spawn a one-hit wonder, Women in Technology contains other good tracks. Mishra's vocals are solid and the mixing on the more techno-aspected tracks, like "Thursday at the Blue Note," is pleasantly melodic and complex. One detriment to the album is that it is uneven in sound. While "Your Woman" is powered by a fairly driven beat, the remainder of the tracks are soporifically laid-back. The album's eponymous track is only a subtle synthesizer track from being a capella. While EMI UK backed Women in Technology, the relationship between the label and politically out-spoken Mishra was strained and EMI UK dropped White Town after just one album.

"Undressed" also from Women in Technology:

Women in Technology was not White Town's only album. It was preceded by Socialism, Sexism & Sexuality (1994) and followed by Peek & Poke (2000) and Don't Mention The War (2006). All were released independent of a major label. All three latter albums are available for download via Amazon.com and through other retailers. Peek & Poke and Don't Mention The War share many qualities of Women in Technology and also adds a measure of punk influence.

"Make the World Go Away" from 2006's Don't Mention The War:

OMM Anniversary & Updates

2009-11-30T09:14:00.000-08:00

Obscure Media Monday celebrated its anniversary somewhere in the haze of November. There were around 32 entries of content in that year, slightly better than an every-other week average. To kick off year two, here are some updates on previously featured artists:

Abney Park has a new album, Aether Shanties, coming out Dec. 1^st. Captain Robert has posted a two of the tracks for download.

Tapping the Vein's second album, Another Day Down, is available from Amazon.com and is as solid as their first.

Die Warzau's excellent, Convenience, is currently available from Pulseback Records.

Nouvelle Vague's third album, Nouvelle Vague 3, was released in June in Europe and is now available in the States via Amazon.com.

Finally, if you missed it during its short theater run, The Hurt Locker will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Jan. 2^nd. OMM will cover another Kathryn Bigelow movie, Strange Days, in the near future.

Music: Nosferatu

2009-10-26T11:07:00.001-07:00

It's the Halloween season, and when in the mood for quintessential gothic rock, Nosferatu is the perfect fit.

Formed in the UK in 1988 during the second wave of goth music, Nosferatu does not shirk its heritage. Named for the king of the undead? Check. Low, wailing vocals? Check. Relentless guitars counterpointed by organ and harpsicord-like keyboards? Check. Enough vampire, witch and ghoul-themed songs to fill an entire album? Double check.

"The Haunting" from 1996's Prince of Darkness:

While moderately successful in the UK and Europe, most of Nosferatu's popularity in the US stems from Cleopatra Records various goth anthology records. Regardless, Nosferatu has continued to record, with an ever-changing line up of musicians, for over twenty years. Only lead guitarist Damien DeVille is an originating member.

As is the case with many obscure or near-obscure bands, Nosferatu has embraced digital distribution, taking advantage of all that MySpace, SoundClick and Amazon have to offer.

Music: Jill Tracy

2009-10-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Jill Tracy is the Edward Gorey of music. Whether it's only Tracy's smokey voice as counterpoint to broken piano melodies or backed by The Malcontent Orchestra, her neo-cabaret sound is gray-scale simple and yet, lyrically, wickedly baroque. Firmly tongue-in-cheek, the sensibility of Gorey and Tracy is the same. "I'll hold your hand while they drag the river / I'll cuddle you in the undertow" is what passes for a Jill Tracy love song.

Obviously, the "horror genre" of music isn't anything Tracy shies away from. After 1999's Diabolical Streak, Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra provided an original score to the 1922 silent film version of Nosferatu which later debuted live. She has also performed in the past with San Francisco's modern Grand Guignol troupe, Thrillpeddlers.

From 1999's Diabolical Streak:

From 2008's The Bittersweet Constrain:

Tracy's most recent effort, The Bittersweet Constrain, offers slightly more mainstream accessibility, but by no means sellout the ethos that sets her apart from a piano songstress like Fiona Apple or a Victorian goth act like Rasputina. Jill Tracy's albums and singles are found through the typical online vendors such as Amazon.com and CDBaby.

Music: Murder By Death

2009-10-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

If you were looking to score a gritty post-apocalyptic movie full of dusty anti-heroes, the Indiana-based Murder by Death would be a good choice. In fact, author Jeff Vandermeer seemed to have that very idea when he approached the band to provide an accompaniment to his up-coming science fiction novel Finch. The project is a natural extension of the band's loose concept albums which often include instrumental bridges between tracks.

Aside from sweeping instrumentals, the average Murder by Death song combines jangly punk guitar riffs with the smooth cello bass lines, topped off by Adam Turla's gravely vocals. Despite frequent horror genre references in album titles and song content, the band includes enough of a alt-country influence to completely avoid the goth genre. It's an interesting high wire act of sound that has become more cohesive and listenable over time. In terms of songwriting, the lyrics are considerably sophisticated using allusion and word play to good advantage.

Off 2008's Red of Tooth and Claw:

All four of Murder by Death's albums are available from Amazon in MP3 and other formats. The band's site also includes merchandise. The instrumental score to Finch is currently available for listening and purchase through BandCamp.

Movie: Mr. Brooks

2009-09-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in mid-90s, Kevin Costner lost clout with audiences. Maybe it was the bloated Waterwolrd (1995) or over-wrought The Postman (1997), but Kevin Costner was somewhat abandoned; given up on as being too...well, too Kevin Costner. By 2007, the concept of the former Robin Hood starring as a serial killer was slightly laughable. Mr. Books was the pet project of Costner and one of its writers Raynold Gideon due to studios being equally dubious. But, part of what makes the movie entertaining is seeing Costner's acting prowess once again.

Mr. Brooks - Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

Some plot aspects of Mr. Brooks might be familiar to fans of the "civilized serial killer" genre, especially in light of Showtime's Dexter (2006) TV series (based on Jeff Lindsay's series of books). While Dexter Morgan's inner "dark passenger" is never personified, Earl Brooks' psychotic alter ego is presented to the viewer in the form of Marshall, played by William Hurt (The Village, The Accidental Tourist). While Costner gives a icy and reserved performance, Hurt embodies gleeful, manic fervor. The direction and superb camera work make the two characters uncannily similar in many scenes.

Mr. Brooks also attends a 12-step program in an effort to control his activities. This concept is probably not entirely original to the genre, but its use here most likely predates the writing of season 2 of Dexter. Despite these similarities, Mr. Books still offers surprises. (Not the least of which is a solid performance by comedian Dane Cook.) Earl Brooks is, after all, a family man and what wouldn't he do for his family?

Preemptive Strike: The Hurt Locker

2009-08-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker has been trickling out in limited release ever since its impressive debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2008. Stripped to a bare plot, the movie follows a group of three bomb disposal experts during the last 38 days of their rotation.

Films about the Iraq war, a conflict that is still on-going, have not done well. Therefore, it's not surprising that The Hurt Locker has received tentative distribution. That doesn't make the limited ability to see this film any less unfortunate. On a budget of $11 million, Bigelow puts together a film that is at times slick, at times as gritty at its setting. The main cast are little-knowns (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty) that do an excellent job. My one problem is that some of the dialogue comes off a little canned, but these moments are never suffered for long. The film moves at a brisk pace in the only direction there is: day zero of Bravo Company's rotation.

The Hurt Locker is by no means a perfect film, as some critics have claimed, but it is the film that's been the most deserving of my $7 this summer. If it's playing in your area, go see it. I'd rather it didn't belong among the ranks of the obscure.

Music: A3 (or Alabama 3)

2009-07-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

"And from that day forward told you to go out and spread my word through music: sweet, pretty, country acid house music..."

Known in the US mainly for the infectious theme to HBO's The Sopranos, A3 has been a high-number fixture on United Kingdom chats for over a decade and appeared in the soundtracks of many BBC series. The idea for the band's sound came when Londoners Jake Black and Rob Spragg decided that country and acid house music could co-exits together; a lion lying down with a lamb. Country music is not without its own sub-genres and the style chosen for the pairing was possibly the most dissimilar from acid house: folk/gospel. The combination lends itself to irony. Similar to ICP and Zug Izland, the members of A3 each have an on-stage persona. Indeed, at times the band itself seems to aspire to a tent revivalist alter-ego.

Known outside the United States as Alabama 3, the band modified its name to avoid legal conflicts with the straight-up country band Alabama. Unfortunately, internet search engines doesn't treat the shorter name kindly. A3 is currently touring and working on a album that promises to be rights-friendly to third party input. Current albums are readily available through online retailers.

Television: Probe

2009-07-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Before CSI (2000) debunked and solved crimes with science and House M.D. (2004) disparaged humanity, there was Austin James and Probe. Debuting as a mid-season replacement on ABC in 1988, Probe followed many of the cliches of 80s crimes dramas: a bickering duo solving mysteries with the usual number of pre-commercial cliff-hangers, car chases, and a synthesized score. What set it apart for its time was the clever use of science and Sherlockian logic to unravel the storylines.

Parker Stevenson (pre-Baywatch) starred as misanthropic genius, Austin James, the founder of and expatriate from a massive tech corporation. Ashley Crow, playing secretary Mickey, provided the common sense foil for James's overbearing and manic brilliance.

Co-created by Isaac Asimov, the show had distinctly a skeptical slant. It relied on more reality-based science fiction concepts, eschewing the supernatural as an explanation for phenomena. Many of the plots were based around James's tech company, poking at the notion of corporate mismanagement. Some plot devices are far-fetched, but this is science *fiction* after all.

Introduction to Mickey, Serendip and Austin James:

Ratings were never high during its half season run and Probe wasn't renewed after its initial six episodes. Regardless, the show still maintains a small devoted following. Since it is not currently available in any video format, I have no compunction about linking to the YouTube clips. YouTube user thunderwolf429 has made all the episodes available and they can also be found at Probe Resurrected.

Television: "Carnivàle"

2009-06-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

While it might be debatable whether a television show that enjoyed two seasons on a major cable network can be considered "obscure," HBO's Carnivàle has been gravely overlooked. The project began with great ambition. Debuting in September of 2003, the series depicts a supernatural battle of good versus evil against the backdrop of a traveling carnival during Dust Bowl era America. On opposing sides of the conflict, the cast starred Nick Stahl (Terminator 3, Sin City) as an Oklahoman fugitive and Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption) as a Methodist minister.

To complete its overarching plot, "Carnivàle" was set to run six seasons; every two seasons completing a "book" of the "trilogy." Unfortunately, with a budget of $4 million per episode and flagging ratings, HBO canceled the show, leaving much of the story unresolved. Despite its ambiguous ending, "Carnivàle" is worth watching. The 1930s setting is fairly unique to television and is well executed. The tone is similar to Ray Bradbury at his darkest, but without any of the innocence Bradbury might bring to it. The show is polished, though the storyline tends to lean toward the Byzantine.

"Carnivàle" is currently available from Amazon.com for a reasonable price and can also be found through most DVD rental services. HBO continues to maintain a website for "Carnivàle" that includes many behind-the-scenes and making-of clips.

Nouvelle Vague

2009-06-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, cover songs give a muscial artist, especially an lesser known artist, the opportunity to play in sandbox that is familiar to listeners. Regardless, not many bands attempt more than a handful of cover songs during their careers. Few want the title of "cover band." That label's unsavory connotation possibly exists because most cover bands stick to faithful renditions of songs. Very few have the character to embrace such a label and do so with style. Nouvelle Vague is one of those bands.

Meaning "new wave" in French and "bossa nova" in Portuguese¹, Nouvelle Vague began with its name firmly in mind. Their first album contained covers of songs from the New Wave era done in bossa nova style. The pairing, while strange, leads to music with a dreamy, surreal quality. Additionally, band masterminds Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux often used chanteuses that were not familiar with the original, lending freshness to their vocals.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" (orinally by Joy Division) off of Nouvelle Vague, 2004:

Such a construct could only lend itself to one album without evolution. Nouvelle Vague has currently managed three since 2004. Their second album Bande à Part deviated somewhat from the bossa nova premise, adding elements of ska, reggae, and other styles while keeping breathy vocals and signature bounciness. Their third album 3 branches into country and bluegrass sounds. 3 also contains guest vocals by the song's original vocalists. For example, "Master and Servant" with Melanie Pain and Depeche Mode's Martin Gore:

Nouvelle Vague's first two albums are available through Amazon.com and other retailers. 3 has a June 2009 release date and isn't yet readily available.

¹http://www.nouvellesvagues.com/ABOUT_texte.html

Rasputina

2009-05-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

There's a fine line between obscure and niche, and Rasputina might cross that line. After all, "cello rock" isn't exactly a genre that has received wide play. Yet through some not entirely obvious connections, Rasputina could be the most popular cello rock band in existence. Though Melora Creager toured with Nirvana, a single off their first album was remixed by Marylin Manson, and the band has opened for such artists as Manson and Porno for Pyros, Rasputina maintains a decidedly Victorian/steampunk/goth edge. Even Creager's lyric and vocal have a demure, yet subversive tone. Her song writing isn't afraid to touch on history and every album has one dryly humorous spoken track that mirrors Creager's concert banter.

"Transylvanian Concubine" from 1996's Thanks for the Ether:

Rasputina's first album, Thanks for the Ether, was released by Columbia Records in 1996, five years after the band formed. Columbia released How We Quit the Forest, their second effort, as well. Chris Vrenna of Nine Inch Nails joined them as drummer and producer on this second album, leading to slightly harder, distorted sound. Neither was particularly appealing to a wide audience. The band's next two albums would be released on Instinct Records and 2007's Oh Perilous World was released independently. All albums are currently available through Amazon.com as downloads and selectively in other formats.

kidneythieves

2009-05-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

The intersection of industrial metal and female-driven rock can be interesting. Such a crossroad is inhabited by Kidneythieves. Primarily a duo consisting of Free Dominguez' vocals and Bruce Somers' engineering talents, the band's uncommon sound earned them some soundtrack notice with only two albums of original music produced. Dominguez' voice may lack the purity and range of some (Evanescence' Amy Lee for example), but the fierce emotion imparted in her lyrics is unrivaled.

"Zerospace" off of the 2002 album of the same name: (mostly work safe)

Kidneythieves first album, Trickster, was released in 1998. Despite its remaster/re-release as Trickstereprocess in 2004, it remains a difficult album to find. Zerospace, released in 2002 by Warner Bros., is readily available (as is its complimentary remix EP Phi in the Sky). As of mid-2008, there has been news of Somers and Dominguez working on a new album. The track "Dark Horse" is available in streaming form at the band's MySpace. The album Fake Western Vista is NOT by this band, but by a different The Kidneythieves.

Sister Machine Gun

2009-05-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Sister Machine Gun might be the best industrial jazz band to have ever existed. Indeed, they might also have had the title of "only" industrial jazz band if not for Die Warzau's occasional dabbling. The two bands are closely linked. Van Christie and Jim Marcus of Die Warsau were instrumental in Chris Randall's first Sister Machine Gun demos for Wax Trax! Records in ~1990.

The band's first two albums, Sins of the Flesh and The Torture Technique, are primarily industrial efforts, but with more melodious qualities than is common to the genre.

The Torture Technique is a perfect product of the CD format; each track flows one to the next to create an entire experience that could not have been attained in the era of A-side/B-side records and cassettes, and is undervalued in today's playlist culture. Much of Sister Machine Gun's music is better enjoyed in album form, and perhaps it was this lack of "singles" that contributed to the band's eventual departure from Wax Trax! in 1997.

Albums subsequent to The Torture Technique contained more jazz influences. Sax solos crept into Burn (1995) and Randall's natural jazz vocals were highlighted in such tracks as "Temptation" off of Metropolis (1997) and "Closer to Me" from 1999's [R]evolution.

[R]evolution marked the band's first album on Positron! Records, a label founded by Chris Randall and his wife Lisa. In 1999, internet opportunities for independent musicians were in their infancy, but Positron! Records was willing to take chances, offering full sample mp3s, non-DRM albums for purchase, and Creative Commons licensing. Sister Machine Gun released two more full length albums as well as several interstitial EPs before disbanding in 2007. Randall has since released an album of straight-forward jazz/blues.

Sister Machine Gun's albums are available through Positron! Records, Amazon.com, or other online retailers.

Canceled

2009-04-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

OMM is canceled for the week of April 27th.

Unto Ashes

2009-04-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Gothic: adj.
Of or relating to the Middle Ages; medieval.
a. Of or relating to an architectural style prevalent in western Europe from the 12th through the 15th century and characterized by pointed arches, rib vaulting, and a developing emphasis on verticality and the impression of height.
Of or relating to painting, sculpture, or other art forms prevalent in northern Europe from the 12th through the 15th century.
Of or relating to a style of fiction that emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate.
The Free Dictionary

In many ways, the music of Unto Ashes embodies the concept of "gothic" more fully than typical goth bands like The Cure, Bauhaus, or The Sisters of Mercy. Founded, produced, and largely performed by Maichael Laird, Unto Ashes eschews the harsh, thundering darkness that can be summoned by electric guitars and basses. Instead, a medieval atmosphere is created with the use of 13^th and 14^th century instrumentation (such as dulcimers and bells) and writings. While relatively known for their cover of Don't Fear the Reaper, this band can also do justice to Petrarch and traditional songs. Even when Unto Ashes veers into more modern fare, there is still an expansive, soaring quality that is evocative of gothic architecture. Laird is not alone in this project: nearly a dozen artists lend vocal and instrument-playing talent.

Currently their website features two full-length mp3s that showcase the band:

"Fly on the Windscreen" (Depeche Mode cover) off the forthcoming album The Blood of My Lady:

"Emptiness" from Grave Blessings (2005):

Throughout their career, Unto Ashes has been handled by Projekt, Records and are easily available online.

Transister

2009-04-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

The 90s did not lack for female-lead alternative bands. Garbage, Curve, Poe, Elastica, The Breeders and Veruca Salt come to mind with very little effort expended. In 1997-98, a vigilant music buyer might have noticed a CD by another such band, Transister, featured at the listening stations of Best Buy and other such stores.

Formed in late 1995 by three music industry veterans, Transister has much of what makes these bands appealing: a female vocalist as the foil to harder-edged music. Keely Hawkes is talented at using the voice she has, and Eric Pressly's writing is a cut above average with sly, clever lyrics. On the whole, the band's one eponymous album (released in 1997) is very consistent but never boring. Each song has a very distinct and complex sound.

"Falling Off the World" from the album Transister (1997):

Interscope/Virgin records took interest and released the album Transister after several self-produced tracks gained attention on KCRW in Santa Monica. Despite this initial popularity and inclusion on several movie soundtracks, Transister never hit it big. The group produced one official music video. While the song is a personal favorite, it does not do justice to the range of sounds that is presented on the album:

Transister is currently out of print and not being offered in digital form, but is available new used through various channels. While the members of the band have gone on to pursue other projects, Transister's MySpace has been updated in the recent past and includes some remixes and promises of rare tracks.

"Cry Little Sister" Edition

2009-04-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

"Cry Little Sister," or the theme from The Lost Boys is an interesting intersection for obscure bands. Many oft-covered song are, but in this case even the original is shrouded in misinformation.

Due to mis-tagging and mis-attribution in early file sharing communities, "Cry Little Sister" was most often tied to The Sisters of Mercy, despite the vocalist sounding nothing like Sister's Andrew Eldritch. The original writer and performer of the song is Gerard McMahon, who has also been credited as Gerard McMann and is now releasing under the band G TOM MAC. Arguably, the use of pseudonyms hasn't served Gerard McMahon well. McMahon, though not a typical commercial success as a solo performer, has been a prolific songwriter, writing for such musicians as Roger Daltry, Kiss, and Chicago as well as contributing to many other 80s soundtracks. For the most part, McMahon is now correctly given credit for "Cry Little Sister." Indeed, 80s nostalgia has given the track new life. With the release of The Lost Boys: The Tribe in 2008, the song was covered by Aiden and remixed by G TOM MAC. The original and the remix can be heard on G TOM MAC's MySpace and can be purchased through many online outlets. Surprisingly, the single never charted in the US in its initial release.

The song went relatively uncovered until Zug Izland's "Cry" was released in 2003. Since then, covers have been produced on a nearly annual basis, mostly by goth bands (a genre where the differences between "obscure" and "niche" could be debated).

"Cry" from the album Cracked Tiles, Zug Izland, 2003:

Zug Izland is not a goth band in the traditional sense. Their first album Cracked Tiles was produced by Insane Clown Posse member Joseph Bruce and includes ICP on several of the tracks. This lends the album a strong hip-hop-horror aspect that is far from the punk or dark electronic that has come to represent the body of goth music. Zug Izland's fairly faithful rendition of "Cry" has more in common with the band's second less-ICP-influenced album, 3:33.

Zug Izland is currently not easy to find. They parted was with Psychopathic Records records in 2004 and have gone out of print since then. Many of their songs can be heard through their MySpace or their orphaned Downloads page. (It should be noted that much of Zug Izland's music is not work safe or for the easily offended.)

OMM will be late this week.

2009-04-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

OMM will be late this week due to the author's busy schedule. Should be updated by Thursday at the latest.

Obscure MOVIE Monday -- Plunkett & Macleane

2009-03-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

The plot is fairly simple: In 18th century England, a down-on-his-luck apothecary (Robert Carlyle) and minor aristocrat known for drinking his money away (Jonny Lee Miller) team up to rob from the rich as The Gentlemen Highwaymen with the law at their heels. Despite the meager storyline, much sets Plunkett & Macleane apart from the standard Merchant Ivory fare. Most notable is the music.

Like A Knight's Tale, released two years after Plunkett & MacLeane (1999), director Jake Scott forwent the use of period music for more modern pieces. The main score was written by Craig Armstrong and, while mostly orchestral, contains techno music overlaying the ball scene and a cover of Talking Heads "Houses in Motion" for the end titles. (The track "Escape" has become famous in its own right as the soundtrack for many movie trailers.) In addition, the movie also includes songs by The Tiger Lilies, an accordion-driven Squirrel Nut Zippers-esque band. If a viewer can accept the anachronisms, the music works well within the movie.

The worst that can be said of Plunkett & MacLeane is that it has a split tone. On one hand, soaring operatic score. On the other, wheezy Gypsy accordions. In addition to the title leads, Alan Cumming plays a purple-clad cheeky fop, while Ken Scott's character of Mr. Chance is jarringly sociopathic. There is a reoccurring joke about the pox, as well as numerous hangings in Tyburn. The split was even felt in the marketing of the movie The New York Times hosts the "Americanized" version, while a more true-to-form and less work-safe "British" version can be found on YouTube. Overall, the acting is superb as is the visual style. The contrasts keep this film interesting and true. Life, after all, is never only an orchestral score.

Currently, Plunkett & Macleane is available for free viewing on Hulu.com, but only until April 1, 2009. The DVD can be found with some effort, for purchase or rent. The soundtrack is much more widely available.

Darling Violetta

2009-03-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you've heard Darling Violetta. During the third season of Buffy, they were one of the relative unknown bands to take the stage at The Bronze (the show's popular hangout/nightclub). Not only were two tracks featured ("Cure" and "Blue Sun"), but the band itself made an appearance. The next year, Darling Violetta was invited to submit a demo for the spinoff series, Angel. Despite two EPs and inclusion in other soundtracks, the under-a-minute main title became their most famous composition. Ironically, written in 1999, the piece of music wasn't available in any form other than on television until a show soundtrack was released in 2005. Darling Violetta's last album, Parlour, was released in 2003.

Here's "Spoiled & Rotton" off The Kill You EP (2000):

The Angel theme and the albums previous to Parlour are marked by lush orchestrations, including the use of a cello, in counterpoint to Cami Elen's stripped-down vocals. The latter album, while containing artistic "interludes", tends more toward basic pop, but is still listenable. The band is currently working on new music.

Darling Violetta's entire catalog is available for purchase through Opaline Records, except for the Angel theme. It is only available in an extended recording on the album Angel: Live Fast, Die Never.

Black 47

2009-03-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Marc Gunn of the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine notes that Black 47 is one of the biggest secrets of Celtic rock.¹ Since their inception in 1989 by Larry Kirwan and Chris Byrne, Black 47 has released over eight albums both independently and through major labels (one of which, Fire of Freedom, was produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek), had a national debut on David Lettermen, and been a staple act in the New York City area. Yet, Black 47 remains relatively unknown outside of the Celtic music scene despite the success of bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly.

Lyrically, Black 47 might be written off as another politically-charged Irish punk band. But in addition to the in-your-face vocals and solid guitar riffs, the band brings together traditional Celtic instrumentation in the form of uilleann pipes, flute and pennywhistle with the jazz staples of saxophone and trombone. They are also not afraid to mix in elements of hip-hop and reggae; all while maintaining a certain recognizable style.

Black 47 is still going strong even after the departure of founding member Byrne in 2000. Most of their albums including their most recent, 2008's Iraq, are readily available through Amazon.com and iTunes, and they continue to be a busy touring band.

¹http://www.celticmp3s.com/bands/black_47/

Tapping the Vein

2009-03-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

During the early to mid-90s, a confluence of musical factors produced a crop of alternative bands headed by female vocalists. Garbage might be considered the first and most notable, but the likes of Evanescence (and a slew of lesser known bands) predate Garbage's initial success. One of those "other" bands is Tapping the Vein.

Formed in 1995, the band's basis is drummer and programmer Eric Fisher and vocalist Heather Thompson. Though the name (and to some degree the lyrics) suggest "goth," Tapping the Veins sound is separate from the punk influences of early gothic rock and shuns the genre's later darkwave influences by keeping the musical elements to a minimum. Thompson's vocals are not unlike Trent Reznor's of Nine Inch Nails: she knows when the song needs to be delicate and when it needs a banshee.

Tapping the Vein's first album The Damage was released in 2002 on Nuclear Blast Records. It is currently available in CD form via Amazon.com and other merchants. According to the band's MySpace page, their second album Another Day Down is scheduled for release on March 10, 2009 through Dancing Ferret Discs and IsoTank Music and will be available through other online retailers.

Of particular personal note, the VOTS 2009 Spring League team Plastic Falls was named for the song "Sugar Falls":

Judybats

2009-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

During the popularity of alternative music in the late 80s and early 90s, Judybats may have been overshadowed by the likes of Toad the Wet Sprocket and R.E.M., but they had something their peers often lacked: bite. Under the sprawling guitars and tight harmonies are lyrics with a healthy dose of satire and irony. How many bands can get away with a song entitled "Intense Beige" or the lyrics to "Ugly on the Outside"? Their most noted track is "Being Simple":

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Judybats produced four albums in the early 90s for Warner Bros and was disbanded in 1995 by lead singer Jeff Heiskell. The band was reformed in 2000 for the album 2000 and the EP Six Pack of Tracks. Heiskell and other band members have since gone on to other projects. Recently, Native Son, the band's first album, was re-released by Wounded Bird Records and is currently easily available in CD form. The other albums can be found used through multiple sellers.

February Hiatus

2009-02-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

Obscure Music Monday will be on hiatus until Mondays become a little less full, or the author becomes a little smarter.

I'll return in March with the likes of:
Transister
Darling Violetta
Dies Irae!
The Judybats

Covered in Black

2009-01-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

Cover songs have the ability to truly let obscure music artists shine. There's nothing like a familiar song done in a different way to catch a listener's ear. Nonetheless, it's often difficult to find a really good album of covers. The music of the original artist might be too far ranging to lead to a cohesive album when the styles of the cover artists involved also vary. One of the best cover albums I've heard involves an artist with a solid style, AC/DC, and group of artists working in a complementary genre, industrial music.

In 1996, Cleopatra Records (notable purveyors of goth and industrial music) released Covered In Black: An Industrial Tribute To The Kings Of High Voltage, AC/DC. As with any album, not every song is great, but most of the industrial artists do a good job of adding a new dimension to the songs while staying true to the spirit of the original. (The exception being Pigface Vs. Sheep On Drugs' befuddling rendition of titular "Back in Black.") An example of a well done cover can be found in The Electric Hellfire Club's version of "Highway to Hell":

Also outstanding are "Squealer" covered by the particularly obscure female industrial group Genitorturers, and "TNT" covered by Sister Machine Gun. In all, Covered in Black is a worthwhile listen for an industrial music fan. It is current available as a digital download from Amazon.com.

Single Gun Theory

2009-01-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

Canada's Nettwerk label is fairly notable for releasing and managing some strong female vocalists. Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne and Leigh Nash of Sixpense None the Richer have all called Nettwerk home at one time or another. But as far as purity of vocals goes, Jacqui Hunt of Single Gun Theory has them all beat. The Australian trio released three albums between 1987 and 1994 featuring Hunt on vocals with Pete Rivett-Carnac and Kath Power on samplers and keyboards. In style, Single Gun Theory combines the electronic beats of dance music with nuances of Indian and Middle Eastern music and ethereal vocals.

The band also scored the 2000 film, The Monkey's Mask before the members went their separate ways. The three albums Exorcise This Wasteland, Like Stars in My Hands, and Flow, River of My Soul are out of print, but available from Amazon.com as digital downloads.

The Second Coming of Die Warzau

2009-01-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

A good number of industrial bands that began in the 1980s still exist in some form or another. Very few of these bands do so on the strength of four full albums, the most recent of which was released ten years after the previous album. Such is Die Warzau. Originally founded in 1987 by Jim Marcus and Van Christie, the duo put out three albums, culminating in the critically acclaimed Engine (1995). Unlike many "obscure" bands, the ten years that lapsed between Engine and 2005's Convenience was not due to label woes. The two main artists simply decided to take a hiatus from Die Warzau to work on other projects. Convenience was worth the wait. While Die Warzau never shied away from its industrial roots, it also has never hesitated to deviate from the usual non-melodic noise. This constant melding and reworking of electronic, dance, funk, jazz, industrial and Jim Marcus's expressive vocals come to fruition on Convenience.

"Glare" off of Convenience and Vinyl 88 (2008):

Part EP and part best-of, Vinyl 88 was released in 2008, perhaps in an effort to combat Convenience's rapidly occurring out-of-print status. Vinyl 88 includes six new tracks and 10 others from the previous four albums. Songs from Convenience remain pretty much unchanged while tracks from the first three albums have been tweaked and remixed to bring forward Marcus's vocals and to create a cohesive album. Considering that only Engine and Vinyl 88 are easily available from Amazon.com, the compilation is a good choice if Convenience isn't available. (As of 1/12/09, a Google shopping search reaped Convenience available through Walmart!)

Ruby

2009-01-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of similarities between Ruby and Garbage. Both are headed by Scottish female vocalists with US backing and production. Both released their debut albums in 1995. Both pushed genre boundaries: Garbage with their lush, heavy sound and Ruby with their esoteric mixture of electronic, trip-hop, industrial and even jazz.¹ The inability to comfortably box Ruby into a single genre might be part of the reason that they have remained less popular. Ruby consists of vocalist Lesley Rankine and producer Mark Walk. Unlike Garbage, aside from the vocals, Ruby's music is entirely synthetic, made of samples and loops. It is Rankine's voice that anchors the potential chaos.

Their first album, Salt Peter reaped their biggest US release, "Tiny Meat":

While the duo began work on a second album in 1996, very poor luck with music labels postponed it's release to 2001. Short Staffed at the Gene Pool is a slightly more mellow effort relying more on the down-tempo dance and jazz qualities of the first album. Both albums, as well as two remix efforts for Short Staffed, are available from Amazon.com. Short Staffed is also available on CD.

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_(band)

Eisbrecher

2008-12-31T22:07:00.000-08:00

Following in wake of KMFDM's more electronic forays rather than Rammstein's rougher and more popularized sound, fellow German band Eisbrecher has been quietly producing solid albums for the past five years. While less political and less angry than the aforementioned, Eisbrecher is far from a "happy" band. Their music mixes industrial, metal and dance aspects in varying ratios with dark-aspected lyrics...in German, of course.

Eisbrecher recently released their third album Sünde. Unfortunately, unlike their two previous albums, it was not picked up for US distribution. All of their albums are available in CD form through Amazon.com, though Sünde bears the price of an import. It and their second album, Antikörper, are available as MP3 downloads.

Update: 1/12/09 - IsoTank Music announced that Sünde would be released on CD in the US on March 10th.

...Paying Work...

2008-12-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

I need to finish edits on my novel by Wednesday.
OMM will be postponed until then.
Next entry: Eisbrecher.

Obscure MOVIE Monday -- The Fall

2008-12-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

Every couple months I plan to deviate from music to post about some other bit of obscure media. Considering that many best-of-08 list are coming out, I figured I'd blog about a film that's been mentioned on several of them.

The Fall debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006 and received "wide" release in 2008. Wide is defined here as slightly over 100 screens. Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"), The Fall is quite possibly the most beautiful piece of film-making I have witnessed.

Set in 1920s Los Angeles, the plot revolves around an injured stuntman, Roy (Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies), and Alexandria, a young immigrant worker who broke her arm while picking oranges. In an effort to gain Alexandria's help and trust, Roy tells her an epic tale.

The interplay between the story that Roy tells and the way the the audience sees it--through Alexandria's imagination--is interesting. Objects and people from her life are interwoven into Roy's story. When Roy speaks of an Indian, Alexandria doesn't imagine a Native American, but a man from India, a fellow orange-picker. By the end of both the movie and the story, the narrative is as much Alexandria's as Roy's.

This is not a mainstream film. It is slow in parts and meanders here and there. It avoids sentimentality in favor of harsher mettle. In that way, it shares common ground with Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. It is also very beautiful. The Fall was shot entirely on location and contains very few non-practical effects. While the fairy-tale settings of Roy's story are breath-taking, as much care was taken with the 'real' setting of the hospital where the characters are laid-up.

By sheer virtue of movie-making, it is phenomenal.

The Fall is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Abney Park

2008-12-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

Steampunk. That is the genre name that Abney Park prefers these days. A label usually reserved for steam engine era "future" technology, it fits Abney Park's mixture of industrial dance beats and turn-of-the-previous-century orchestral instrumentation. With a bit of 90s goth and world music influences thrown in for good measure. What might end up being an unfocused mess in the hands of lesser musicians is held together perfectly by Robert Brown's vocal and the rest of the "crew." Though they've been around for a decade (and are probably not-so-obscure in some circles), Abney Park continues to become solid contiguous whole.

Abney Park offers quite a few songs for free via their Vault.

From their 2000 release Cemetery Number 1, this is "The Wake":

This year's "Airship Pirate" off of Lost Horizons:

And, better than anything you'll hear at the mall this month, "Little Drummer Boy" from Dark Christmass:

Four of Abney Park's albums are currently available from Amazon.com in both CD and digital form and in CD form off their website. Cemetery Number 1, Twisted & Broken (a remix album) and Dark Christmass are available through Vault access. I've purchased Vault access in the past and have found the band to be great to do business with.

Update (before I even post):
Dark Christmass is being offered for a limited time as a separate download!

Charlie Watts & Bernard Fowler

2008-12-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Chances are, you've heard Charlie Watts play and Bernard Fowler sing. As the drummer for The Rolling Stones, Watts is arguably one of the most heard rock musicians around. Fowler, consistently employed as a background singer, has an enviable discography. And together they've produced several very good albums of American jazz standards.

Charlie Watts was a jazz musician before he was a member of The Rolling Stones and makes no secret of his preference for that genre over rock. In 1992, Watts put together a quintet and released A Tribute Charlie Parker with Strings. The first portion of the album consists of music written by Peter King and Bernard Fowler narrating a text written by Charlie Watts. The second set includes Fowler singing "Lover Man." Watts' next two albums, Warm & Tender and Long Ago & Far Away included many of the same musicians with Fowler's soulful voice highlighted on vocals.

Again, it was a bit hard to track down some this duo's work. The best I could manage within the bounds of what already exists on the internet is an interview Watts did in 1993 that includes a bit of Fowler singing. Unfortunately, it's not even embeddable!
Charlie Watts On "NBC Later" 1993 Pt 3 of 3

Only Long Ago & Far Away is currently available from Amazon.com as a CD, though another of Watts' albums, sans Fowler, is available for digital download.

Here is the title track from that Long Ago & Far Away:

Spiffy Stuff Saturday - Amazon.com MP3s

2008-12-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

If you haven't noticed, I'm a fan of Amazon.com's MP3 Downloads. While iTunes began dominating the market in the mid-2000s, Amazon.com was quietly offering free MP3 downloads from smaller record labels. In September of 2007, Amazon.com relaunched its download store¹ and has since gained the support of the major record labels².

The Pros and Cons:

Con: Amazon.com requires the installation of a download client.
Pro: It's a light-weight, non-obtrusive download client that adds newly downloaded music into your Windows Media Player.

Pro: DRM-free MP3s. The MP3 is yours to do with as you please. My household has five computers and a portable media device. I can copy my Amazon.com downloads to all of them.
Con: MP3s are, well, MP3s: a lossy data compression format. They're not going to sound as good as your CD, MPEG-4 SLS, WMA Lossless or the like.
Counter-Pro: Amazon.com's MP3s are generally 256 kbps which isn't too shabby.

Pro: They're cheap and there's lots of deals to be had. Their catalog has grown to a point where I can find most albums (even obscure albums) for around $9.
Con: It's digital media and prone to the corruptions and data loss (by hardware implosion) that any file is.
Counter-Pro: When the music is "out-of-print," the MP3 album is not only cheaper, but, more importantly, available.

But I mentioned deals and that's the true spiffiness of Amazon.com's MP3 Downloads:

25 Days of Free. From now until Dec. 25th Amazon.com is offering a free holiday MP3 every day. Everyone should have a few non-annoying Christmas songs...

Daily Deals and Weekly Free MP3s. Sure, I didn't *need* Belinda Carlise's Heaven on Earth album, but as 99 cent daily deal? How could my 7th-grade-self resist? Generally, I use Dealnews.com to keep up to date.

Pepsi Stuff. If you have an Amazon.com account, Pepsi's reward program integrates seemlessly with it. A refreshing change from CokeReward's Flash-bloated site.

Enjoy!

Drain STH

2008-12-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

The female band Drain STH (known as simply Drain in their native Sweden) is described by WikiPedia as melodic metal. While apt, it doesn't quite encompass the grunge quality of of Drain STH's musical style. The best comparison is to Alice in Chains, the female vocals of Maria Sjöholm are only slightly smoother and less aggressive than Layne Staley's.

While I try to keep all my clips and videos sanctioned and official, it is difficult to find much embeddable Drain STH on the web. The following is a fan submitted audio-only of "Black," off of their second album Freaks of Nature album:

Currently, Drain STH's albums are out of print and available used through vendors like Amazon.com. The band does maintain a MySpace with several tracks available for streaming. Other tracks, especially those from their first album Horror Wrestling can be found via a YouTube search.

Brother Sun Sister Moon

2008-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with the Franco Zeffirelli film or the Donovan album, Brother Sun Sister Moon is the trip-hop collaboration between Paul Robb of Information Society and vocalist Barbara Cohen. For anyone familiar with Cohen's more acoustic work with Little Lizard or her country-sounding solo album, the pair do not seem to be a logical match. For someone who first encountered Cohen's powerful voice in the context of Brother Sun Sister Moon's lush orchestrations, it's hard to understand why there have only been two albums by the duo.

Their first album The Great Game was released in 1997 to local buzz in Minneapolis and other parts of the heartland. It caught the attention of Virgin Records who signed them to produce a second album. Unfortunately, that album, Luminous, was never released by Virgin, the group was dropped, and eventually Luminous was released by Bleep Records in 2002.

Both albums were re-released by Robb's HAKATAK imprint in 2007. They are available for download only through Amazon.com (here and here) as well as through other online music outlets.

Source: Time to play b-sides

Kerbdog

2008-11-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hailing from Kilkenny in Ireland, Kerbdog has a mature post-grunge sound that fits perfectly in to any 2000s alternative metal playlist. Their only sin is being a good five years too early. Their first eponymous album was released in 1994. It neither fits the fading grunge sound of the time nor the budding genre of post-grunge which didn't come into prominence until the early 2000s. While Kerbdog did receive a wide release (their first album was available through BMG or Columbia House) and recorded a second album, On the Turn (1996), they never quite found their niche in the 90s.

Though officially "disbanded," Kerbdog maintains a strong fan base and has found some success in performing in the UK. In fact, if you happen to be in Dublin this December, you might want to check them out at Andrews Lane. If you are sadly states-bound, there is hope. Kerbdog offers both of their albums as well as a comprehensive array of "extras" for free in their media gallery.

Machines of Loving Grace

2008-11-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most underrated band of 90s, Machines of Loving Grace released three albums and the single "Golgotha Tenement Blues" from The Crow soundtrack. While MTV Music doesn't have videos by many larger bands, they do have a few for Machines of Loving Grace. Below is "Butterfly Wings" off the 1993 album Concentration.

Machines of Loving Grace |MTV Music

While I could not find Concentration available for easy purchase, Amazon.com has Machines of Loving Grace and Gilt available for DRM-free MP3 download for a modest price.