Kindred Spirits - For Your Comfort (Obscure Xian Folk Rock)

Here we have a nice Xian album that is pretty under the radar still, I don't think it is available anywhere yet on the interweb.  It's a kind of mixed bag, some good lo-fi downer folkrock stuff with original lyrics and some more uptempo straight rock stuff, and then a little bit of country gospel church mixed in, actually some of the best tracks are the couple with stripped down acoustic guitar and echo effects. Retails about 80-125 dollars, this was a super clean copy, so enjoy!

Kindred Spirits - For Your Comfort (Asoka records 1981)

Ciwe Furs - ...of Green Echoes (1995 unknown DIY indie psych folk cassette)

 

I was originally going to post one of the tracks from this cassette along with many more like it in a new compilation mix tape, but seeing as how at the moment I only have about half the tracks I need and a lot of digging to go, I will just give this tape as a teaser to what the comp will be once I finish it.  BAsically I have a bunch of 80s/90s DIY indie rock freak folk kinda cassettes that all are utterly obscure, often private bedroom recordings, and all ungoogle-able. I'm looking for that kind of reverb washed sound, acoustic or electric, earnest vocals, experimental elements are a plus and just generally depressed college outsider aesthetics. It's actually been quite difficult to amass a collection of such tapes (that are worth listening to, an important caveat) and I am considering throwing in some early 2000s works and maybe even a few 7" vinyl releases as well since not all of said genre works were cassette based..  As far as I know there isn't really a market yet for such things, so I will try to create one. This particular tape was recorded in San Angelo, Texas circa 1995. Presumably these are Angelo State students.  The band is Ciwe Furs, a reference I do not get, and they play an assortment of instruments, with reverb laden shoegaze aesthetics sometimes, freak folk weirdness, occasional bongos are thrown in even, good ethereal girl vocals at times, pretty much exactly what I'm looking for.  Yes, there is a reason they never made it big, but thats kinda the point right? Not every track is golden, and I'm not sure which is my favorite at the moment, don't be dissuaded by the bad titles either, they rarely have any bearing on the meaning of the song. Enjoy.

Ciwe Furs - Of Green Echoes

Cix Bits Band - Can't Turn Myself Around (Haze Records test pressing only)

Okay I must admit I downloaded these files from the ebay auction and spliced them together into one track, sounds fabulous and it must be heard tho, awesome track in the style of my PALER SHADE OF WHITE compilation a while back, in fact this probably would be the crowning piece if I were to ever release a second volume.  But for now I can't help but share this one with you guys a little early. Basically it's one long track, maybe taken in a few different cuts, split as an A side and B side, I believe this was pressed before the 12" single was out. This freakishly rare item sold for 550 dollars in vg- condition with a crack through it, yikes. Probably worth it though as it is unique. I wonder what else Haze Records put out? I'm virtually certain that I will be barraged with requests to take this down so get it while the gettin is good. Oh btw the Cix Bits Band actually have another release on Haze that was in fact formally released for sale, or promos I dunno, and its a slightly more psych tinged uptempo funk track, quite good but no where near this guy.


ADD THIS TO YOU PALER SHADE OF WHITE COMP. BECAUSE I WILL PROBABLY NEVER GET AROUND TO DOING A SECOND VOLUME.

Masta Plann - The Way of The Plann (Filipino Gangsta Rap Cassette from 1994)

This tapes gives a whole new meaning to the term Philly Rap. So, how many of you have heard quality mid 90s filipino gangsta rap? Well, here is your chance. I actually think the beats are pretty good, I mean it's no large professor or anything but compared to what I was expecting when I saw the tape I was pretty impressed.  Not every track is a winner but there is a handful of pretty great ones.  The MCs are not quite as good but still, it's better than a lot of the hip house crap that was coming out just a couple years before, and the fact that they are in the Philipines rapping about the same kinda car culture and baggy jeans 'throw yo set' kinda imagery is pretty neat, especially when mixed with the local island-isms. I wonder if Masta Plann is like the Public Enemy of the Phillipines or if this is some drop in the pan mega obscurity there too.  At any rate, this wasnot the only tape I found in the box, I have another that is far more bizarro and lies somewhere between Ata Kak, C&C music factory, and Filipino pop rap. I will be featuring it soon! For now, peak into the world of Masta Plann.

Dave Rakes - Summerwine LP (1972 lounge psych funk)

More first time available on the web goodness, this time from Dallas TX's own Dave Rakes, when I saw the back cover I thought this would be another bad country lounge cover band but was very pleasantly surprised to hear some uptempo funky psych dirges on many of the tracks.  I think if these would have been original compositions it would be worth a lot more, but as it is it remains in the realm of cover band goodness.  Lots of funky drums, keyboard banging, wah wah guitars and very bad singing. Yay

Dave Rakes - Summerwine LP

A Train - S/T LP (John Howe, Buddy and Bruce Flett) - Southern Star Records 1979

Yet another amazing find on Southern Star records, I had never even heard of this label before but somehow they keep popping up in different places, and both were really great, this particular piece is superior to Ron Anderson probably, not as strong lyrically or songwriting but I enjoy the modal jazz funk rhodes workouts on here immensely.  Along the lines of an Austin Jazz funk version of Aposento Alto, or maybe more like the infamous FABLE records out of Austin, with the likes of 47 times its own weight, starcrost, and steamheat.  Its definitely in that genre  anyway, the southern jazz funk dash of latin dash of prog lots of ELECTRIC KEYS and vocals, cool breezey late 70s AOR boat shoes type vocals, but anyway I was amazed to see that I couldn't find this anywhere on the blogdom yet, I didn't look long but I don't think its available anyway, so here is another first for you guys. Enjoy. (lots more finds of late, many many goodies, look for an ebay auction soon...)

"A" TRAIN - Self-titled LP (Southern Star Records 1979)

Governor's State Jazz Band Live - GSU JAZZ LIVE!

Dropping ultimate college jazz heat on your unworthy heads! Sometimes the best records are in your own backyard. The goodwill 3 miles from my house has churned up some of my all time favorite finds strangely, and that's all I'm gonna say about this maxed out thousand dollar under the radar ghost of a record gem tart. I hope I haven't upset the very nice fellow I sold it to. Enjoy, and shhh.

GSU JAZZ LIVE!

Joseph Brunelle - Round To It (Full NM rip)

Found a pristine sealed copy of this later era downer folk genius ditty (1981) over in the dollar bin a pretty major store. Not sure how you miss this but it certainly made me happy. Anyway, a couple other places on the net have harped about how much they enjoyed the record but they neglected to upload a nice rip of the entirety. So here ya go. It is from Midland TX, and it has a couple particular songs that make it worth its 100 dollarish price tag, people seem to especially like Highways of your mind. And I do too. I probably should have left it sealed but like a couple other recent records I found in sealed condition I generally just cant help myself, I have to open them and rip them once, it doesnt seem to affect the price too much on most things, I mean it is still NM-. Anyway. Enjoy all you downer folk DIY fiends. (actually I just found a few unknown late 90s downer folk CDs, would anyone be interested in that? I can probably do a rip, I'll scrounge up the name for you soon.)

JOSEPH BRUNELLE - ROUND TO IT (NOMOUNTAIN RECORDS. 1981)

BENNY'S LIVE - S/T (Private Press Label 1979 Dallas TX)

Excellent and very off the radar, under-appreciated Jazz Fusion local masterpiece that I think deserves a much higher price than it has been getting in the last couple of auctions I saw, which were poorly done and didnt feature any of the really stellar jazz work here. I mean this is a late 70s style California Breezy Jazz Fusion gem of a record if there ever was one, with funky sample riden drums, electric keys galore, nice light horns and a lot of fantastic synth/guitar workouts on top that really tie the whole awesome late 70s chill vibe together. I simply don't understand how this isnt more sought after, I mean yeah it can easily get 50 or 70 dollars but come on, It's obviously rare because there is very little info on it, and the copy I have is signed, and the only other copy in an auction I saw was signed (the guy made a truly horrific auction out of it). Yeah the recording could have been a little more loud and raw, and the sample moments and breaks could have been more frequent and less buried in more run of the mill fusion workouts, but those are weak criticisms for how good this LP really is. I really dig it and any fusion/sample/obscure jazz enthusiast should equally dig this baby. It is so much better than any NTSU jazz album I have heard, atleast the regular 'ol Jazz Labs and NTSU JAZZ BAND LPs (I have like 12 of them, some of which are quite good indeed) and they get 50 for the really good rare ones, so come on...

i went a little crazy on the description here.

yeeeah.

Street People - S/T LP (teardrop records San Antonio TX 1977)

Does anyone know anything about this record? I can't find any info, it's in very bad condition but I know where a nice one is for a small sum of money and I was wondering if I should buy it, I can't find any info, but based on the two sample tracks it is pretty good, not great, kinda latin modern soul stuff ala George Morin band, here are some samples (i know they are kinda nasty but give em a whirl and imagine if they were NM, lemme know what you think, don't know why I cant find more info on this.)

ANGELITO (only half of track)


You Were Meant for Me (Full track)

Brian Ziegler - S/T (Almost unbelieveable AOR synth rock madness)

As most of my devoted blog followers are well aware, I often get swamped with new finds, recordings, uploadings, ebay selling, and all the rest of this stuff I do in my spare time, and I will make samples of a record to sell, and then forget to record the entirety before I ship it off. Such is the sad case with Brian Ziegler, one more record I a, really sad that I didnt atleast get the best 3 tracks from. But such is the prce you pay for following my blog. Anyway, I still think it is worth a listen, what an ungoogleable weirdo AOR synth rock madman Brian must be to have thought this would be a great album, but then some of the tracks really are totally friggin awesome. So enjoy these samples, and as it is essentially unknown, all you source guys out there, get tot work. Though its only about a 50-75 dollar record, atleast thats what I got for it.

"Nothing you could do"


"Prisms of People" (this is the closest to a fusion of minimal wave and yacht rock that may have ever been recorded.)


"You Set Me Up"

Ron Anderson - Easy Street (TX rural folk rock brilliance)

A quite excellent and virtually unknown 1979 folk rock gem from Shreveport LA via Austin TX. There are some really excellent songs on here, and his vocals and the style often emulate the more country rock stylings of led zeppelin, at time the sound is more akin to Exile on Mainstreet, though the vocals are definitely not Mick Jagger-esque. But overall I was sad to see it only sell for 60 bucks and I think in the future it will command a lot more. There are some really great tracks here, Sing Sister being one especially, but its honestly listenable all the way through, even through the more country moments, which are at least somber fiddle and drums odes to love and loss, really great and highly recommended, especially for this level of obscurity.

Ron Anderson - Easy Street (Southern Star Records, 1979)

Unknown Power Pop Gem. SLB - Banana Records (a. Griffith j. Miller)

Hello friends, once again I need your help, I have some MEGA BLOG DROPS coming very soon, but in the mean time, does anyone know what the hell this is? I think it is from the 79-86 range and if it is indeed early 80s power pop, then it is an unknown gem! There was no sleeve that went with it, which is the main problem, I'm guessing the band name is on that pic sleeve if there was one, otherwise I cant find any info, but I do think they are a pretty kick ass unknown power pop band. INFO: The record label is banana Records. The Runout Groove says: "UR-3452 A and UR-3452 B , UR 3452" The letters SLB are above the song names. The only credits are A. Griffith and J. Miller, the phrase "Beginning a tradition of musical escellence" is written on the label, sadly I don't think it quite became a tradition per se. But anyway, I think it's really good if it is indeed what I think it is, an unknown prime era power pop lost gem. HOWEVER... if this doesnt tickle your fancy... The mega weird, the mega sought after, the holy grail, the folk downers the folkrock beauties the college jazz band powerhouses and more are coming soon, very soon!! In the meantime, enjoy this unknown item and tell me if you think I'm way off base here and that you think or know that its actually a worthless 90s record that sounds 80s. Enlighten me!

Blue Lights:

Dont want it to be me:

Lost without you:

All mine:

A. Langston - Living Together

This record really reminds me of when I found THE MINT - SKYWALKING 12" back a few years ago. It was so damn good, so damn interesting that no one could believe it was still under the radar. I mean there was zero google results, zero ebay auctions, no popsike no collectors frenzy, it was a ghost. Now theres been a few sales of the Mint, mine was the first, 189 dollars, WEAK, then a guy in germany sold the same one I sold him one year later and he got 382 dollars. ARG. but anyway. Like Mint this record is just too good to be unknown. Obviously it hasnt been unknown since it was auctioned in December 2010, but before that whoever found this I really hope had the intelligence to track down the guys and source some more copies. If so I haven't seen em. Not a one has been sold since this 'un that I know of. Anyway, it is a beauty, I can't remember how I got the mp3 of it, and the back side is just the same exact song faded out 2 minutes early. But....


A. Langston - Living Together

Lonnie Franklin - Love is So Right / Can't Get Enough

I know this is out there in blogdom, or it was for a while somewhere, but it's one of the few items I ever bought on Ebay that cost more than 20 bucks, I just don't buy stuff on ebay, it because an addiction that is incurable, I don't even buy from high end stores anymore, I dig for gems, period, I look for 1 or 2 dollar records with promise, mostly because I'm still pretty poor and cant afford not to, but also because its so much damn fun. But this was one item that I couldn't resist at the time. It was pretty unknown still back in early 09 and not many people were looking for it. So I snatched it up. I won't say how much I paid but it was a lot lot less than the 250 it commands on the reg now. What a beauty. I just love that song Love is So Right. DAMN. How anyone could think Can't get enough is better is beyond me. Why doesn't this thing sell for like 400-650. It deserves it. There aren't many at all. Must be some guy that found a source of em way back when.


LOVE IS SO RIGHT


CANT GET ENOUGH

The Ambassador College Band - Spread Some Sunshine (1974 private press xian jazz funk pop psych monster)

I'm not sure if the full version of this awesome record is out ther somewhere already or not,but even if it is, I doubt it is as nice a copy as this one. Unless there is a repress, which I kinda doubt since it is a christian university record on a school label. Anyway, this is the diggers gold breaks and jazz pop killer Ambassadors college LP, a minor legend among the Japanese DIY collectors, whom I think collect the most interesting things, like paying 500 nucks for a late 70s Oklahoma school band project called guys and dolls because it has a frigging awesome cover of the song Tow the Line by Toto, complete with disco beats fuxzz psych guitars and electric keyboards. Anyway this is a staple of the genre, an easy 250-350 dollar record usually. Granted some tracks are kinda weak, thats just how it is with these kinda records, but unlike most there is more than just 1 or 2 burners on here, its not bad to listen to 80% of it really. Enjoy!

AMBASSADORS COLLEGE CHRISTIAN FUNK JAZZ PSYCH POP EXCURSION

Follow up to the Whip Pets cassette.

Hello friends, this is the complete version of the Whip Pets post I did a while back. I know at least ONE person wants it...

Come on, Austin based minimal synth pop circa 1989? Thats rare as hens teeth. Didn't garner much interest. Only sold on ebay for 25 bucks. My mediocre metal cassettes sell for 80 dollars a pop in the same auction as this gem. What is the world coming to.

THE WHIP PETS! I LIKE THEM!

Viva Brasil - S/T 1980 (SugarLoaf Records)

Really excellent record which I am surprised isn't available on the net already. Its from California and it has a really interesting blend of bossa-scat modern-soul and prog, with lots of sample friendly moments and a couple dancefloor friendly tunes. It's quite rare and I'm not sure why it isn't worth more money than it usually goes for. Usually around 60-100ish range. I'm sorry to report that I uploaded the uncut A and B sides to divshare instead of cutting the tracks and putting them in a zip. But I figure that's better than not having it at all. It's a very nice clean copy and it is in 192kbs. Enjoy. whoa I just noticed that Joe Henderson guest stars on Tenor Sax. Also if you are interested in buying this or the STRAPPED 7" I am going to have an auction very soon.

1. O Bode
2. Skindo-le-le
3. Iemanja
4. Voce Abousou/Desabafo
5. Dancing the Baiao

1. Ronco Da Cuica
2. Turn to Yourself
3. Menina Danada
4. She
5. Produto Nacional

SIDE A


SIDE B

Stuk bambuka v XI chasov (Стук бамбука в 11 часов) - Лёгкое дело холод (1991)

This is now at the top of my list of albums I wish I had but never will. This is seriously one of the most overlooked masterpieces of all time. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I got this the other day from an obscure russian only website with a million dead or bad links, so I figured I'd do the world a huge favor and host it myself. It is a Russian album from 1991. Members include Dmitriy Noskov [Дмитрий Носков] (programming), Vasiliy Agafonov [Василий Агафонов] (programming), Konstantin Bagaev [Константин Багаев] (programming), Tatiana Erokhina [Татьяна Ерохина] (vocals). Let me just say this. If Stereolab and Monolake were locked in a dungeon in Siberia for 3 months with nothing to eat but DXM and Borsch... You would get a close approximation of this album. Like most truly great music, the constituent parts and ingredients sound older than 1991, but the arrangement, theory, concept, and execution are very much 2011. A few times before I have been astonished by how far ahead a particular album was, like Franco Battiato's 'Fetus,' for instance. And now this album puts another notch in that belt and also takes a spot on the list of the top 100 albums of the 90s. This got me thinking about other obscure albums that were created way ahead of their time, or just extremely innovative and forward thinking, or anticipatory of major trends to come, or just downright futuristic, and not in the cliche sense...

LINK: http://www.divshare.com/download/16551821-bd7

Monoton's 'Monoproduckt',
Ata Kak tape
Nuno Canavarro's 'Plux Quba'
Charanjiht Singh 'Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat'
Bathory - S/T
Most everything Joe Meek ever made,
Moondog as well for that matter,
Luigi Russolo's early tape music (inventor of musqiue concrete)
Les Yper Sound's seminal 7"
Virgo Four - Virgo lp
Heldon - Electronique Guerilla
Automat - S/T
Cortex - Troupeau Bleu
Mahmoud Ahmed's - Ere Mela Mela
Comus - First Utterance
Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom
Lucio Battisti's - Anima Latina,
Bernie Worrell discovering how awesome the minimoog is,
The Electric Prunes - Mass in F Minor (is this not the first incredible postrock album?)
all the BBC Radiophonics Workshop material
Monks - Black Monk Material
Aloa - S/T,
Keiji Haino - Soul's true love,
Royal Trux - Twin Infinitives,
Savant - The Neo-Realist
Nine Circles - S/T (1992 comp)
and... Soothing Sounds For Baby vols 1-3!

a few mind blowing oddities for the new year

That is a seriously enormous cross. And this is seriously a bizarre record.




What the hell the formatting in this post is all whacked out. But I am too lazy to fix it. The first clips are for HONEY - Love So Fine. The next set of clips are for STRAPPED - Edna.












My dirty fingernails in the picture only add the the mystery of EDNA! Someone posted this to another site I noticed but I wasnt sure if they put up both sides so if not here is the entirety of STRAPPED.

Merry Christmas! ...A Day Late.

yes, there are 700 dollar christmas albums. no, I don't have them. But Merry Christmas from me and the lovely bossa nova blondie.

*new info* Thrash Metal Day! Unknown Demos By... Forte / Dark Alliance / Bastard Sons

***the recording for Forte is not correct at the moment, I am working on redoing it. More info below.***

Three unknown thrash metal demos for offer here. Before I start the post, let me riff for a moment. You know I like to keep my genres extremely varied, and sometimes I think I should do separate blogs for all the different types of posts I tend to do, or maybe a cassette demo site and then a vinyl site, but really, since the very beginning, the purpose of the site was to post music that I found digging through the worlds various junk bins that is either unknown or unavailable, and that has some merit worth posting, whether it be just excellent and unheard music, or something relevant or interesting to the digging world or digging in general, or even if its just something worth lots of dough to collectors. As I sift through more and more stuff, I've broadened my post inclusions to more formats and more genres, but I still rarely post more than 5 or 8 items a month, so I think I'll keep on going with the current format for the time being, until perhaps I just have too many one offs and weirdos to crowd out the big hitters. But, I've come to find that there's always at least a few people who end up appreciating such stepchild obscurities and oddities. So if you're a frequent visiter to my blog here, thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the content. And if theres a string of posts you just aren't that into, don't think I've completely lost it, your forte is probably coming down the pike very soon. Trust me, I know whats mega, and what the majority seeks, and indeed I have some to unleash yet, but hey, my thrash demos need love too...

Here we have three lovely thrash demos, all pretty much utterly unknown, the first by Forte from 1992 out of Dallas TX. The second by Dark Alliance from 1991 out of Duncanville TX, and the last by Bastard Sons from 2004 out of San Marcos TX, I have no images for this release at the moment. I'm no expert, but for being unknown, I think these are pretty darn good, er, i mean rad. Listen to the Dark Alliance tracks and see if you have any interest, I think the Forte album is probably the best thing here, and it's also the only full length.

Forte - S/T (1992 Demo LP cassette) -- (A and B sides in an uncut mp3) ***new info: this track is not properly recorded, my apology, it is at the wrong speed, and I need to cut it into tracks, I will do that and repost it.

Bastard Sons - S/T (2004 Demo EP cdr) -- in a .rar

Dark Alliance - S/T (1991 Demo EP cassette) -- download tracks individually...
Murder Earth:

Political Idiocy