The Best Obscure Records

[Peter Reum]

Most Los Lobos albums are not well known outside of a very loyal bunch of superfans

[RangeRoverA1]

Here are a few off the top of my head:

The 5th Dimension: The Magic Garden (1967)
The Four Seasons: Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (1969)
Chicago: III (1970)

I never thought these regarded "obscure". My impression was people like early Chicago. Also "Genuine Imitation" has some cult following.

[Jay]

I haven't looked through this whole thread, but I doubt anybody has mentioned "Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band". It's an album by Bill Cosby from 1971. Here is some info about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badfoot_Brown_%26_the_Bunions_Bradford_Funeral_%26_Marching_Band

[JK]

I discovered this yesterday----Beefheart's true heirs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWWNJG4lEMk

[Rocker]

Mississippi Fred McDowell - I Do Not Play No Rock 'n' Roll

[Julia]

Lately Ive been really digging Marxist Love Disco Ensemble, particularly 1905: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDwNuBvgpc and Hues of Red: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVVlkIp8GU such a genuinely cool band!

[JK]

Lately Ive been really digging Marxist Love Disco Ensemble, particularly 1905: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDwNuBvgpc and Hues of Red: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVVlkIp8GU such a genuinely cool band!

Wow -- thanks for the tip, J. Our tastes do tend to cross, so I’m looking forward to giving this a listen.

[Julia]

Lately Ive been really digging Marxist Love Disco Ensemble, particularly 1905: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDwNuBvgpc and Hues of Red: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVVlkIp8GU such a genuinely cool band!

Wow -- thanks for the tip, J. Our tastes do tend to cross, so I’m looking forward to giving this a listen.

You're welcome! It was tough to find, let me tell ya. I heard 1905 at a club and was so taken I ran up to one of the employees and asked what it was and he said he didn't know but gave me a link to the spotify playlist they were using that was like 200 something songs as I recall. I listened to almost the whole thing until I finally found the song again and it was all worth it  I kept googling the lyrics I could make out "but it aint easy to live this way" but it's so obscure and so non-descript in a vacuum that that wasn't doing it. ANYWAY, yeah, one-off neo-disco music from an intentionally politically subversive group...kinda like the dance music counterpoint to the USA. Very cool one hit wonder band.

[JK]

Lately Ive been really digging Marxist Love Disco Ensemble, particularly 1905: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDwNuBvgpc and Hues of Red: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVVlkIp8GU such a genuinely cool band!

Wow -- thanks for the tip, J. Our tastes do tend to cross, so I’m looking forward to giving this a listen.

You're welcome! It was tough to find, let me tell ya. I heard 1905 at a club and was so taken I ran up to one of the employees and asked what it was and he said he didn't know but gave me a link to the spotify playlist they were using that was like 200 something songs as I recall. I listened to almost the whole thing until I finally found the song again and it was all worth it  I kept googling the lyrics I could make out "but it aint easy to live this way" but it's so obscure and so non-descript in a vacuum that that wasn't doing it. ANYWAY, yeah, one-off neo-disco music from an intentionally politically subversive group...kinda like the dance music counterpoint to the USA. Very cool one hit wonder band.

Wow, J, this is incredible. I've never heard anything quite like this before. That said, it does have a vibe that's not a million miles away from Dots and Loops.

And it certainly bears up to repeated listens. Thanks again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNlckI3Cltw