Favorite Obscure Musician?

[Beatnik]

I don't know that I'd call them obscure, but these are some older ones I still like to pull out on vinyl. This is because analog sounds so much better than the digital crap we're fed these days.

Max Webster / Universal Juveniles
Mahogany Rush / IV
Kansas / Masque
Judas Priest / Sin After Sin or Stained Class
Tommy Bolin / Private Eyes
UK / Danger Money

......................there's so many

[kingcarm]

As far as obscure, I love The Toadies, King's X, Yngwie Malmsteen and Helmet.

[Bizarro Amy]

You can never have enough
Joni Mitchell
Bob Dylan
or Paul Simon

Aren't all three of them extremely well-known?

[Vortigern99]

I love Blind Melon: They're known for the 1992 song "No Rain" -- and that video with the "Bee Girl" dancing around -- but that song is kinda off from their major thrust, which is psychedelic rock. Their second record, 1995's Soup, is one of the great rock records of all time, sonically and lyrically just breath-taking. They're back together now after 12 years, with a new singer named Travis Warren, after famed lead singer and songwriter Shannon Hoon died in 1995. I saw them live a few weeks ago, I own their new record For My Friends, and I love them as much now as I ever did!

My other perennially obscure fave is a folk/rock/country/jam band called ThaMuseMeant (rhymes with "amusement"). The lead singer is a lady who also plays stand-up bass. Nowadays they're a folksy string ensemble, but back in the 90s they had a drummer, which gave their sound a rock edge that they now lack. I recommend their record Sweet Things as the best example of what they can do. Their songwriting is adventurous and poetic, their chord structures surprising and joy-inducing, their rhythms jazzy and funkedelic. They make me smile!

[huedell]

Nick Lowe. Late 70's sarcastic pop thing.

When I come into Philly, Nick Lowe is all me and my best friend really listen to
---its very much up our alley and we've only discovered him recently.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

-Nightwish. Although I don't know how obscure they are in Europe, they're pretty unknown here.

Not too unknown, at least not in the metal scene, they're pretty popular these days, you see commercials for their albums on MTV and whatnot. But in terms of mainstream popularity yeah they're definitely "underground".
In Europe it's a different matter, they're quite well known over there.

[monkey tennis]

You can never have enough
Joni Mitchell
Bob Dylan
or Paul Simon

[Brue]

Obviously anyone could pick some ome NO ONE has heard of.

I will stick to someone who regionally has had a following - he had one fairly well known hit and the follow up cracked the top 40.

Donnie Iris.

I have 6 of his albums - or maybe 7.

"Ah Leah" "Love is Like a Rock"

I have seen Bon Jovi open for him in youngstown. I have seen him open for the Kinks in Blossom. But most of the time I have seen him is in little music halls for free. Radio Station promo concerts and the likes.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Most folks consider pretty much ALL of what I like obscure. (Then again, the people at work think Jethro Tull is obscure....) But for the truly small and unheard:

-3. I heard "Alien Angel" by accident once, and had to find more.
-Big Rude Jake. Their last album "Live Faust, Die Jung" came out a couple years back. Funny thing, the cousin of one of my bestest friends is in the group. It's a small world.
-Nightwish. Although I don't know how obscure they are in Europe, they're pretty unknown here.
-Although I've only heard a few songs I kinda like The Creepshow, The Gutter Demons, and The Royal Crowns. (Canada still has like, a ZILLION rockabilly bands ....)
-The Men They Couldn't Hang. I have ONE album from them "Waiting for Bonaparte" and it's fantastic.
-Gamma Ray. "Powerplant" is now the official Warhammer 40K soundtrack around here.

Don C.

[The Bat]

James Williamson-Iggy Pop's Guitarist in the early Days.

Scotty Moore(Guitar) & Bill Black(Bass)-Elvis's "Sun Sessions Band".

[monkey tennis]

Arctic Monkeys
3 Daft Monkeys
The Blow Monkeys
Monkey Swallows The Universe
Brass Monkey
Plague Monkeys
The Monkees

[nvmbrsdoom5]

Nick Lowe. Late 70's sarcastic pop thing.

YES!!! I've been on a Nick Lowe and Rockpile kick lately in fact. I think "So It Goes" is one of the best pop songs ever written. Good call Dave

[kingdom warrior]

One of my Fav Obscure Rockers is Vince Taylor and the Playboys he was the brother in law to Joe barbera of Hanna/Barbera fame.

YouTube - Vince Taylor - Brand New Cadillac

YouTube - Vince Taylor - What'd I Say

[Bionic Joe]

Any thing by KING CRIMSON, and check out Dave Edmonds

[Bo8a_Fett]

Jerry Cantrell...ex of Alice in chains has a few excellent albums out