Here is one that I stumbled upon grabbing rss feeds from various blogs, and subscribed YouTube channels. Way ahead of it's time. Reminds of early No Doubt, obviously the female vocals and the ska-ish feeling. I love two-tone and bands like Madness, The Selector, and The Specials, so when I heard this, I loved it instantly.This band hails from the Netherlands and thankfully for the world we live in I had the pleasure of hearing it.
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This is the one of the very first albums that drove me towards the heavy sounds. Early on, I was a pop guy, only listening to the radio and lapping it up. My friends, were like me, a misfit, social outcasts with limited friends. But these guys, they weren't sheep. They were lions. Mike and Keith were a couple of oddballs that got a lot of their music from the Import sections from Rushmore or Radio Doctors. TONS of punk and metal, lot of stuff I wouldn't embrace until I wised up. They saved my from becoming a sheep, and following the crowds. The taught me indiviudaulism and shared with me the message that, you don't have to please anyone but yourself. It was from Mike's incredible and vast library of music, that I got turned on to this album and the songs with in. I don't know if it was the album cover that grabbed me or the unique delivery of guitar and vocals. It was nothing like I ever heard.
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That bass line! What a wonderful song, full of hooks and little nuances that fit so well together. Perhaps it's not obscure, but it earns a place here. It's infectious, memorable and a classic! The chorus harmonies, the psuedo brass, the locomotive guitar riff, what an anwesome tune!
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A true Classic! I remember when first heard this on the radio. The song had a slow, haunting feel to it that just resonated every nerve in my body. Patti Smith in my opinion doesn't have the best voice, but it fits this song so well. The lone piano with Patti's less that perfect voice is quite powerful.
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Buried under the more well known female vocalists is Marilyn Martin. She has an incredible powerful delivery that rivals the likes of Pat Benatar. This song was discovered diggin deeper into her self titled release in 1986 after hearing her single "Night Moves". I was pleasantly surprise and here is one that clearly rocks!
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Here is one I discovered from a band I had no idea existed. B.E., or Bill Taylor fronts this band out of Pennsylvania. Listening to this I had to look twice, as it sounds just like Journey. This band no doubt got buried under all the Hair Metal drowning the various media platforms. Great harmonies and strong vocals make this song stand out.
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Buried in the plethora of 80s newcomers, some of the staples were left in the dust. In the late 70s, New York’s very own, Orleans had established their presence with songs like, “Dance With Me”, “Love Takes Time” and “Still The One”. This one is off their “one Of A Kind” release in 1982. The song is light, and fun. I hope you enjoy it.
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This song is so simple, yet layered in complexity, if that makes any sense. In the early 80s, the UK flooded the music scene with a seeming never ending relentless onslaught of substance. I really enjoy a good bass line, accompanying brass or synth-brass. The song is catchy and to me infectious. I passed this one over and thought it was too oridnary to add. I found myself humming the chorus and hearing the song in my head. There may be some people that never heard this and it would be a shame if it wasn't at least offered up.
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Oh, this one takes me back. I love this song. Way back in 1981, I do not recall how, but I came into possesion of a collection of songs that would open my mind to other genres that music had to offer. EVERY song on their has a special place in my heart. This is what drove me to colleting various artists compiliation to find that next unheard, undiscovered treasure. I have found many, but nothing will EVER compre to this.
Because of songs like this, I am adding a new tag called Recommended that only a select few songs will share. Off their 1981 "Torn Together" album, the 80s had so many opposing titles, kinda like opposites attract... anyhow...Out of London, here are The Hitmen!
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A bit past it's prime... With only one album to her name, I discovered this Minneapolis native female fronted Synth-Pop tune. A very pleasant song vocally reminiscent of Strawberry Switchblade.
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In 1984 there was so much music, that you couldn't even try to listen to everything that was popular, let alone obscure. There are some truly hidden gems out there, and here is one that I found. A Power Pop or Rock group simply name the Mark Williamson Band. Hailing from the United Kingdom, and putting out two albums, this one is off their last release, Missing In Action. Here is a song called Better Way.
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I discovered this one a while back. Good Power Pop is hard to find, good female vocal Power Pop is even harded. This is a husband and wife team from Tempe Arizona called Blue Shoes that sadly only had a few singles and EPs to their name. Even though this is Power Pop, this is a slower song than most from the genre. I love the haunting chorus, and the prominent bass.
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I love songs that have good bass in early 80s music. It seems to be missing from a lot of modern bands. This song is off a single that this band out of Spain put out. Discover a while back...but after hearing this again I will have to give a listen to their entire library as it's the kind of Power Pop I really enjoy.
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This one is from a movie soundtrack featuring Eddie Murphy, The Golden Child. Ann Wilson is one of the finest female vocalists on the planet and this song represents her dynamic abilities. If you have never heard this before, you're in for a treat.
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If you hadn't noticed, I am going through my vast library of music arranged by song title and here is another Best Friends entry. This one is an awesome Power Pop tunes from a band called The Outlets, coming out of Boston Massachusetts.
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I really enjoyed the music from the early 80s. There was a vast variety coming from overseas thanks to MTV. This band had such an awesome and unique sound that is so delightful on the ears. Here is one I never heard of until recently and it's a good!
He's an obscure song that must have gotten buried in the Hard Rock era. If this was in MTV rotation in the early 80s, this would have been huge. A nice little Synth-Pop song that I recently discovered.
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