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The great prog band you're sure noone else's heard

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Fischman View Drop Down
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    Posted: June 08 2019 at 19:24
Share one group you think of as a personal discovery, a band that never made it big, but you know in a perfect world would have....

For me, it's Lord Only.  Super obscure, just one album, but it's a doozy.  Some of the best bass work you'll ever hear. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2019 at 19:33
You're asking the wrong crowd.  We've seen too much.


"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fischman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2019 at 19:45
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

You're asking the wrong crowd.  We've seen too much.



Yes, this crowd is deep... very deep in prog exposure and knowledge.  

But there's over 10,000 groups listed on this site, and more being added every day.  Gotta' be a good number most of us have yet to hear.  Of those, there's not doubt some exceptional ones.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote patrickq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2019 at 19:58
How about Receptor Sight?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Manuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2019 at 21:49
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

You're asking the wrong crowd.  We've seen too much.


Indeed. All together we make a tremendous knowing force into the prog universe. 


Edited by Manuel - June 08 2019 at 21:49
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2019 at 22:56
It depends on when you get into prog. New prog is promoted for a few years then disappears. Only a few have staying power and are able to catch on. I know of a few bands from the late eighties and early 90's that have been largely forgotten even by most prog fans and many never discovered them in the first place. There are lots. It's kind of pointless for me(or anyone else)to post them though. I call them buried prog bands.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 08 2019 at 22:57
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dougmcauliffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2019 at 22:57

Host - Hardt Mot Hardt. 70s Norwegian prog



Edited by dougmcauliffe - June 08 2019 at 22:58
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kev rowland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 01:35
I suggest you look at the first volume of my books, as I can guarantee there are loads in there you will have never heard of

All five volumes of The Progressive Underground now available
https://www.amazon.com/Kev-Rowland/e/B07RJVRB2X
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Stool Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 03:39
Ashtray Navigations

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 08:28
This is easy: a "band" I tried and tried to promote in 2010 whose Pat Metheny/Steve Tibbetts-like music was rejected here because she was a one-man, self-produced, computer-filtered homeless guitarist. Or, perhaps, just because she was, at the time, a self-expressed trans-gendered "female."

Domina Catrina Lee Songs from the Breastbone Drum

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/domina-catrina-lee-songs-from-the-breastbone-drum-by-robert-bush.php

"Singaporean guitarist and composer Domina Catrina Lee is not a household name. In a more just universe, she would be. Lee possesses a seemingly infinite musical imagination. Working with a computer and a "budget" acoustic guitar, Lee has crafted a collection of highly creative, often large-scale works that defy categorization. 

Although her use of virtual-instruments—expertly and painstakingly programmed—allow her compositions to come to vivid life, what balances out all the electronics is Lee's quite stunning acoustic guitar improvisations.
 Coltrane once said that a person should have just enough technique to say what they had to say. Lee's guitar work is the embodiment of that ethos. She has codified her own highly personal improvising language by synthesizing elements of John McLaughlinPat Metheny and Steve Tibbetts. Those are just reference points though, because she does so without ever sounding derivative. 

Lee has a gorgeous sense of melody, often episodic in practice. She has a distinctive understanding of the nature of the instruments she writes melodies for. It's never just a matter of writing a long form melody and distributing to different instruments for balance. Rather, she exploits the details of each tool she composes for—when it's a melody for the electric bass it's specific to that alone. The lines she assigns to piano or oboe, are different entirely. 

The disc begins with Lee's ambitious title track, "Songs From The Breastbone Drum." Piano flourishes and string quintet stabs are underscored by a wicked tabla beat. Brief acoustic guitar interludes weave in and around the more composed sections. Enough can not be said about the organic quality of Lee's guitar concept: it's both highly developed and crude in the best sense of the word. There are long, beautiful stretches of oboe melody winding around the cinematic arc of "S.F.T.B.D.," an impressive opener. The next piece, "Fire Naked Prelude," showcases Lee's creative understanding of dissonance. She forged this piece with a completely de-tuned acoustic guitar and the results are startling. "Fire Naked Boom" uses an extremely complex series of odd-meters, a nasty electric bass line over tablas and other exotic percussion. Snaking in and out are spoken voices. Lee's guitar solo echoes snippets of McLaughlin and Ralph Towner—without aping either. 

The disc continues with "Ballad Of The Forgotten—Threnody For Vincent Van Gogh And Nikola Tesla." This suite begins with questioning voices, virtual ethnic flutes, whistles and theremin, and heavily processed guitars. There are often piercing sounds offset by choir and orchestral washes. The piece ends with what might be a cell-phone ring tone and the sound of boots on gravel. This "ballad" is a perfect example of Lee's wide ranging creative arc. Up next is a radical re-harmonization (and re-thinking) of the folk standard "Scarborough Fair." There are hammered chords, a woodwind trio, piano and synth pad backgrounds supporting a bluesy guitar solo that constantly shifts the fulcrum point between consonance and dissonance. "The Story So Far" is sort of a fusion / bop hybrid (it's the closest this album comes to sounding like conventional jazz). Lee's acoustic guitar is processed so heavily that it's easy to forget what instrument is actually playing at times. While the ride cymbal sound is true and accurate, the snare drum chatter sounds a little out of place. But the 1970s synthesizer sounds are dead on. 

"The Shape Shifter Suite I" features fingerpicked , arpeggiated chords—alongside a synthesizer patch strongly reminiscent of Lyle Mays. There's lots of tuned percussion and the whole piece uses constantly shifting odd-meters and creative repetition—evocative of composer Steve Reich. There is an intricate violin melody, and when it comes time for Lee's guitar spot—she never plays it "safe"—she pushes the envelope until all of the elements come crashing around her. As elsewhere on this disc, Lee manages to fuse elements similar to those of Weather ReportOregon and Metheny into a highly original scheme that's all her own. Part II of "The Shape Shifter Suite" begins with a haunting melody of recorder and acoustic guitar, before, halfway through the piece, tuned and un-tuned percussion take over then layer under the original melody. 

"Even The Outsider Suite: i: Borealis" uses quirky repetitions to suggest complex meters, voices, the oboe and what sounds like waves crashing on the beach. Layers of tic-tocking percussion seem to set up a big guitar strum at regular intervals. "E.T.O.S. : ii: Climbing In Rainfalls" once again has a striking, intricate melody at its center. Cycling guitar chords signal increased guitar activity—which beckons the oboe again (obviously a favorite voice for Lee). Throughout, is Lee's distinctive, intuitive approach to harmony. The final movement of the "Even The Outsider Suite: iii: Even(in)g The Outside" has another dramatic melody and a dialogue of acoustic guitar and piano that is evocative of Metheny and Mays' "September 15" from the epochal 1981 ECM session, As Falls Witchita...So Falls Witchita Falls. It's basically pastoral, with a bit of (welcome) edge. This piece also features a guitar solo that is stunning in execution—it's virtuosic—yet it retains the freshness and energy of someone who is clearly stretching themselves to the limit. 

The album comes to a close with another strong melodic piece, "By Her Side." This one has guitar and piano and double-bass sharing its aching theme. Lee writes expertly for the bass throughout this disc, especially on this piece. The guitar tone is sensuous and the solo deeply emotive. 

This is a very strong, wildly creative collection of excellent material. Lee's musical visions deserve to be heard by anyone who enjoys "chamber-jazz" like Oregon, or the raw guitar/tabla explorations of Steve Tibbetts, or the precise machinations of Steve Reich. 

Tracks: Songs From The Breastbone Drum; Fire Naked Prelude; Fire Naked Boom; Ballad Of The Forgotten—Threnody In Memory Of Vincent Van Gogh And Nikola Tesla; Scarborough Fair; The Story So Far; The Shape Shifter Suite;Even The Outsider Suite: Borealis; Even The Outsider Suite: Climbing In Rainfalls; Even The Outsider Suite: Even(in)g The Outsider; By Her Side. 

Personnel: Domina Catrina Lee: acoustic guitars, digital audio workstation, virtual instruments."

                                                                          ----Robert Bush, All About Jazz, October 10, 2010


Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldJean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 08:54
B for Bang. not in the archives. a side project of classical pianist Katia Labeque, who together with her younger sister Marielle forms one of the best classical piano duos in the world. she was married to John McLaughlin for some time and appeared on some of his albums.

here an example track of them; a cover version of "Helter Skelter" from the "White Album" of the Beatles:




Edited by BaldJean - June 09 2019 at 09:08


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 09:08
By the way I don't think that moderators on here care about what is between or what was or what wasn't between a musician or composer's legs(transgender or otherwise). 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 09 2019 at 17:08
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldJean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 09:26
deconstructing Beatles tracks is a specialty of them, by the way; here two other examples:


this one is from their second album:




A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote patrickq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 09:58
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

By the way I don't think that moderators on here care about what is between or what was or what wasn't between a musician or composers legs(transgender or otherwise). 
I hope not, as I just nominated Wendy Carlos!

I think it’s completely normal to be uncomfortable with the idea of a person changing genders - - it's something I’ve been guilty of. My concern would be that someone who’s uncomfortable could oppose a transgender artist, reasoning that they’ve only been nominated because they’re transgender. “I don’t care that this person is transgender,” they might say, “but PA isn’t the place for people to advance their political agendas.”

I’m not saying that such a person would be a bigot. At all.

On the other hand, a transgender nominee might receive a bit of extra support because they’re transgender. The reasoning might be since that transgender people face discrimination, they deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Edited by patrickq - June 09 2019 at 10:00
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Snicolette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 10:21
Originally posted by kev rowland kev rowland wrote:

I suggest you look at the first volume of my books, as I can guarantee there are loads in there you will have never heard of


I have a list of 17 to seek out, others that were unknown to me as well, but certainly the reviews of the 17 made me curious to hear them.  
"Into every rain, a little life must fall." ~Tom Rapp
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Snicolette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 10:23
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

This is easy: a "band" I tried and tried to promote in 2010 whose Pat Metheny/Steve Tibbetts-like music was rejected here because she was a one-man, self-produced, computer-filtered homeless guitarist. 

Thank you, am going to play some of this to give it a listen today.  On your recommendation and also because of the review.
 


"Into every rain, a little life must fall." ~Tom Rapp
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 14:52
Probably plenty others know them but I'll nominate Pikapika Teart a Siberian chamber rock band who released one superb album, Moonberry, before folding.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Logan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 14:56
The only ones of these unknown ones that I know is B For Bang and Pikapika Teart.

I could think of many that would be little known, but none that I believe no one has heard, nor that I would be confident to say no else, even here, has heard.

Well, maybe that's not quite true, there is Songs from the Deaf by Deaf Leotard.

Deaf Leotard was an English 80s Hairy Prog band made up of four hirsute amateur musicians whose days jobs were Aerobics instructors. What's remarkable is that all four were completely deaf, and one sure played a mean guitar. Their sole album was recorded, mixed, mastered and engineered by deaf people (though they never finished engineering or recording it due to an unexpected tragedy). Tragically, a fire broke out in the recording studio, and all four died as they were not alerted to the fire alarm while possibly re-recording some portions that they thought didn't look and feel right, but that's a guess. The deaf production team also died in the fire. While the studio was badly damaged, remarkably the recordings were largely undamaged. I had happened to be in the near vicinity of the studio on that fateful day testing some homemade fireworks when I saw the inexplicable fire that broke out near me. I courageously dashed in and was able to save the recordings for posterity. Sadly, I was not able to save the people as they were inexplicably locked in for some strange reason right after I heroically retrieved the recordings from certain obliteration (I will never forget the surprised and horrified looks on their faces as I left, but I also sensed gratitude for saving their magnum opus -- I like to think they would have thanked me had they survived). I had been meaning to release the recordings out of respect to the dead, but due to a subsequent investigation of the fire, I decided to lay low despite my total innocence when it came to starting the fire and locking them in. I'm sure I would have been held blameless, cause I was totally innocent, and maybe I would have been held up as a kind of a hero for saving the music and protecting their legacy, but investigations can be tedious, and I had other commitments. I mailed the recordings to my house in Canada, and flew back to Canada later that day. To this day I have never shared the music with anyone, but it's pretty great all things considered. At least their legacy lives on through me.

In terms of obscurities that I have thought great (not a band but an artist), I really like Pascal Duffard's Dieu est Fou which was my first PA addition (back in 2007) and still only has one review by someone other than myself, and he's no longer around. That said, I've mentioned the album a few times in the forum over the years, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone here (a forum user who will read this unusual post) knows it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4gOwb2boM0

Edited by Logan - June 09 2019 at 15:14
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 17:17
I'm not saying this is the most obscure album and I can think of others more obscure but this is a little gem from the late 90's has been buried over the years. Check it out if you like the mellotron. Unfortunately only two tracks from this fine album are on youtube. 




Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 09 2019 at 17:18
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2019 at 17:55
[For me, it's Lord Only.  Super obscure, just one album, but it's a doozy.]

Actually this very website has two releases listed for them.
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