Going Deep!

The recent spate invitational polls has given me the idea that this would be a good way to try to get some air to the more obscure stuff listed here in the archives. As usual, users reply below with youtube samples of their nominated songs. The rules for this invitational are as follows:

1. Songs must be from a studio LP listed on PA

2. Songs must be from albums with less than 50 ratings/reviews

3. Not from proto nor prog related.

4. If there are still spots after 2 days, users may nominate a second song from a different band.

5. When nominations are placed within the poll, users may vote for 3 songs

How low can you go?

I'll start with a favorite from last year (Which has all of one rating/review...MINE):

Mimedyr - Mindlemjar

Well, over in the other one I wrote "let's not have two of these at the same time" - but I wrote this knowing that if it happened, I wouldn't be able to resist.

This one continues with the instrumental theme. It's from Kong's Earmined album and has 6 ratings (average is 3.00 - people don't know what's good ).

In any case, this is one stunning live video (I hope it's fine to post a live video of a song that is on a studio album only).

By the way this shows Kong's trademark live setting in which the four musicians are in four corners of the venue with the audience between them. Awesome band!

PLAY IT LOUD!

My choice.. found this album on one of Ivan's symphonic death marches back in the wee early days of the site when we were adding bands by the score to the site.  I immediately loved LOVED LOVED it..  and still all these years later gets regular play here.

Anyway, BONUS for the very first band alphabetically ( if one counts numbers first in the alphabet like I do). One would figure at least 50 bots would glaum (not glom, as I did to your poll apparently) onto that one.

This may not be totally obscure, but I am sure most prog fans have no clue of the greatness of this song or the album it comes from:

was 3rd up.. for I nearly went Down Under for some smoking hot Aussie prog for this one...I'll do that for then next one.

Ooooh...Very nice, Greg. That bridge comes out of nowhere.

Look forward to hearing that Nickie.. I don't believe I've heard any of his stuff before.

Some do. Some years ago when we did big "best prog songs of all times" lists, I had this at no. 14, so there's only space for max 13 songs here that can be better than that.

That is correct.  

Thought for sure he would have more coverage. Only 22 ratings on his most popular album.

I love that album and that song...It was recommended by you on another thread, Raff, which was how I was introduced to it.

Well then, let's see if we can get him a little exposure here.  

So obscure my failing eyes read it as Necro Pancake. Which is going straight to the Avant/Occult names thread.

 

Fly Pan Am - Each Ether

 

Too much stuff in your link.

 

Sorry about that....I fixed it

I posted the whole lp...sorry here's one track,

Riff Raff - Original Man

I'm diggin this stuff. Spanning the genres, new stuff, old stuff and mostly stuff I hadn't heard. Going to be hard to vote. 

Almost enough to start populating the poll.

Keep 'em comin'. 

The nominees are coming pretty quick. But I'm sure we'll do another. Its a blast to see everyone's under-the-radar stuff.

Glad you liked it....people have mentioned Maelstrom before....it is an interesting mix of prog styles.

I knew this guy a few years ago who turned me onto many unusual things and that was one of them.

Mind Over Four "Prayer for the Dying" (from the album The Goddess)

I would say they are alternative metal, but they are on PA. 5 albums and 17 ratings.

Tapfret wrote: ^Is it the first track you want?

 

Yes, sorry. I thought it was just the track not the whole thing. 

Would this count?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AfXsg0CcVA

Oops, one at a time. We'll come back to this one if there are slots remaining tomorrow afternoon.

Yup, that is an eligible nomination.

Classic times infinity.

The only one I know...

I liked the song. I imagine htere will be a couple of others who will, but other than that, no... 

I struggled to come up with a song, there were so many choices, I thought of progressive metal as well, but gave up on the idea. 

You can always go with experimental/post metal or tech/extreme metal. 

Though why there are three categories for metal is a question. 

it helps because they are three different styles.

I considered for example a band called If These Threes Could Talk which is a post rock/metal band, so underrated, great atmosphere.

Also thought of a few newer progressive metal bands like Mother of Millions, Skyharbour, Circles and Disperse. Nothing to do with Dream Theater for those who think progressive metal is just bland DT cloning, no offense. 

Oh well... 

Inventions by Maserati

from the album  Inventions For the New Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyvxgIutvCM" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyvxgIutvCM

not working 

no problem.

I wouldn't know how to post a video from my smart phone. 

The whole album is pretty decent, this one a little slow and simple. I just chose the first one YouTube came up with and posted it.

I listened to most of them and pretty much enjoyed everything, I'll have to relisten.

I was familiar with 3 already, Maelstrom Riff Raff and 0.720 Aleacion.

5 more will fill it up. We'll skip the spots that someone has cast votes on already.

Cast your votes for your 3 favorites.

Linda Perhacs

Intervals

              Mimedyr – Mindlemjar ~ Love the lush layers here.  Even though it spaces out, it keeps your interest, instead of drifting away forever.

                Kong – Lumberhome ~ Interesting 4 corners setup live.  Nice, tight changes, esp in a live setting.

                0.720 Aleación - Antes que amanezca ~ Nice, almost Paraguayan harp sound (from guitar?) at the beginning, love the atomospheric flutes.  A contender.        

                Astrid Pröll - Pröll1 ~ Space that gets heavy, prefer over Nneckra Packe, less onslaught sonically, good build.

                Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms ~  Wow!  Reminiscent to me of Sally Oldfield, with some CSN style harmonies, ala “Guinivere.”  Dreamy, then the dream turns sideways.  Round sounds to angular, ending with a reprise of the round beginning.  A contender.

                William D. Drake - Me Fish Bring                ~ Already love this, by my rules will not make the cut because of that.               

                Tom Kelly - Sloppy Love at Bodie Flats ~ My entry             

                Nneckra Packe – Herakleitos ~ Spooky, then a sonic assault, definitely the dark side of space.       

                Fly Pan Am - Each Ether ~ Wash of sound, really kept my interest as the sound developed.

                Maelstrom - Opus None               ~ Really enjoyable for me, love the various elements and they way they’re put together.  A contender.

               Riff Raff - Original Man ~ Shades of Pink Floyd (to my ears) without copying.  A contender.

                Mind Over Four - Prayer for the Dying ~  Too much in my face with no relief. 

                Frank W. Fromy - Beata dolores ~ This reminds me so much of Hildegard Von Bingen at her most eclectic.  A contender.

                The Quiet Earth Orchestra – Cicadas ~ Reminds me a bit of Iron & Wine.  Definitely a contender.

                Maserati – Inventions ~  Love this kind of slow-build space music.  A contender.

                Dreadnaught – Ballbuster ~ Love at the center break, the violin and plinky bits, then it’s back to heavy.  A contender, mostly because they used dynamics over some of the heavier choices this time.

                Intervals - Leave No Stone ~ Liked the middle, where the guitarist was showcased.  Not as sold on the rest.

                Once and Future Band - How does It Make You Feel? ~ I remember this band from the 70’s, so held from vote.  Reminiscent of ELO and The Move, so fun to hear it again, for me.

Damn this is quite hard, I really enjoyed about 90% of it. The ones that stand out in the mean time are Mimedyr, Astrid Prol, Tom Kelly, Fly Pan Am and In The Labyrinth. The others are really close so I might change my mind tomorrow.

The ones I already know have an advantage so I'm not sure I'm gonna vote for them, are we not supposed to?

Some interesting stuff here, definitely deserving of more exposure. Excluding the entries I was already familiar with (Micky's and mine, and the excellent Dreadnaught song), my votes went this way:

Tom Kelly - Sloppy Love at Bodie Flats (great title, and outstanding music!)
Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms (a prog-folk gem)
Frank W. Fromy - Beata Dolores (not exactly easy listening, but rather unique)

Honourable mentions for Kong, Astrid Pröll and Once and Future Band. Looking forward to the next one!

Some of you can evaluate a lot of music in very short time... wish I had that much time for proper listening...Half way through I already know three I could vote for, but there's more competition to come.

We're really not supposed to vote for our own proposal. Not voting for stuff they already know is a rule that some set for themselves, but you can do that if you want.

Wowie zowie, this one was so difficult.  

 

1. Kong - LumberHome - So "Thrak-ish".  How could I not love this?

2. Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms.  Wow.  So original, unpredictable and daring. 

3. Mimedyr - Mindlemjar  Amazing, exciting and never boring, another "best" album for last year. 

 

And 3 more very strong contenders were Dreadnaut, The Quiet Earth and Riff Raff.

I've decide on 2, but haven't eliminated more than a couple for my final vote.

2. And yes, the one I nominated. Mimedyr -- Mindlemjar. Probably in my top 5 tracks of the 21st century.

That last vote has 5 strong contenders.

Ian, aren't we not supposed to vote for ourselves? 

Can't decide between the first four, so I will use Snicolette's system and not vote for Me Fish Bring, which I have heard hundreds of times. It's number one but in my collection it's everything else than "obscure".

Honorable mentions:

Frank W. Fromy: This fascinates me but also annoys me at times. Vocals can make or break a track for me and these rather break it, also it's too wordy. Still, it's an experience.

Mimedyr: This is the one I like most of what I'd call prog mainland, a proper conventional rock sound with all the "progressive" complexities that we often like but that may at times seem to be there just for complexities' sake. Some others of this kind are in the competition, the Mimedyr one just sounds best to me.

Astrid Proell: Started off in a very promising way. I'd have preferred this to remain more meditative and atmospheric, toward the end it becomes more conventional and that isn't a winner.

Top 3:

3) Fly Pan Am (terrible band name by the way): This has the sound spectrum and dynamics that get me addicted.

2) Maserati (not much better a band name really): This kind of post rock gets me in a good mood all the time.

1) Linda Perhacs (well done Linda for not using a band name): Stunning mix of gentle and delicate harmonies and total surprise. Outstanding.

Being a formalist, for future polls I'd prefer to have a clear deadline for submissions, and no voting before that. This kind of late addition has happened in the non-prog polls as well and is a bit frustrating for everyone involved, I guess. (And I'm certainly not saying it's your fault rushfan!)

Tom Kelly

In The Labyrinth

The Quiet Earth Orchestra 

And very close behind are: Mimedyr, Astrid Proll and William Drake.

I didn't mention the ones I already knew.