ITT you post the most obscure band you can think of and see if anyone recognizes it.

[300lb. Samoan]

I'll test the waters with Electric Wizard...

before I start rattling off all the backwater punk bands I've played with that no one will know about...

Teenage Rehab
Bigfoot and the Fully Automatics
Hot Damn!
Joey Blackheart and the Gallows

 

[dweomermaster]

Dropkick Murpheys

Black Tide

Priestess

hey I know these three, they're awesome never thought of them as obscure tho =)

couple of bands from down my way might count though:

Ruins
Psycroptic

 

[That_Which_Isnt]

Alestorm, pretty sure not many people on here will know them.

Definitely know of Alestorm

 

[KaiRai]

Nasum
Threemileisland
Dir En Grey
Winds Of Plague
Amorphis
Abysmal Dawn

 

[Nevyrmoore]

Alestorm, pretty sure not many people on here will know them.

Pirate Metal ftw.

Bees Making Honey. And if you get that, then I'll be led to believe you drink at Scallys.

 

[Sporky111]

Bryan Adams
Starship/Jefferson Starship
Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Co-burn)
Men Without Hats

(yay Canada)

Not to be insulting, but if you think these are obscure you must be pretty isolated. And yes, Canada is awesome.

Venus Hum

I only know her because of her performance with the Blue Man Group, but she is a great singer.

I would add Means, The Famine, Circle of Dust, and Die Happy. (I don't know much about their popularity elsewhere, but they haven't been heard of anywhere I've been)

Also, has anyone else heard of Brokencyde? They're a strange mix of electronic music with screamy, nu-metal vocals. I got into them with their version of Low by Flo Rida.

 

[wiX_88]

Doug and the Slugs
Bryan Adams
Starship/Jefferson Starship
Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Co-burn)
Men Without Hats
Prism




(yay Canada)

I don't think you can legally say Bryan Adams is obscure... Or Jefferson Starship...

Trust me, there are Yanks that've never heard "Summer of '69" or "We Built This City".

WAT???

Oh well, anywho ... THE BELLRAYS = Kickassery (1000 points to anyone who even thinks they've heard of them).

Also, anyone know Rasputina (she was with Cobain once), (Melissa) Auf Der Maur, or Stereolab?

 

[wilted_orchid]

What about Universal Hall Pass or Fake ID, anyone?

 

[Torque669]

steel panthers any one ?
and ive not heard any of the bands above me lol

I love Steel Panther.

Ill say Alterbridge, Demon Hunter and Sick Puppies.

 

[hagaya]

Minus The Girl

i know of them, i had them on my itunes many yonks ago

how about Neutral Milk Hotel and Against Me?

So you're from Chicago, Eh?

 

[That_Which_Isnt]

Nasum
Winds Of Plague
Amorphis
Abysmal Dawn

Heard of, even listened to WoP, didn't care for them.

 

[Restoshamankk]

mindless self indulgence

 

[Cyd0n1a]

Dir En Grey
Amorphis
Abysmal Dawn

wat?

I've heard of them all. Though it's hard to live in Finland and not hear about Amorphis.

 

[Legion]

The problem with really obscure bands is they are either people that only play gigs locally therefore no one else knows them... or they're obscure cos they're crap and no one wants to tell anyone else about them...

Or 99% of people in the world are not their target audience.

You mention any Hip-Hop band that hasn't been on MTV or whatnot and I won't have ever heard of it, nor will any of my friends bar one.

Could also be because theres a lot of musicians that have never applied the phrase "target audience" to their working practices. And can't really help you with the MTV thing as I've NEVER watched it. I look for music, not wait for it to come to me.

A little bit defensive no?

There is nothing wrong with a band having a target audience, if anything it shows they are aiming to please rather than to make a quick buck.

I don't watch MTV either, it was example of how mainstream a Hip-Hop band would have to be for me to have heard of it. The point being that obscure does not mean bad.

As for the last part, I fail to see the relevance to our discussion. I also don't see why it would matter if you choose to find music or let it come to you, it's not like it's a race or anything. It's just music.

Having a target audience at all is bad imo, make music you want to make, something that expresses you. Trying to cater to someone else ruins it.

That depends if you are making music for yourself or other people though doesn't it? If you are making it for yourself then I agree. If you are making it for fans then it helps to try and please.

 

[That_Which_Isnt]

mindless self indulgence

I LIKE MY COFFEE BLACK JUST LIKE MY METAL

I dislike them.

The problem with really obscure bands is they are either people that only play gigs locally therefore no one else knows them... or they're obscure cos they're crap and no one wants to tell anyone else about them...

Or 99% of people in the world are not their target audience.

You mention any Hip-Hop band that hasn't been on MTV or whatnot and I won't have ever heard of it, nor will any of my friends bar one.

Could also be because theres a lot of musicians that have never applied the phrase "target audience" to their working practices. And can't really help you with the MTV thing as I've NEVER watched it. I look for music, not wait for it to come to me.

A little bit defensive no?

There is nothing wrong with a band having a target audience, if anything it shows they are aiming to please rather than to make a quick buck.

I don't watch MTV either, it was example of how mainstream a Hip-Hop band would have to be for me to have heard of it. The point being that obscure does not mean bad.

As for the last part, I fail to see the relevance to our discussion. I also don't see why it would matter if you choose to find music or let it come to you, it's not like it's a race or anything. It's just music.

Having a target audience at all is bad imo, make music you want to make, something that expresses you. Trying to cater to someone else ruins it.

That depends if you are making music for yourself or other people though doesn't it? If you are making it for yourself then I agree. If you are making it for fans then it helps to try and please.

If you're making music for other people you're doing it wrong.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

After Midnight Project.


Or you can just call them AMP.

 

[Xojins]

Band of Horses
Animal Collective
Passion Pit

 

[Jedamethis]

Kingskin

 

[wilted_orchid]

mindless self indulgence

'Cos I can't wait for you to shut me up!

I rather love them, but they're not exactly obscure anymore.

 

[That_Which_Isnt]

Animal Collective

Heard of, never listened to