GIMME THE OBSCURE STUFF!

In the age of the Internet, is there really such a thing as "obscure music" anymore? I decided to put the "LLAMA BRAIN" to the test for some of the most obscure stuff I could think of, and I got some great results:

PUNK and INDIE ROCK
I found relative obscurities a-plenty in this category. Here's a very small sample of the indie/alternative ocean available on the One Llama database:

The Dresden Dolls - Macabre, theatrical, and somewhat twisted, this duo might be enjoying the best current coverage (call it "buzz" if you like...) of the bunch. The ONELLAMA database has a few of their album tracks to augment their heavier-rotation hit, "Coin Operated Boy."
Brian Jonestown Massacre - Dedicated to psychedelia and very, VERY twisted, BJM were the subject of the documentary DiG!. The Llama has a good handful of songs from this explosively dysfunctional ensemble.
The Butchies - A North Carolina queercore trio with a very accessible power-pop sound, the Mind of the Llama has a good sampling of their work.
Angie Heaton - Central Illinois's own twang-punk sweetheart, the Llama Brain has a few of her best-loved tunes, including the shoulda-been-a-megahit, "Rollerskate."
Lard - A Jello Biafra side project on the Alternative Tentacles label, this band qualifies as "difficult listening." Yes, the Llama's got 'em.
Scott Walker - An enigmatic and reclusive songwriter, known for his signature strung-out and dreamy atmosphere, Scott Walker has released a small handful of CD's over the past thirty (yes, 30!) years. One Llama gives you a handful, and an earful, of his quintessential tunes.
Wire - Cited by critics as one of the seminal rock groups of the 1970s and 1980s, Wire definitely qualifies as one of the greatest bands you may never have heard of. The Llama can give you a quick 7-song sampler.

FOLK and ACOUSTIC
I found at least a half-dozen numbers each by heartfelt americana artists Greg Brown and Slaid Cleaves, along with classic quirky folk by The Holy Modal Rounders. Surprisingly, I even loaded up a few radical political tracks from the likes of The Prince Myshkins, Anne Feeney, and David Rovics. Check out those last three, by the way, if you're looking for lyrical masterpieces on topics of social change.

THE 1980's
Next, I decided to set the dials on the 'Way Back Machine for the glorious age of Big Hair and Ronald Reagan. In some cases, The Llama remembered even better than I did:

Eight (count 'em, 8!) songs by the San Francisco paisley pop foursome The Three O'Clock. 4 songs by The Dream Academy--but weirdly, their biggest American hit "Life in a Northern Town" is not to be found. Nine tracks by Pere Ubu. Several tracks from Aztec Camera's first album. Plenty of Peter Murphy solo. And the rocksteady classic by Madness, "One Step Beyond," with the video and everything.

Way to go, Llama!

OBSCURITIES OF THE WORLD UNITE!
In the world of Jazz, I decided to focus on local and regional artists of the midwest: Got a hit for vocalist/composer Dee Dee Bridgewater and a small sample of tunes from graceful pianist and bandleader Tim Green.
On the reggae tip, I found some classic memories in the form of Yellowman's "Zunguzung" and "Hard Man Fe Dead" by Prince Buster. Masters of Indian classical music like Hariprasad Chasuria and Amjad Ali Khan are represented, and more coverage there would be great. I even found oodles of lounge/exotica by vintage master of big band bizarre, Serge Gainsbourg, and classic vocal stylings by Iranian traditional singer Googoosh.

WANNA PLAY "STUMP THE LLAMA"?
I tried my hardest to stump the Llama, and was pretty impressed with how the database performed! Can you stump the Llama by finding artists ONELLAMA doesn't list but really should? If so, feel free to let us know at contact@onellama.com, or leave a comment under this post!

--PK for OneLlama.com