Cyber People

Italo disco from 1984, Cyber People with "Void Vision (Slow Version)":

Albert Marcoeur

French avant-garde acoustic jazz, filled with moments of absurdity and cacophony. From his self-titled LP from 1974.
"Tu Tapes Trop Fort":

"Simone":

Gale Garnett

Canadian-born singer Gale Garnett took a dip in the hippie pool around the end of the 60's with her psych-ish band Gentle Reign, but she started her career as a distinctly less-feminine female singer in the mid 50's. Here's her 1965 single, I'll Cry Alone with a wacky video for the loungy B-side, "Where Do You Go to Go Away?"
"I'll Cry Alone":

"Where Do You Go to Go Away?":

July

UK psychedelia from 1968, their self-titled LP. Where the rest of the album has a more predictable, albeit good, late 60's psych-pop sound, "The Way" sounds like a funky dub remix of a 60's song that could have been recorded yesterday, except that it is a 60's song, and it's actually not dubbed.
"The Way":

"I See":

Dream

Swedish psychedelic group Dream with their album Get Dreamy (1967).
"Do You Dream?"

Mikio Masuda

Japanese keyboardist Mikio Masuda with a legitimately smooth track, and quite possibly the best/worst album art I've seen in a while.
"Moon Stone" from the 1977 album of the same name:

Mort Garson

Mother Earth's Plantasia (1976) by Mort Garson, moog instrumentation for growing plants. Mort's career started as a composer and pianist in the early 60's, but he became known mostly for the eccentric psychedelia that doused his Moog recordings. Preceeding Plantasia was Black Mass (1971) written under the pseudonym of Lucifer and meant to accompany the ceremony of its namesake; a series of singles, one for each aspect of the Zodiac; and a psychedelic re-telling of the Wizard of Oz, The Wozard of Iz (1968), complete with insane narration.
"Symphony for a Spider Plant":

"Music to Soothe the Savage Snake Plant":

"Ode to an African Violet":

"Swingin' Spathipyllums":

Suicide

Alan Vega and Martin Rev from NYC, their first album from 1977, Suicide.
"Rocket USA":

"Cheree":

Amon Düül II

Amon Düül II was one of the most influential krautrock conglomerations, with members constantly flowing in and out and branching into other groups and new musical territory. This particular period, around the release of Yeti (1970), turned out to be a seminal moment in the history of the group, marking the beginning of their underground success outside of Germany. The album shows a remarkable breadth of expression, from strange, trance-like moments of noise, constrained acoustic ragas and improvisations, to explosive, dirty, electric prog with slamming beats and tape effects.
"Archangel Thunderbird":

"Pale Gallery":

"Hallucination Guillotine":

Tyndall

Nik Tyndall and Rudolf Langer with their 3rd LP, Reflexionen (1982).
"Strassen Der Nacht":

Human League

the Human League from later in their career with their 1986 single, "Human":

Angelo Badalamenti

Angelo Badalamenti recorded the scores for several of David Lynch's films.
"Twin Peaks Theme", as it appears in the opening segment of the pilot episode of David Lynch's Twin Peaks:

"Fred's World" from the Lost Highway soundtrack (1997):

"Mysteries of Love" as it appears in Blue Velvet (1987):

Billy Idol

if the 1980's had just one douche bag to call it's own, it would be Billy Idol. here he is showing his less "hard" side with two of his most popular ballads.
"Eyes Without A Face" from Rebel Yell (1983):

"Sweet Sixteen" from Whiplash Smile (1986):

Unknown DJ

Andre Manuel, the Unknown DJ, early west-coast electro beats.
"Basstronic" single, 1988:

better audio: http://youtu.be/ytddqtWSP-E

Martin Newell

Martin Newell was a strong force for the DIY camp during the new wave days. He produced, recorded, and played (nearly) all of the instrumentation for his solo recordings. He also wrote and played under the name Cleaners from Venus with Lol Elliot in the early 80's, releasing most of their work together from home on cassette. The following are from his first cassette as Martin Newell, Songs for a Fallow Land (1985).
"Julie Profumo":

"Gamma Ray Blue":

Gandalf

american psych band, Gandalf with "Tiffany Rings" from their 1969 self-titled album:

Giorgio Moroder

the Godfather of Italian electro, Giorgio Moroder. A promotional TV video for the 1984 Olympics in LA:

R. Stevie Moore

live on NYC public access TV, the Scott & Gary Show in 1984.
"Showbiz is Dead" from Dumb Philosophy (1981):

"I've Begun to Fall in Love":

The Associates

the Associates, led by Billy Mackenzie, were one of the more successful new wave groups of their day; after touring with the Cure in 1980, John Murphy and Mike Dempsey (previously of the Cure) joined the group, and they landed album of the year in 1982 for their third album, Sulk. the following are sessions recorded for John Peel's radio show in April of 1981.
"It's Better This Way":

"Nude Spoons":

"Ulcragyceptimol":

William De Vaughn

diamond in the back, sun roof top, diggin' the scene with a gangster lean.
1974 single, "Be Thankful for What You've Got":

Sister Irene O'Connor

In the 70's, an Australian nun recorded an album using a drum machine and and a derelict synthesizer; her name was Sister Irene O'Connor and the album was Fire of God's Love/Songs to Ignite the Spirit (1976).
"Fire of God's Love":

"Mass-Emmanuel":

"Keshukoran":

Mikey Dread

Dread at the controls, 1979 with the album, African Anthem (The Mikey Dread Show Dubwise).
"Saturday Night Style":

"Industrial Anthem":

"Pre-dawn Dub":

Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force

Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force were instrumental in the development of hip-hop (Afrika actually coined the term) and electro-funk with their unique blend of European electronic music, american funk, and rap. They helped push hip hop to the forefront of American dance music, and were one of the first hip hop groups to carry strong (and positive) political and social undertones.
"Looking for the Perfect Beat" video for the 1983 single:

"Planet Rock" from the 1982 Planet Patrol/Soul Sonic Force split EP:

"Renegades of Funk" video for the 1983 single:

Yes

Yes released the album Tormato in 1978, right after the success of Going for the One (1977), which saw the return of Rick Wakeman on the keyboards. This would be the final album with Anderson, Howe, Squire, and Wakeman playing together. The album suffered a bit from the musical climate of the day as punk music began to congeal in Britain. Progressive rock was becoming an old horse; people were tiring of endless, lofty instrumentation and over-your-head lyricism, both classic trademarks of Yes's early days, and prog rock in general. The songs on Tormato are much shorter and radio friendly, and despite landing on the top 10, the album was reviled amongst the formerly dedicated Yes audience and hardcore prog fans alike. With the less-than-stellar public reception, Jon Anderson (lead singer, lyricist, and composer) took the opportunity to bow out, with Wakeman quickly following suit. Still, the album does have plenty of classic Yes moments, namely the closing track (posted earlier) "On the Silent Wings of Freedom," which could stand right alongside the most raucous and inspired moments of Fragile (1971).
"Madrigal":

and the chart-topping "Don't Kill the Whale":

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Though mostly considered to be a one-hit-wonder, Strawberry Alarm Clock released three albums from 1967-1968, during the height of the psychedelic movement in LA. They greatly influenced the early beginnings of LA bubblegum pop, which would grow to outlast and out-sell west coast psychedelia. The band broke apart in late '68, but released a 4th album, Good Morning Starshine, in '69 with an almost completely new line-up and a distinctly less psychedelic sound.
"Nightmare of Percussion" from their second album, Wake Up... It's Tomorrow (1968):

"Heated Love" from their 3rd album, The World in a Sea Shell (1968):

Devo

Before the hats came the glasses and yellow suits. Devo was formed sometime around 1973 at Kent State as a punk rock/art rock combo. They DIYed a few singles on their Booji Boy label, then were signed to Warner Bros. in '76. Here are some videos from a live performance in France in 1978, the year they released their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo.
"Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy" from Are We Not Men:

"Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA" from their second album, Duty for the Future (1979):

a devolved version of "Red Eye" also from Duty for the Future:

United States of America

Formed by electronic composer/musician Joseph Byrd at UCLA in 1967, United States of America artfully blended psychedelic sounds with chamber music, electronic experimentation, and avant-garde rock n roll. Their self titled LP (1968) was their only release.
The two songs I've selected showcase their soft rock meanderings mixed with mesmerizing tape and vocal effects and a calmer touch of psychedelia.
"Love Song for the Dead Che"

"Cloud Song"

Angelo & His Egos

obscure Greek new wave, Angelo & His Egos released one record, Egotrip (1982):
"Blackness":

Netsanet Melese

it's been a while since I've posted some Ethiopian stuff. Here's Netsanet Melese with "Ere Min Hunehal":

Weather Report

for all you jazz-funk enthusiasts out there, Weather Report with "Teen Town" featuring the amazing Jaco Pastorius on bass!

Thomas Leer

Thomas Leer's early work masterfully blended blithe pop instrumentation with self-built synthesizers and experimental tape effects.
B-side on the Private Plane/International (1978) single, "International":

Lush

as shoegaze and dreampop were just beginning to bubble up in the UK in the late 80's, Lush signed with 4AD and began a slow rise through the underground circuit, garnering plenty of credentials along the way. fans praise Lush for their consistency through the years. here's a glorious VHS video of the 1991 single De-Luxe from early in their career:

The Short Wave Mystery

The only album ever released by the group was a four song EP of sorts called Pilots which was recorded while the members were in community college in California. 1000 copies were pressed, 500 of which were not even sold. the record, when for sale, can fetch up to $1000.
"Nice Girl":

"Ecaterina Szabo":

Michael Bundt

in the mid 70's Michael Bundt played for several krautrock groups, but shifted gears in the late 70's to produce a few solo records with a decidedly spacey, funky flavor, starting with the album Just Landed Cosmic Kid (1977).
"The Brain of Oscar Panizza":

"Whose Eye Is the Sun?":

The Beach Boys

Before Brian Wilson retreated from the public eye in the late 60's, he and the rest of the Boys had been busy in the studio recording sessions for their new album, SMiLE (or Dumb Angel), which was intended to follow up Pet Sounds (1966). Wilson was pouring himself into writing songs for the album which he called "a teenage symphony to God," but for whatever reason, before the sessions could be mastered and arranged for release, Brian Wilson scrapped the entire project and left the band, taking most of the songs with him. Rumors state that Capitol Records and some of the other Beach Boys disliked the new direction Brian was taking the band, that Brian was addicted to LSD, and even that Brian was crushed after being shown a demo of "A Day in the Life" from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and couldn't imagine ever topping it. Many of the songs from the SMiLE sessions were reworked by Capitol and released on subsequent albums, but the original '66-'67 sessions with Brian Wilson will remain unreleased until this year.
"Heroes and Villains"

"Wonderful"

"Cabinessence"

"Surf's Up"

Tomo Akikawabaya

Japanese mystery man Tomo Akikawabaya made his brief appearance in the mid 80's with several self-released singles, each featuring model Rena Anju on the cover, and promptly fell off the face of the Earth. there are no pictures of this man known to exist, he gave no interviews, never publicly performed, and he has (presumably) not released any more music since 1986. All instruments and noises played by Tomo Akikawabaya.
"Diamond" from the 1985 single:

Side B - "Dream of No Pillow":

Orange Juice

hailing from late 70's scotland comes the Falling and Laughing EP, released feb. 1980, recorded in late '79 by the up-and-coming band Orange Juice. a lighter, more innocent vision of post-punk, more poppy and bubblier in tone.
Side A - "Falling and Laughing"

Side B - "Moscow"

Aloa

Aloa were a German synth duo, releasing only one LP in the early 80's. The LP has become a collector's item, selling for quite a lot of money when it can be found.
"Flamingo"

"Weisser Wal"

White Noise

In 1968, David Vorhaus formed White Noise with Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson. The three were pioneers in early British electronic pop/psychedelic music, and produced their legendary album An Electric Storm later that year. After the record, Derbyshire and Hodgson went on to successful careers in composing and producing electronic music, and Doavid Vorhaus has continued on under the White Noise pseudonym, releasing 4 more albums into the 21st century.
"Firebird":

"Love Without Sound":

"My Game of Loving":

The Shadows

The Shadows were a British instrumental band, originally playing back-up for singer Cliff Richard. The band became primarily known for lead guitarist Hank Marvin (that's him in the glasses), a master of old-school dreamy reverb.
"Wonderful Land" from The Wonderful Land of the Shadows EP (1962):

Starbuck

canadian soft rock from 1976, Starbuck with "Moonlight Feels Right" from the album of the same name:

That's Hot

someone's got a case of the mondays... me. This is a very self-indulgent post.
Early video art by G.G. Aries, music by Larry Gibbs, from California Images: Hi-Fi For the Eyes, 1983:

Soft Cell

British synthpop duo best known for their hit single, "Tainted Love," Soft Cell with "Sex Dwarf" from Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981). The song also had a banned video in the UK.

Further

Further was an LA group from the early 90's who's influence is muted at best (especially in light of the current music trends coming from the area) despite the fact that members of the group have deep rooted connections with modern genre benders and trend setters such as Beachwood Sparks and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. The following songs are from Further's 3rd and 4th album releases, Grimes Golden and Sometimes Chimes, both from 1994.
"California Bummer" from Grimes Golden:

"Quiet Riot Grrrl" from Grimes Golden:

"Surfing Pointers" from Sometimes Chimes:

Chrome

Helios Creed and Damon Edge with their third album, Half Machine Lip Moves (1979).
"Zombie Warfare"

"Mondo Anthem"

Lizzy Mercier Descloux

a French progenitor(tress?) of early no wave (writing as Rosa Yemen) and later various new wave, disco, and worldbeat sounds, Lizzy Mercier Descloux certainly did not stick to one style of songwriting. The following song, from her second album (as Lizzy), Mambo Nassau (1981) perhaps best melded her early no-wave and new wave roots with her danceable beats and definitely funk-ified world music consciousness:

Claudine Longet

Claudine Longet with the "Nothing To Lose / White Horses" single from 1968.
Side A, "Nothing To Lose" was written by Henry Mancini and Donald black:

Side B, "White Horses" was written by Michael Carr and Ben Nisbet:

A Tribe Called Quest

"Electric Relaxation" from the 1993 album Midnight Marauders:

Lee Hazlewood & Ann Margaret

Lee and Ann perform "Chico" in 1968 on the Swedish TV special, "Love and Other Crimes"

Jackie Quartz

"Émotion (Le Jour Se Lève)" single, 1987:

Grandmaster Flash & The 4 MC's

mixtape of a live set from 1978 when hip hop was still a baby:

Trisomie 21

Trisomie 21 has been a highly regarded staple in French electronic music since the early 80's up until the present day. "Memories" from Chapter IV (1986):

The Tornados

A Joe Meek (that's him on the far left) production, the Tornados with their 1962 uber-hit (it was the first British single to hit #1 on the US Hot 100), "Telstar":

R. Stevie Moore

SIT DOWN. performing on the Uncle Floyd Show, NJ, 1980: