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:
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":
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):
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:
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"
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":
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 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":
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":
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"
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:
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"
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"
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":
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):
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:
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 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:
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:
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.
