Small Bands Worth Tracking Down

Submitted by ash_campbell on Fri, 08/15/2003 - 04:50
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  • The Millions (Now defunct)
  • Lincoln, Nebraska band is in the alt-rock style, with a slightly darker edge. They’re most notable for their wonderful lead singer, Lori Allison, who has great range and is nice to listen to. They have two equally good albums: the straight rock M is for Millions (1991) and the slightly gothier Raquel (1995).

  • Steepeljack (Now defunct)
  • Out of St. Paul, Minnesota, their sound is gritty and fast paced. Led by two different singers, Ben Connelly and Andy Sullivan, their only full-length album is Kitchen Radio (1996)

  • …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
  • Austin, TX group (not that that should be held against them) is probably already too popular to be considered a ‘small band’, but they haven’t hit big time quite yet. Great band name, taken from a Mayan prayer (info courtesy of Stumpy's list), I like their not-quite-metal sound. Their self-titled debut (1998) is only moderately good, but 1999’s Madonna, and especially Source Tags & Codes (2002) make for some excellent listening.

  • Willy Wisely Trio (Now defunct) / Willie Wisely
  • Minneapolis singer-songwriter had two jazz/rock albums with the Trio: Parlez-Vous Francais? (1994), and the hard to find Rain Can (1992?), which are solid jazz-infused discs. He’s slightly better (and certainly funnier) as a solo artist, with the extremely good She (1996) and the solid follow-up Turbosherbert (1997).

  • Martin Sexton
  • Boston based alt-rock/folk singer, Sexton’s work is highlighted by his sometimes angst-ridden lyrics, strong vocal work, and deprecating humor. He’s got three really good recorded albums: Black Sheep (1996), The American (1998), and the soulful Wonder Bar (2000), as well as a double live album, 2000’s Live Wide Open.
Author Comments: 

I can never get myself to simply buy a CD of a band I've never heard of or don't have recommendations on. Here are some great artists who don't get a lot of the spotlight. What small (i.e. outside the mainstream) bands do you listen to?