I’ve been running this blog for a long time now, although not as long as some; still, looking back at 2018 is a weird, weird experience. In the interests of keeping my blog more active than it has been, I’m rerunning some of my old posts — with commentary!
Here is the old post we’re revisiting today: https://elliottdunstan.com/2018/06/08/five-songs-spotify-youve-probably-never-heard/
Setting aside the hipster-Buzzfeed-ness of the name (something I haven’t managed to entirely rid myself of) this is a pretty solid list. I’m actually incredibly pleased to say that Raphael’s career has taken off since, so of all the songs on there, that one is less and less true! It’s also strange to see me talk about songs with very few listeners and realize this was before my obsession with The Smelling Fresh, because I expected them to be on here. But these days, I could make a list like this with a hundred entries and not just five.
…Well, if you’re going to twist my arm…
I won’t do a hundred. But in the spirit of revisiting old themes, here’s five more songs that, statistically speaking, are probably new to you.
- Coloured Glass – The Breathers
This one makes me sad, honestly; the flip side of any “hidden gem”, especially an old one, is that here’s a musician/band who put something out and didn’t get the attention they deserved. This is a beautiful song with stellar production, a voice that makes me want to close my eyes and slow-dance, and lyrics that just… live in my brain. This type of folk/country is competitive, though, and I just hope these folks know that their music’s reached somebody.
2. Nunca – Polardegos
On the complete other end of the spectrum, you’ve got this fascinating soundscape of a song by Norwegian band Polardegos. They call themselves a ‘samplepunk’ band, which in practice means you’ve got rap sections, soaring choral riffs, shouted sections, and it comes together shockingly well. Their audience is clearly in Norway from their Spotify bio being exclusively in Norwegian, but with a bit of good luck I can see them being very successful. This is also, thankfully, a more recent release; so that luck may still be on its way.
3. Count On You – The Smelling Fresh
I mentioned these boys earlier, but I never miss a chance to bring them up. (Seriously, every chance I get I’ll plug them.) The Smelling Fresh are two college friends – Brian Yates and James Matthews – who made an album while in university, and several years later, prompted by a message from someone who’d stumbled on their music, got back in touch and started making music again. They’re phenomenally talented, and another case where I am Personally Offended by them not being the next massive hit yet.
Below is one of their best songs, but their entire body of work is just fun to listen to — although I will always have a special place in my heart for ‘Touch the Ceiling’.
4. God In A Can (Surf Song) – Yorn’s Apostles
I love whatever the fuck this is. Psychedelic trip-hop surf rock grunge instrumental…. something. I couldn’t tell you a thing about the band except that they’re from California (of course they are) and that they have a Bandcamp over here! Consider supporting them directly if you got a buck or two extra! I always have a particular soft spot for guitar lines that feel completely immersive — if it’s too clean, it bores me.
5. Tall Trees, Long Shadows – Ian Campbell
This one’s an odd one. There’s every possibility, if you’re in folk music circles, that you’ve heard (at least one of) the original songs in this medley; Tall Trees Long Shadows and Janet Munson’s. They’re not as popular as some, but they still get some traffic. But if you’re not in those circles, they’re probably new to you. Outside of Celtic circles, most people know Tell Me Ma and the odd Lindsey Stirling song; that’s about it.
As far as this specific remix goes, Spotify claims a couple hundred listeners. In the real world, it’s hard to say, because this was one of those CDs that was sold on gift racks as “ambient music”. (Every date I find for it claims 2013, by the way, but that is an outright lie. It’s 2008 or earlier, because I was listening to this all through high school.) This entire album is what got me into the world of Celtic electronica… which is, tragically, not that big a world. Lindsey Stirling, the Sidh, the Peatbog Faeries and Taylor Davis make up the bulk of it, honestly.
Still, this is probably new to you… and if it isn’t, there’s every chance I’ve just unlocked a core memory.
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Elliott Dunstan 