The Other Side - “Walking Down the Road” (1966)
Inextricably linked with The Chocolate Watchband — by virtue of a dizzying personnel swap in November 1965 — The Other Side are today far less known than their sister group, but were no less talented. the Other Side evolved from The Topsiders, a surf combo formed at Fremont, CA’s Washington High School in 1964. The quartet included Jim Sawyers (lead guitar), Ken “Toad” Matthew (drums, vocals), Tom Antone (bass), and David Tolby (born David Phelps; second lead guitar). This lineup’s high-water mark was a mid-1965 appearance at a KLIV Battle of the Bands at San Jose’s Civic Auditorium. Joined briefly by rhythm guitarist Skip Spence, the Topsiders — upon Spence’s departure — adopted a new name. Spence, drafted to drum for The Jefferson Airplane, gave Sawyers and company the alternate moniker that the Airplane had rejected. [AllMusic via Away from the Numbers]
The Stillroven - “Sunny Day” (1967)
Primal Scream - “Leaves” (1987)
Primal Scream is a Scottish alternative rock group formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. … The band were a key part of the mid-1980s indie pop scene, but eventually moved away from their more jangly sound, taking on more psychedelic and then garage rock influences, before incorporating a dance music element to their sound. [Wikipedia]
Primal Scream - “Love You” (1987)
The Young Tradition - “California Morning” (2003)
The Young Tradition is made up of Brent Kenji of San Fransisco-based indie poppers the Fairways on vocals and Erik Hanspers from Sweden on all the instruments. Despite the name, there is nothing traditional about the way this wonderful EP was recorded. The two architects of the Young Tradition had never met and all the recording was done by trading tapes through the mail. [AllMusic]
Another Sunny Day - “Horseriding” (1993)
The Long Ryders - “I Want You Bad” (1986) (NRBQ cover)
The Long Ryders were originally formed by several American musicians who were each multi-instrumentalists, influenced by Gram Parsons and The Byrds, with country and punk rock influences. They were named after the Walter Hill film, The Long Riders. … Although two members were transplants from the American South, they became a popular rock band, forming in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and originally associated with a movement called the Paisley Underground. [Wikipedia]
Lloyd Cole - “Perfect Skin” (1984)
As an avid golfer, Cole is known for playing concerts in towns suspiciously close to famous golf courses. He shares a passion for this sport with Alice Cooper, who is said to have introduced the song “Only Women Bleed” by claiming “not even Lloyd Cole has written a song about menstruation” when playing live (which he in fact has). Cole’s 5.3 hcp tied 11th place on Golf Digest’s top 100 list of musicians (tied with Cooper and Dan Tyminski). He has published articles in golf journals and starred in a commercial for a local golf supply store located near his home. [Wikipedia]
My awesome wife requested this one. She’s just as musically obsessed as I am, maybe more so. Follow her kick-ass concert video Tumblr — BlearyEyedBrooklyn.
The Plimsouls - “A Million Miles Away” (1983)
The band achieved its greatest notoriety in 1983 when the single release “A Million Miles Away” was included on Valley Girl’s motion picture soundtrack and became a minor hit. It is also included on the Speed motion picture soundtrack. The band, which also appeared on camera in the movie (Valley Girl), performing the song and parts of two others, quickly re-recorded the song for inclusion on a second album, Everywhere At Once, produced by Jeffey Rich, but broke up shortly after. [Wikipedia]
Beat Happening - “Sleepy Head” (1992)
Beat Happening is an American indie pop band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford have been the band’s continual members. Beat Happening were early leaders in the American indie pop and lo-fi movements, noted for their use of primitive recording techniques, disregard for the technical aspects of musicianship, and songs with subject matters of a childish or coy nature. The band met while attending The Evergreen State College and began recording in 1983. The band’s basic line-up was drums, guitar and vocals, though when they formed their only instruments were a pair of maracas and a Sears Silvertone guitar purchased at a thrift shop. [Wikipedia]
