Musical acts you love that you figure hardly anyone knows about

Steve Poltz. Another guy whose CD I grabbed off a music critic's desk.

This one is pretty cool, too. I've experienced this so many times where you fall asleep with the TV on and what you hear from the TV becomes part of your dream.

 

Ahhh, glad you checked in with The Gufs because I was just about to.

This song below was a staple on Milwaukee rock radio from 1995-1998 ... NBC played it as a bump going into commercial during the Vikings-Packers game last year and my ears immediately perked up:

They toured with Matchbox Twenty when they signed with Atlantic in the late 90s, and Rob Thomas made a cameo on their 1999 album, Holiday From You.

"Give Back Yourself" from Holiday From You:

They put out their last album in 2006 (A Different Sea).

"Beautiful Disaster" from A Different Sea:

Their lead singer, Goran Kralj, also released a solo album in the early 2000s.

Here's one of his best, written after 9/11:

 

Manu Chao

 

Frank Turner caught my attention with his song, "Recovery". Absolutely awesome. Have been following him since. He's currently on tour with a full band. Go check him out.

 

Thing that bugs me about The Gufs is their first three discs on the small label had such great stuff on them and none of that stuff ever got national release.

 

Saw him open for Isbell recently.

 

"Under Breath" from Staring into the Sun is an great song live (video/sound quality below doesn't really do it justice):

 

Whiskey Myers

 

As a huge Squirrel Nut Zippers fan I love the solo stuff Jimbo Mathus has done.

 

So it wasn't quite schmooblydong?

 

If you're of a certain age and from the south, you've probably heard of Cowboy Mouth. They've been part of the soundtrack of my life since I was in college. They had one minor radio hit in the mid-90s (Jenny Says) and a few songs used in commercials here and there, but have kept grinding away as a touring band for about 20 years now playing festivals and 1,000-seat venues.
The lead singer/drummer is Fred LeBlanc, a fat, sweaty, crazy son of a bitch who knows how to play a crowd like Charlie Daniels plays a fiddle. He's famous for walking through the crowd at the beginning of a show and just bullshitting with people for a minute to pull everyone into the show. They're mostly a rock band with a huge catalogue, but they also mix in random covers that are fun. They did "Amazing Grace" at one show I went to.
If you ever get a chance to see them live, it's well worth the $20. I love seeing them every couple of years just to feel young again.

Their song about Hurricane Katrina, "The Avenue," is also one of the rawest, most emotional -- as well as defiant and triumphant -- songs I've ever heard. Might be their best work.

 

Five Starsteps "ooh child"