Technical Difficulties On Music Page

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 13:47:59 -0700

Deepest apologies regarding the technical difficulties on the Music page... While trying to resolve whatever is causing the blank canvas that so coldly greets you there, just go here instead:

http://monsieurobscure.com/Site/Music/Archive.html

The 100 Most Obscure Guitarists

Mon, 16 May 2011 22:50:14 -0700

What follows is perhaps the first list of its kind on the Internet, compiling a subjective yet arguably definitive roster of the 100 most obscure guitarists of the modern age*. Many recommendations were made by friends and acquaintances which are happily included within the cloud of obscure luminaries. It should be noted that when we use the term ‘obscure’ here, it denotes not only guitarists who are not widely known or properly appreciated, but also those whose playing is unique, unusual and in some cases just downright strange. Often it may indicate both simultaneously. Please also be aware that these masters of obscurity are presented in no particular order or degree of obscurity... So without further ado:

1. Greg Ginn - Black Flag, Greg Ginn and the Taylor Texas
Corrugators

1. D. Boon - Minutemen

103. Marc Ribot - Tom Waits, Rootless Cosmopolitans, solo

104. Fred Frith - Henry Cow, Massacre, John Zorn, solo

1. Marc Ducret - Big Satan, solo

1. Cedell Davis

1. David "Fuze" Fiuczynski - Headless Torsos, Screaming
Headless Torsos, KIF, solo

108. Buckethead

1. Robert Fripp - King Crimson, Brian Eno, David Bowie,
solo

110. Joey Santiago - The Pixies

1. Adrian Belew - King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Talking
Heads, solo

112. Stuart Adamson - Big Country

113. Bruce Watson - Big Country

114. David Torn - Jan Garbarek Quartet, Everyman Band,
Prezens, solo

115. Bill Frisell - Naked City, solo

116. Daniel Ash - Bauhaus

117. Charlie Hunter - Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, solo

118. Greg Lisher - Camper Van Beethoven

119. Robin Guthrie - Cocteau Twins

120. David Wilcox

1. Michael Brook - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pieter Nooten,
David Sylvian and Robert Fripp, solo

122. Will Sergeant - Echo and the Bunnymen

123. Jamie West-Oram - The Fixx

124. Jerry Garcia - The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band

125. Hillel Slovak - Red Hot Chili Peppers, What Is This?

126. Henry Kaiser - French Frith Kaiser Thompson, solo

127. Jack White - White Stripes, The Raconteurs

128. Kanna - Bleach

129. Chris Cohen - Deerhoof

130. John Dietrich - Deerhoof

131. Nels Cline - Wilco, Nels Cline Trio, Floored By Four

132. Vernon Reid - Living Colour

133. Mark Hollis - Talk Talk, solo

134. Ralph Towner - Oregon

135. Johnny Marr - The Smiths, Modest Mouse

136. Jeff Parker - Tortoise

137. Allan Holdsworth

138. Michael Hedges

139. Derek Bailey

140. Alex de Grassi

141. Billy Corgan - Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan

142. John Flansburgh - They Might Be Giants

143. Eddie Hazel - Funkedelic, Parliament, George Clinton

144. Kristin Hersh - Throwing Muses, 50FOOTWAVE

145. Tanya Donnelly - Throwing Muses, Belly

146. Trey Anastasio - Phish, Oysterhead, solo

147. Jorma Kaukonen - Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna

1. John Mclaughlin - Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis,
Shakti, solo

149. Kim Thayil - Soundgarden

1. Kevin Eubanks - Dave Holland Quartet,
The Tonight Show, solo

151. Memphis Minnie

152. John Fahey

153. Larry "Ler" Lalonde - Primus, Possessed, Blind Illusion

154. Martin Barre - Jethro Tull

1. Joni Mitchell

1. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In,
De Facto

157. Phil Keaggy - Glass Harp, Solo

158. Robert Smith - The Cure

159. Paul Weller - The Jam, The Style Council, solo

160. Ry Cooder - Captain Beefheart, The Seeds, solo

161. Brian Jones - The Rolling Stones

162. Robert Quine - The Voidoids, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet

163. Bob Mothersbaugh - Devo

164. Richard Lloyd - Television, Matthew Sweet

165. Syd Barrett - Pink Floyd

166. Thurston Moore - Sonic Youth

167. Lee Renaldo - Sonic Youth

168. The Edge - U2, The Passengers

169. Ali Farka Toure

170. Sonny Sharrock - Last Exit, solo

171. East Bay Ray - Dead Kennedys

172. James Blood Ulmer

173. Preston Reed

174. Dick Dale - Dick Dale and the Deltones

175. Ray Waggoner - Rooster Ra

176. Alan Licht - Love Child, Run On, The Blue Humans, solo

1. Daniel Lanois - Brian Eno, U2, Emmylou Harris,
Black Rock, solo

1. Zoot Horn Rollo - Captain Beefheart, The Magic Band,
Mallard, Drumbo, solo

1. Taj Mahal - The Rising Sons, solo

1. Jessie Mae Hemphill

1. Nick Reinhart - Bygones

1. Carol Kaye - The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel,
Frank Zappa

1. Poison Ivy - The Cramps

1. Eenor - The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, Yard Dogs Road
Show, Plainfield

1. Frank Zappa - Mothers of Invention, solo

1. Harry Perry

1. Gordon Gano - Violent Femmes, The Mercy Seat, Gordon
Gano & The Ryans, solo

1. Kelley Deal - The Breeders

1. Ira Kaplan - Yo La Tengo

1. Jerry Harrison - The Modern Lovers, Talking Heads

1. Peggy “Lady Bo” Jones - Bo Diddley, Lady Bo & the
Family Jewels

1. Lou Reed - The Velvet Underground, solo

1. Scott Huckabay

1. Eugene Chadbourne - Shockabilly, solo

1. Trey Spruance - Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3,
Faith No More, Faxed Head

1. Jane Wiedlin - The Go-Go’s

1. James Gurley - Big Brother and the Holding Company

1. Cordell Jackson

1. Robby Krieger - The Doors, The Butts Band,
Manzarek-Krieger, solo

1. Yoshihide Otomo - Ground Zero, Filament, I.S.O., P53,
The Thing, solo

* Hopefully as time permits, this list will be enhanced with links to pertinent information about each guitarist, as well as links to places where each can be seen and heard, so as to introduce each artist as is necessary. In addition, the plan is to include thoughts as to why each was selected, and why they’re deemed among the most obscure...

Understanding Music...

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:31:14 -0700

Regarding Music and Video Playback...

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:33:45 -0700

If you are having trouble playing the music and/or video found on this humble site, here are a few things to consider that should hopefully resolve the issue:

• Mac OS X:
If you’re on a Mac and using Mac OS X, be sure you’re using the most recent version of QuickTime. Run Software Update from the  menu in the upper lefthand corner of your desktop (your entire Mac OS X installation may need to be updated, which will consequently update QuickTime...).

• Windows:
If you’re on a PC and are using a version of Windows (my condolences...), be sure you have the most recent version of iTunes installed (or any, for that matter). You can download it here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ . It includes the latest version of QuickTime. Or you can download QuickTime by itself here: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ .

• Linux:
If you’re on a Mac or PC and are using Linux, here’s what you need to do: First, it’s probably a good idea to make sure that your Linux installation is up to date. Then you’ll want to do the following (per the Mozilla Firefox support page: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+QuickTime+plugin+with+Firefox ):

Checking for QuickTime
To find out if you have the necessary components installed on your computer:
1. Visit the QuickTime Troubleshooting page to test to see if you have the proper components.
2. If you see the blue QuickTime logo in the middle of the Quicktime Troubleshooting page, the basic software to view movies is installed properly.
3. If you see an animated QuickTime logo on the right side of the screen, your computer can also receive real-time streaming media.
Installing QuickTime
QuickTime is not available for the Linux platform, but Mplayer is a popular Linux media player that can play back QuickTime media. In order to use Mplayer to play QuickTime stream in Firefox, you must install two programs named gnome-mplayer and gecko-mediaplayer. Your Linux distribution may have these packages readily available to install.

Living Colour’s Vernon Reid Pays Monsieur Obscure a high Twitter compliment...

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:13:18 -0700

Back when Monsieur Obscure first created his Twitter account almost a year ago, one of the first people he started following was progressive-funk-rock pioneer Living Colour’s phenomenal guitarist, Vernon Reid. Within 24 hours, Vernon had reciprocated the follow and direct messaged the good Monsieur the following:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vernon Reid ( @vurnt22 )

Best. Twitter. Name. EVER.

12:39 AM Jun 6th, 2009

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Then about a week ago, after Monsieur Obscure had made a general Twitter inquiry as to whether guitarist David Torn was anywhere to be found on Twitter, a user representing a music publication querried: ‘@MonsieurObscure ????’ The exact motives behind this post are still unclear, but almost randomly and nearly instantly, Vernon Reid chimed in to reassert his initial message:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vernon Reid ( @vurnt22 )

@MonsieurObscure ? Best Tweeter name EVER!.!.!

6:27 AM Apr 11th via web in reply to MonsieurObscure

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When all is said and done, these are the simple pleasures in life. The little things that just make you smile...
Thanks again, Vernon. You Rock!!!...

* NOTE: Now to give credit where credit is due: The name was in fact bestowed upon the young guitarist years ago by drummer and fellow purveyer of Hamsquint, David Roda. Once he had discerned the obscure essence of the young man through prolonged exposure, he christened him Monsieur Obscure...