7.25.2006

Ok so if it isn't apparent by now, I'm a huge fan of late 60's and early 70's music; and I'm always a bit dismayed that the artists presented here didn't achieve the level of attention they deserved. However, sometimes there are bands whose lack of notoriety is not only a shame, it's rather criminal. The fact that the following two bands never achieved mainstream success in their time stymies me; especially given the level of success of acts with far less cumulative talent.

Fear Itself - Fear Itself
Fronted by enigmatic lead singer, Ellen McIllwayne, Fear Itself's sound was informed and influenced by the delta blues. The band worked in a number of standards amongst their roster of originals and had an adept interpretation of the form.
The secret behind their incredible sound though lay in McIllwayne, a powerful singer on par with Janis. She could not only wail like her male counterparts but she could best them at slide guitar as well, proving to be the key to the band's sound. The band played for awhile in the New York club scene but eventually lack of funding drove them up to the countryside of Woodstock. Sadly though due to the death of one of their members only a year prior to the festival the band had disbanded before they could really make an impact. Ellen went on to a small but minor solo career but never really produced anything as significant as she did in Fear Itself.
Download:
[MP3] Fear Itself -Crawlin' Kingsnake
[MP3] Fear Itself -Born Under A Bad Sign
Buy Fear Itself

Leaf Hound - Growers Of Mushroom
Great bands of this era tended to have a mixture of charisma, talent, bravado and a little bit of hedonism. This is what brought Zeppelin, Sabbath and pretty much any other band of the hard rock variety to
stardom. If there is one band that was on par with any of the great bands of the 70's, it is Leaf Hound. Recorded in just one straight 11-hour session, this album is truly one of the greatest lost gems of the era. In fact the original album was recently voted the most collectable rock album of all time by Q magazine, and quite rightfully so. Few other albums had such consistent quality as Growers of Mushroom without achieving international acclaim. Notwithstanding, the aspirations of the group members proved to be their own undoing. Vocalist Peter French left the group to form Cactus, a band who never achieved anywhere near the quality of Leaf Hound. Following his leave the band pretty much called it quits. This album stands as a testament to what they could have been.
Download:
[MP3] Leaf Hound -Freelance Fiend
[MP3] Leaf Hound -Sad Road To The Sea
Buy Leaf Hound
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posted by dissensous at 9:53:00 AM

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