Favourite outsider musicians?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm interpreting the term 'outsider musician' fairly loosely - I'd call somebody an outsider musician if they exhibit any one of these three qualities: 1) s/he doesn't work within the commercial music industry, 2) the majority his/her music doesn't (or didn't, when it was recorded) fit into any genre or convention, or 3) s/he is called an outsider musician by a significant number of people.

Having established how I'm using the word, here are my favourite (first two are the best, the rest all have about the same level of awesomeness):

Jandek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uzRXZ4iNSk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHbCDBf7-Qg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhe2tewAeG4

Tiny Tim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu4_sfk3WWg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPrFkc3tHOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWO3x-Kr_uE

Derek Bailey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_L-8v2pWlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXPqup49J5c

Captain Beefheart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAoPhVn4y1Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17cr_WVdWmo

Harry Partch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KKGELtTcmA

Moondog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZeENjvXgjU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g59EdfHTqDQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBmpWb6PinY

The Residents
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAqJF9M2vxw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6t3OFs8B7w

Oh man, The Residents - That would be the first thing to come to mind. I've completed many a painting to their Commercial Album

I also enjoy Oingo Boingo, if that counts. I know they were only mildly popular...

Ivor Cutler

Good Morning, How Are You? Shut Up!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e_hN2uzW0k&feature=related[/youtube]

Beautiful Cosmos
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x9OVIuboy4[/youtube]

Wonderboy by The Kinks comes to my mind.

The Kinks? You mean this band - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kinks?

They're not outsider musicians. Of course, you could be interpreting the term differently, but my definition was very loose and it wouldn't apply to them.

I'm an admirer of the unique vocal talent of Mrs Miller:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odf0KpluvgM[/youtube]

Nice videos. The only Tiny Tim song I'd heard before that was Tiptoe Through The Tulips.

Thanks to your links I learnt that he also did a cover of Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
This video is one of the greatest things I've ever seen (and it helps if youve heard the original):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N_jlF-sRqk[/youtube]

Genesis Porridge of Throbbing Gristle Fame? Founded Industrial Records which had acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Human legue etc that went on to do their own thing

Throbbing Gristles live shows by modern standards seem quite tame and silly with the odd image of nazism thrown in for shock value. But I guess this sort of live act would have been quite radical for the late 70's.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8klW9trVTQ[/youtube]

Same song at their first reunion gig in 2004. I remember it cost £500 a ticket for that gig at the London Astoria

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whaRxuMhYfI&feature=related[/youtube]

Coil have always been quite avant garde

This is their version of Tainted Love that Mark from soft cell was quite fond off

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo3TUtRnZi4[/youtube]

And I quite like Douglas Pearce of Death In June fame. Has a false rep for being a neo-nazi due to the imagery and logo and running themes in the music. Quite funny he's called a nazi despite being openly gay. Pretty much one of the main founders of the Neofolk movement

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cUC0s0tHBw[/youtube]

All the artists on my record label hehe:

http://machinekunt.com/artists

Especially Syrenn. She's like Garbage meets The Kidney Thieves meets Nine Inch Nails. I highly suggest checking her out.

I've been getting into Dirty Projectors lately. No clue what genre I'd place them in. I could say prog, but they don't sound like any prog I've ever heard.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4he_jgJrMCk[/youtube]

Also Papercuts is a band I like that I haven't seen in any music stores as of yet, really fantastic stuff.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB-jzNi2o3E[/youtube]

am i the first person to post the Shaggs? i don't know if they would even count. i don't know if what they were doing was even music.

i wouldn't call them my favorite, but they're a must-hear.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPsXPCR5MU[/youtube]

oh my god, you're killin me. i'm laughing so hard i'm crying.

most people i know consider stevie vai to be superior to frank zappa in musical talent.
i think zappa is a world above stevie vai in his genius.
here is a song called "stevies spanking" which is meant to celebrate stevie vai, but i think when stevie vai launches into his virtuoso, he chokes himself off. he crams so many technique oriented riffs into his rendition that he eventually has no where left to go.

zappa on the other hand has a clear and methodic idea of how he will iterate the song and leaves stevie vai in his wake.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmNX78OtpYM[/youtube]

Yeah, the Shaggs are good.

Arcesia. Sadly only two of his songs up on you tube.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7vy_dYLcc[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktNhL5goIH0[/youtube]

his guitar work in this song is stunning.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFIMWRXWY90[/youtube]

here zappa is in his normal way.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Hp5HZmMEw[/youtube]

maybe this guy has been posted here on WP before:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP7Jj99FpEs&feature=related[/youtube]