They could gig with Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and be just fine. Clean female vocals, occasional organ fills, geeky squared-off rhythms, a bit of minimalist pretension.
In 1991-92, Jeff Buckley played in ex-Captain Beefheart guitarist Gary Lucas’ Gods & Monsters, leading to many unreleased recordings. The best of them are here.
Gordon Gano, voice of the hip nerd grope, er, group, Violent Femmes, originally wrote the music on Hitting the Ground for a film that was never produced.
Even with only five songs, Starflyer 59 can take you on a transcendental (Californian) pop trip like no other. They’ve perfected their Pet Sounds-like power.
Downtempo rhythms and deep bass paint the background while Orton’s folksy guitar and vocals moan melodies like the first ray of light breaking on the horizon.