Not sure if this counts as "obscure", but one of my favorite songs is Itte by Yorushika. Not only is it a bop, but the lyrics are surprisingly melancholic and dark for such an upbeat song.

As for a band I think is criminally underrated, perhaps check out Evening Light by Vansire.

Here is a little bit of older Canadian indie music you might enjoy. "Local Rabbits - Sally Anne's Style Denial"

If you dig that try "Stomp your British knights down" same band

Pure 80’s pop of The Lightning Seeds https://youtu.be/lbqMD7YrGGQ

Growing up in the 80’s, I had never encountered this. Found it randomly last year and it captures that cheesy, but hopefully romantic, danceable vibe.

This is a old local band from 2000's that I seen a handful of times when I lived in England https://youtu.be/NcmZZlbeAco?si=6jLkLK9NbxAG_OBt they played some shows with something about Dave before they turned into a pop band.

Super Monster - Ooh La La La

I bought an old iPod at a garage sale awhile ago and this was on it. It took a surprising amount of searching to find, given just the artist's name and song title.

It could be an outtake from Velvet Underground's Loaded. The singer even sounds like a young Lou Reed.

A very calming and acoustic piece: https://youtu.be/6M4d2SmhSP8

An almost 20 minute metal journey on leaving everything you know behind in search of something greater: https://youtu.be/bw3UygAi2oo

Old Shriekback, certainly, but they had some success then, so let's talk new Shriekback. How are these not considered modern rock classics by boomers everywhere I don't understand:

Shriekback - And The Rain

Shriekback - The Fire Has Brought Us Together

Shriekback - 37

Then there's The Sparks, who seem to have a measure of success with 100k views, but also are sadly underrated these days, they are Devoing like it's going out of style, which it is. Nothing is as good as they say it is.

These fuckers are an acquired taste, but try them and you'll be praising The Adapter

Chilly's rap. Chilly's existential rap.

This live performance of Avishai Cohen's Remembering.

Wicked Light, what a song.

This craziness from Zorn's Book of Angels.

This performance of Broken Mirror by MM&W

Edit: this (now unlisted) performance of Sunrise by the latest incarnation of Korai Orom

Tenhi - Lauluni Sinulle

I've been listening to a lot of post-hardcore punk lately. To cherry pick a few of my favorites from lesser known bands:

I Met a Yeti - Cherry Blossom

Dwellings - Devices

AnimalJam - Pm Ny Wadi

Coletta - Raspberry Cough

Instrumental: Joe Satriani - The Forgotten, Pt. 2

Peel Dream Magazine - Pad https://youtu.be/rAssFZs5oZU This song reminds me a bit of Toro y Moi, but the next song is pretty different.

Peel Dream Magazine - Reiki https://youtu.be/gPsnUnHQR0g

Prince Rama - Your Life in the End https://youtu.be/jmA1cI1Uxew

Rahill - Growing Pains https://youtu.be/Tx3y83lu3P0 I love this song and despite Rahill collaborating with Beck on a song, this one seems relatively rare.

The Old Soul - You Are Gold

I remember hearing this band on CBC radio 3, years ago, and I thought they had a bunch of catchy songs. 36 views on YouTube and not much on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/track/2Upb8b9YEBdpF4p8OO51Qh

From a long gone local Denver band. Saw them play live a few times in bars around town and this track hit me just right.

Instrumental only so it qualifies as non-English. :D

if you liked the Owl City - Fireflies song you might appreciate this genius synth song it was stolen from: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0r4iUEh2MYI

Johnny Society's Blue Plastic Bag. https://open.spotify.com/track/5YamzI4sBZryYiNe36EkGN?si=I9US7MfaSmOZfRcdv7UVFw

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_qHzeHZtG7A

This is a song I heard randomly once and instantly fell in love with. I don't think the band is that well known.

Constellation Starfish - You and Me

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s cover of The Meter’s Cissy Strut, with Robert Randolph on pedal steel.

It’ll shake the funk out your ass.

Wobinidan is probably not widely known. It might not be amazing but it's somewhat different from most music and has a cool raw indie quality: https://youtu.be/lrwDMkf-0lo?si=h_UjKIao0zx_hMnj

If you haven't heard of Lovers, they're genuinely awesome. Listen to all of it, but The Modern Art Museum of the Modern Kiss Goodbye is memorable in many ways: https://youtu.be/lrwDMkf-0lo?si=h_UjKIao0zx_hMnj

EDIT: Almost forgot about this difficult to find glam gem from Magnolia Blvd. I love this song; I don't know why. I found it during the Napster days, always forget it exists then have to do an arcane Google search to dig it up again: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-961325120/stormy-eyes

Change by Oingo Boingo. One of my favorite songs of all time. It really should be more well known. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z7kVtw-rFFk

I'm not sure if this counts as obscure as its easy to google and someone who knows of ocremix.org might stumble across it, but its a remix of a boss battle song from the end of an almost 25 year old Kirby game, so I think normal people today would never come across it. I've never played the game its from, yet this is still one of my favorite songs of all time
https://youtu.be/eSkrKgqCi1c?si=imEpXyLoSgkxte7V

I play it when I'm really stressed and it helps me calm down (it is not calming music, I don't know how to explain why it helps me)

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Song by Gordon Lightfoot

Altin Gün - Taltı Dile Güler Yüze

Kikugaku Moyo - Dripping Sun

Dengue Fever - Uku

Let me know what you think @[email protected].