MMPMC was the world's first Synthesizer group. They formed in 1968 and began recording around 1970. They released their debut self titled album in 1973. This is the expanded edition that includes some of the early recordings as well. 
one of my favorite albums, from one of my very favorite bands. this was just the beginning of how these guys would push the genre. waaay under rated. trying listening to "rich hall" and not falling in love with this album.
Debut album from pioneering French musician, Lizzy Mercier Descloux. During a stay in the USA in 1975, Lizzy befriended musicians such as Richard Hell and Patti Smith. After being exposed to the early sounds of Punk Rock, she began writing songs. Lizzy combined French Pop influences with the minimalist funk of No Wave and released Press Color in 1978. The sounds on this album are all over the place. One track is a dancy full band pop song and the next is an awkward guitar and vocals punk song. Absolutely flawless.
There are many great talents in the vast sea of alternative Japanese music. One of the most notable is Keiji Haino. An incredibly prolific musician, Haino has apeared on about 100 albums since 1970. He plays several different instruments but is most famous for his guitar playing and vocals. There is always a certain amount of mystery surrounding him. He almost always dresses completely in black, has long black hair and is never seen without his dark sunglasses. His look is directly inspired by JapRock pioneers, Les Rallizes Denudes.
If only this band had kept going they could have been the greatest Post Punk band of all time. Unfortunately, after only a few years and two albums they broke up and have since joined the ranks of the criminally underrated and obscure. Out of Cold Storage is a collection of This Heat's two albums, Deceit and Health & Efficiency, as well as some assorted studio oddities. The collection's name is a reference to the abandoned meat locker dubbed "Cold Storage" where the band did all their writing and recording. This Heat can be compared to the great Post Punk bands such as Television, Pere Ubu, Cardiacs and Magazine. However, more so than any of their peers, This Heat took a more direct influence from Krautrock groups such as Can, Faust and Neu!. Swirling tape loops, chord repetition, and chanted vocals were often the defining feature of their songs.
One of the earliest influences on Math Rock and pretty much all other forms of experimental music. Elements of their sound can be heard in bands such as Ruins & Hella. Magma was founded in Paris in 1969 and is one of the best examples of the Prog rock scene that was happening in France at the time. Drummer and band leader, Christian Vader, created his own language called Kobaian that was often used for Magma's lyrics. The most stand out feature of their music is the incredibly layered choral style vocals (aka Operacore). Check it out.
Short lived and super underground(they don't even have a wikipedia page), this Clovis, California band only existed from about 1987-1990. However, in that time they created some awesome music. Very quirky and often not fitting into any specific genre, their songs share a lot of similarities with The Residents. At the same time, Big Butter is much more approachable and probably easier to understand. Check out the spoken word section of "Bearded Horses", hilarious.
Probably my favorite JSBE album. I know, it's not as ""cool"" as Pussy Galore. But, damn it, this album rules. If you don't know about Jon Spencer, you should. This is a good place to start.
