Tiny Desk Unit

Tiny Desk Unit were a group of people that got together in the Summer of 1979 and made some music in Washington D.C. Sometimes it was good. Sometimes it wasn't. But sometimes it was really, really great. They played live at the 9:30 club. Rehearsed in the basement. Made their first live recording there. Practically lived there. Might have died there. They also recorded an independent E.P. (All of it and more can be found here.) Drugs, apathy and alcohol were the bands undoing.

Tiny Desk Unit were:
Susan Mumford - vocals
Michael Barron - gutiar
Bob Boilen - synth
Chris Thompson - drums
Terry Baker - bass

Bob Boilen has written an extensive history of the band at his site. Now he's a a host at NPR.

Go to the download page to get Tiny Desk Unit - "Cous Cous"

Comsat Angels

Despite releasing several albums on several major labels during the 80's, Sheffield, England's Comsat Angels can still be considered for inclusion on this site since they never garnered the success they deserved.

Starting out as the Skylids, then Radio Earth, then finally settling on Comsat Angels, they released the Red Planet ep (Junta, 1979). Then came three LPs for Polydor: "Waiting for a Miracle" (UK Polydor, 1980) "Sleep No More" (UK Polydor, 1981) "Fiction" (UK Polydor, 1982) and their first, very brief US tour in 1982 that was cut short due to illness.

Problems continued when a U.S. communications company took issue with the bands name and the were forced to change the name of the band to CS Angels for the U.S. Jive Records issued the album "Land" (Jive / Arista, 1983) which included the singles "Will You Stay Tonight" and a re-recorded "Independence Day" and the LP "7 Day Weekend" (Jive / Arista, 1985).

With the help of Island Records Robert Palmer, the band signed to Island and released "Chasing Shadows" (1987). The 90's saw a change in direction and name. The follow-up LP "Fire On The Moon" ( 1990) was released under the name Dream Command and then the band were dropped by Island.

But the story doesn't end here. Two more albums were release by the RPM label: "My Mind's Eye" (1992) and "The Glamour". (1995), making the Comsat Angels a great lost band for the 90's too.

The Comsat Angels were:
Stephen Fellows (guitar, vocals)
Kevin Bacon (bass)
Mik Glaisher (drums)
Andy Peake (keyboards, vocals)
Simon Anderson (guitar from 1993)
Terry Todd (bass from 1993)

The best place to find Comsat Angels CD's is at The Ideal Copy

Go to the download page to get Comsat Angels - "Independance Day" (Original Version)