It’s not really its own genre, but I have a small, long-curated collection of music that’s just… earnestly weird. Not like “omg look at how random I am”-type of music, or music that’s aggressive about how weird it is, or music that’s about weird topics. Stuff that’s earnestly made but is kind of off-putting or in a weird scale or atonal or complex. Stuff that rewards multiple listens if you can just get past the strangeness of it all. It can come from any genre.
Does anyone else like this stuff or have something I could add to the list?
Here’s an entry from the classical side of things: Charles-Valentin Alkan’s Funeral March on the Death of a Parrot, for choir, three oboes, and bassoon. The only lyrics are the French equivalent of “Polly want a cracker?”
Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Hmm, well I have certainly some candidates for weird, though they tend to be significantly heavier than your choices @SadleyBradley . But if you want weird, I can deliver.
But lets go straight into it. This is a song that goes places.
Listen to at least the 4:20 mark in the song. That’s where it gets really out there.
Diablo Swing Orchestra, who I sometimes affectionately refer to as evil Oompa Loompa music. I genuinely love them, but they definitely flirt with the Avante Garde metal side, black jazz, and metal swing.
This ain’t even their weirdest. But it gives you the flavor without going full avante garde. But be careful with the chorus at 2:30, crank in your car only if you want weird stares.
I crank it in my car FWIW.
Presented without comment
Atrox is aggressively Avante Garde
Take in small doses
This is Leprous at one of their more conventional moments
God I love this band.
I mean the thumbnail says it.
You’d also see a lot of this in 70’s prog too, which influenced much of the avante garde scene in ways.
“The Holy Modal Rounders were almost the very definition of a cult act. This isn’t a case of a group that would be described by such clichés as “if only they got more exposure, they would certainly reach a much wider audience.” Their audience was small because their music was too strange, idiosyncratic, and at times downright dissonant for mainstream listeners to abide. What makes the Rounders unusual in this regard is that they owed primary allegiance to the world of acoustic folk – not one that generates many difficult, arty, and abrasive performers.”
Earnest and complex but not really atonal and very standard instruments/sounds: Henry Cow "Nirvana for Mice" - YouTube.
I think it’s very interesting, possibly not as weird as what you;re asking for.
This later song of their might qualify: HENRY COW...01 - Industry - YouTube.
It also holds up well (and warrants) repeated listening.
