4. BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND ~ SELF TITLED (1971)

primary genre: singer-songwriter, contemporary folk, progressive folk

secondary genre: psychedelic folk, jazz fusion, chamber folk, avant-folk, progressive folk

descriptors: male vocalist, progressive, ethereal, passionate, mellow, lush, forest, warm, psychedelic, poetic, nature, improvisation, uplifting, atmospheric, melancholic, nocturnal, eclectic

5. THE VELDT ~ AFRODISIAC (1994)

primary genre: shoegaze

secondary genre: neo-psychedelia, alternative dance, dream pop, psychedelic soul, baggy

descriptors: ethereal, sentimental, rhythmic, melodic, male vocalist, urban, psychedelic, uplifting, happy, warm, sampling, passionate, bittersweet, playful, conscious, sensual, melancholic, mellow, breakup

6. OXBOW ~ AN EVIL HEAT (2002)

primary genre: experimental rock, noise rock

secondary genre: drone, sludge metal, post-metal, punk blues, post-hardcore, drone metal, avant-garde metal

descriptors: dissonant, ominous, heavy, noisy, avant-garde, raw, dark, misanthropic, anxious, lethargic, chaotic, manic, male vocalist, repetitive, disturbing, suspenseful, atmospheric, abstract, cryptic, infernal

7. DEAN BLUNT ~ BLACK METAL (2014)

primary genre: art pop, neo-psychedelia

secondary genre: minimal wave, dream pop, dub, post-punk, hypnagogic pop, ethereal wave

descriptors: nocturnal, lonely, sampling, eclectic, sombre, atmospheric, apathetic, melancholic, male vocalist, deadpan, lethargic, misanthropic, mysterious, longing, depressive, alienation, drugs, breakup, lush, introspective, hazy, pessimistic, regret, infidelity, lo-fi

8. JUNE MCDOOM ~ SELF TITLED (2022)

primary genre: art pop, singer-songwriter, psychedelic pop

secondary genre: hypnagogic pop, psychedelic folk, dream pop

descriptors: psychedelic, lo-fi, atmospheric, nocturnal, melancholic, ethereal, lush, warm, hypnotic, female vocalist, surreal, mellow, bittersweet

9. SPELLLING ~ THE TURNING WHEEL (2021)

primary genre: art pop, baroque pop

secondary genre: progressive pop, psychedelic soul, neo-psychedelia, darkwave, progressive soul, art rock

descriptors: lush, fantasy, female vocalist, triumphant, ethereal, melodic, surreal, nature, passionate, psychedelic, cryptic, love, soothing, atmospheric, suspenseful, longing, epic, progressive, sombre, orchestral, bittersweet, playful

10. NICOLETTE ~ LET NO ONE LIVE RENT FREE IN YOUR HEAD (1996)

primary genre: trip hop, IDM

secondary genre: breakbeat, art pop, glitch pop, post-industrial, neo-psychedelia

descriptors: female vocalist, cryptic, surreal, cold, dissonant, eclectic, mysterious, futuristic, mellow, quirky, playful, anti-authoritarian, minimalistic, hypnotic

11. ITAMAR ASSUMPÇÃO ~ SAMPA MIDNIGHT: ISSO NÃO VAI FICAR ASSIM (1986)

primary genre: MPB

secondary genre: art rock, funk rock, reggae, poetry, experimental rock, jazz-rock

descriptors: nocturnal, urban, mysterious, manic, cryptic, playful, quirky, sarcastic, poetic, introspective, male vocalist, humorous, monologue, protest, aliens, satirical, bittersweet, chaotic, existential, avant-garde, lush, dense

ⓘ FUN FACT! assumpção was one of the biggest contributors in "vanguarda paulista”—a brazilian avant-garde scene that emerged in são paulo during the late 1970s and early 1980s, which united artists who operated involuntarily outside of the commercial music industry

12. TOUMANI DIABATÉ & BALLAKÉ SISSOKO ~ NEW ANCIENT STRINGS (1999)

primary genre: mande music, griot music

descriptors: calm, meditative, peaceful, instrumental, acoustic, soothing, mellow, melodic, warm, spiritual, technical, uplifting, ethereal, hypnotic, minimalistic, repetitive, twinkling

13. MAJESTY CRUSH ~ LOVE 15 (1993)

primary genre: shoegaze, dream pop

secondary genre: post-punk, jangle pop, space rock revival

descriptors: passionate, ethereal, love, sexual, male vocalist, crime, atmospheric, violence, sensual, longing, dark, alcohol, death, anxious, homicide, drugs, lonely, melancholic, noisy, psychedelic

14. SANTIGOLD ~ SANTOGOLD (2008)

primary genre: indietronica, indie rock, post-punk revival

secondary genre: alternative dance, new wave, dance-punk revival, art pop, reggae rock, reggae

descriptors: eclectic, quirky, energetic, female vocalist, melodic, rebellious, playful, summer, rhythmic, raw, warm, hypnotic

15. ANNAHSTASIA ~ TETHER (2025)

primary genre: singer-songwriter, contemporary folk

secondary genre: chamber folk, indie folk, soul

descriptors: female vocalist, longing, lush, soothing, passionate, sentimental, poetic, melodic, existential, introspective, compassionate, bittersweet, melancholic, soft, bright, warm, love

16. ERIC LOU ROOT ~ DON'T WORRY (1987)

primary genre: dub, neo-psychedelia

secondary genre: minimal synth

descriptors: psychedelic, surreal, lo-fi, warm, quirky, playful, uplifting, male vocalist, passionate, happy, hypnotic, mellow, progressive, melodic, lush, improvisation, spiritual, polyphonic, summer, mysterious, suite, Rastafari, muffled, avant-garde, atmospheric, conscious, hazy, love

ⓘ FUN FACT! eric lou root crafted his one and only record as a teenager

17. RIVKA ~ FADED (2013)

primary genre: witch house, chillsynth

secondary genre: chopped and screwed, cloud rap, glitch, hypnagogic pop, indietronica

descriptors: nocturnal, ethereal, female vocalist, drugs, lethargic, hypnotic, mellow, rhythmic, male vocalist, calm

18. WICKED WITCH ~ CHAOS 1978-86 (2008)

primary genre: funk

secondary genre: synth funk, experimental rock, funk rock, p-funk, jazz-rock, progressive rock

descriptors: lo-fi, psychedelic, surreal, sexual, vulgar, mysterious, dense, rhythmic, cryptic, avant-garde, atmospheric, quirky, cocaine, dark, drugs, chaotic

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happy black history month! btw I’m aware a few artists like santigold and dean blunt aren’t obscure by any means, but I still feel like they’re overlooked at least on tumblr so including them anyway

also sorry in advance if some of the descriptors are weird, I got them from RYM if that wasn’t obvious enough 😭. It’s mainly just to give ppl a rough idea of what the music sounds like

PLS LIKE, REBLOG, AND COMMENT

PLS LIKE, REBLOG, AND COMMENT

Redid this cuz I think I wanna make photos instead of textposts for this series 😭 lemme know which yall prefer! And then maybe I’ll do Ethel Cain next since she’s popular here

CHEN JINGFEI 陈婧霏 (DREAM POP)

Chen Jingfei is often tagged as “the Chinese Lana Del Rey,” and as much as I loathe lazy comparisons… this one does actually fit well lol. It blends Lana’s melancholy with Faye Wong’s weightless dreaminess, floating between nocturnal pop, downtempo, and quiet introspection. So for once I think it earns her that title

Chen Jingfei’s self titled (for Honeymoon/BTD fans)

ANITA LANE (ALTERNATIVE ROCK/ART POP)

I’m genuinely surprised Anita Lane isn’t cited (as far as I’m concerned) as an influence on Lana, considering how deeply they both explore themes of female fragility and sexuality. But yeah it’s a must for fans who especially love the provocative, darker edges of Lana’s music

Dirty Pearl (for Ultraviolence fans), Sex O'Clock (for NFR fans)

Standout track is ‘Jesus Almost Got Me’

JULEE CRUISE (DREAM POP)

Unlike the last artist, Julee Cruise has actually been cited as a major influence, who especially helped shape that lynchian vibe that courses through Lana’s music. So if songs like ‘say yes to heaven’ happen to be your favorite, then don’t miss out on this cuz Julee’s discography would be a goldmine

Floating Into The Night (for Paradise/Honeymoon fans)

ⓘ influential artist

LAURA NYRO (SINGER-SONGWRITER)

New York Tendaberry is pure yearning, heartbreak, and romantic idealism knotted in one emotional sprawl, carried by Nyro’s raw, soul-drenched singing. Reminiscent of Lana at her most confessional and messy, just without the polish

New York Tendaberry (for Blue Banisters/NFR fans)

Standout track is ‘You Don’t Love Me When I Cry’

BLACK BOX RECORDER (INDIE POP)

This album pairs deadpan vocals with brutally honest lyrics about English identity, disillusionment, and emotional repression. It mirrors Lana’s music before she became commercially huge, which was heavy on sardonic lyrcism

England Made Me (for A.K.A fans)

Standout track is ‘Swinging’

LAZY LANE (GOTHIC ROCK/DREAM POP)

I know, I know- it’s a left turn genre-wise, but the DNA lines up like… almost completely. It shares the same fixation on romance, the same guitar-driven psychedelic instrumentation, and the same saccharine vocals (honestly their voice sounds eerily similar which is why this album landed in this section 😵‍💫)—basically Lana if she went goth lol

The Chills (for Ultraviolence fans)

Standout track is ‘Eraser’

NINA SIMONE (VOCAL JAZZ/SOUL)

Sure, everyone knows who Nina Simone is, and yeah her music might not sit anywhere near Lana genre-wise or vocal-wise or anything-wise, but the emotional lineage is undeniable and I feel like she’s somehow overlooked on this website so I’m mentioning her anyways, as she is a foundational influence on nearly every sad girl artist you love, including Lana. If this record doesn’t move you… I regret to inform you might in fact be soulless 😔

Wild Is the Wind (for Ocean Blvd fans)

ⓘ influential artist

𓊌 ˒˓ ▞ ࣪ ALSO WORTH EXPLORING ۪ ᩧ ✷

JESSE JO STARK (INDIE POP/BAROQUE POP)

Vocally and sonically similar yes, but not the most rich or layered compared to lana’s work, or really compared to anything in the top picks section, but it’s nonetheless dumb-fun and has catchy enough hooks if you’re just looking to scratch that Lana shaped itch

Dandelion EP (for Paradise fans), Deadly Doll (for Ultraviolence fans. this is a single btw)

REMY BOND (ALT-POP)

Fully aware she isn’t ‘obscure’ by any means, but including her on the list anyways. It’s the same situation as Jesse Jo Stark—she opts a kind of charm with cinematic strings, delicate orchestral touches, and overall aesthetics similar to Lana. So Remy’s inspirations (or an act of homage, if that’s how some view it) are very on the nose, which people will either really love or really hate

Backstage at The Tropicana (for BTD fans)

Standout track is ‘Summer Song’

MARGO GURYAN (SUNSHINE POP/PSYCHEDELIC POP)

I have absolutely zero evidence that Guryan’s Take a Picture laid the blueprint for the indie girl scene, but I wouldn’t be even the slightest shocked if that was the case, as it sounds like it could’ve been made yesterday—but it wasn’t. It was 1968. It was as if she knew bedroom pop was coming decades before the bedrooms even had synths. Strangely modern for its time, even if not the most Lana-esque on the list

Take a Picture (for NFR fans)

Standout track is ‘Love Songs’

PHÙNG KHÁNH LINH (DREAM POP)

Packed with hazy synths and textures ranging from dream pop to the occasional gritty alternative rock. Feels as if Ultraviolence’s vulnerability were filtered through modern V-pop sensibilities. It’s a very pretty record, the only main flaw is that the songs start to blur together the more you listen

Giữa một vạn người (for Ultraviolence fans)

Standout track is ‘Cờ người’

GOLDFRAPP (DOWNTEMPO/AMBIENT POP)

Felt Mountain is how I imagine if aliens discovered Born to Die and decided to recreate it by deriving elements from Twin Peaks, James Bond films, and dark lounge jazz. Now it’s more “if Beth Gibbons emulated Björk” (credit to a comment online for this amazing quote 😭) than Lana, but If you’re looking for a gorgeous yet cryptically boundary pushing rec from this list, then I can’t recommend this enough

Felt Mountain (for BTD fans)

Standout track is ‘Horse Tears’

ALIZÉE (DANCE-POP)

The epitome of bubblegum with a bite, and while it’s more Euro-dance than say baroque pop—the cheeky, sugary production and girlish aesthetic feel straight out of a bygone Lana era. I recommend it extra if you value the aesthetics and imagery associated with Lana’s brand than the sound itself

Gourmandises (for BTD fans, especially the campier songs)

Standout track is ‘Moi… Lolita’

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LIKES, REBLOGS, COMMENTS would mean a LOT cuz I know it doesn’t look like much, but it took me FOREVER researching artists and trying to see which ones would fit the best 💀. At the same time I don’t really expect this to get much attention cuz I don’t think there’s a consistently active music circle on tumblr