I’m always on the look-out for obscure or lesser known bands from past eras. Local acts that may have done well in their hometown but didn’t quite spread out beyond their state or college radio stations. Sometimes finding these lost gems comes down to reading a bio.
Forrest Hill first came to my attention back in 2025 with his single “Can’t Wait for a Savior.” I liked the track, so as I was preparing to write about the song, I started reading his bio and saw that he had originally fronted a band with the excellent name Judy’s Tiny Head, who had a college radio hit in the mid-80’s called “My Car.” Intrigued, I went to search for the song and found it wasn’t available on Spotify. Thankfully there were uploads of the track’s video on YouTube. Based on what Forrest’s solo music sounded like, I was unprepared for the new wave gem I was about to discover.
Starting with a synth guitar line, the track explodes into a funky, hip-hop influenced banger with a melancholic, harmonized chorus. This was pure 80’s alternative, in the vein of Talking Heads, Devo and Oingo Boingo and was simply a blast to listen to. How was this song and band not an 80’s standard? Clearly it was a regional hit in Boston where the band heralded from, but as was often the case in the pre-streaming days, getting your music heard outside of your home state often depended on having a marketing budget to get the song onto national radio stations and MTV, greasing it past the gate keepers.
Well, thankfully these days, music can be heard wherever you are thanks to streaming services. And after listening to more and more of the band’s music, all of it being great, I know this song and band are a lost gem needing to be found. I got in touch with Forrest, along with other band members Max Rose and James Whitcomb, and together we’re going to make it so you’ll be able to hear this awesome band’s music far more easily. So while for now you can watch the music video for the song below, on Friday, October 16th, I will be releasing a special best-of Anthology album of the band’s work onto all digital platforms via Indy Review Records!
Read more about the band here, and pre-save/stream the album right here!
