So are you not counting Bluegrass bands?
For your consideration:
Kentucky--Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys (They invented a whole new genre.)
And once you open your ears to Bluegrass, Boulder CO's Hot Rize becomes an option.

Antproof wrote:

So are you not counting Bluegrass bands?

That is exactly right, along with dozens of other niche genres. It's a pop/rock list, including other kinds of music (a) where that's unavoidable, or (b) where they intersect with pop/rock.

Because that's when you should listen to bluegrass: when it's otherwise unavoidable.

Maybe contemporary Hawaiian music will fall in the same category as bluegrass for you here, but the most important band from Hawai'i is easily the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau, for their collective contributions as well as the solo career of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, who's more or less the Bob Marley of Hawai'i. Even if their Wikipedia articles need work.

Their Allmusic bio needs work too, but I'm perfectly willing to go along with these cultural giants over some dub band I've never heard of.

Except that their album titles are all full of apostrophes! Haoles like me don't buy apostrophe music. That's why I don't own any T'Pau records either.

And thus is revealed an even more heinous crime than racism: punctuationism.

Ken Jennings wrote:

Because that's when you should listen to bluegrass: when it's otherwise unavoidable.

Says the man who resorted to listing a ska band. <shakes fist angrily>

Okay, so here's where bluegrass and rock intersect: In 1954 Elvis Presley recorded "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe. So in that way, Bill Monroe practically invented rock 'n' roll (not a young Einstein as was previously reported).

</fist shaking>

It seems odd that so many allegedly "seminal" groups would be from the past five or ten years. For example, The Everly Brothers seem a bit more seminal than My Morning Jacket.

What about Billie Holiday? Frank Zappa? David Byrne? Are they not on your iPod, or is there some trouble with their "start" date?

If it's too seminal, maybe YOU'RE TOO OLD!

The bias here toward recent bands is definitely a result of the kind of music I like, but also a result of the fact that most of the truly great acts of the 50s and 60s were solo artists, not bands. I actually thought about the Everlys, but couldn't find out if they were still living in their native Kentucky when they started recording. Also, I was still waffling on duos at that point.

If Everly Brothers count as a Kentucky band, then they're in for sure.



Last edited by Ken Jennings on Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

anonymouscoworker wrote:

What about Billie Holiday? Frank Zappa? David Byrne? Are they not on your iPod, or is there some trouble with their "start" date?

Well, they're not bands, for one thing. Mothers of Invention I'd call a California band, and Talking Heads are either Rhode Island or New York.

Ken Jennings wrote:

anonymouscoworker wrote:

What about Billie Holiday? Frank Zappa? David Byrne? Are they not on your iPod, or is there some trouble with their "start" date?

Well, they're not bands, for one thing. Mothers of Invention I'd call a California band, and Talking Heads are either Rhode Island or New York.

For your consideration:
I would like to nominate some other bands. Kix (sure, they were a 'hair band" but they had a top 40 hit) and The Ravyns (Raised on the Radio from Fast Times at Ridgemont High). I thought Crack the Sky was from baltimore, but apparently they are from West Va (they are a staple of some of the classic rock stations here in Baltimore).

The music press 'round these parts has always been fond of Puddle of Mudd. Allmusic is silent on where they formed; Wikipedia says they're from Kansas City, MO but recorded their first album in Lawrence, KS.

ETA: The Rainmakers started out in KC as "Steve, Bob and Rich" before changing their name and hitting the big time with "Let My People Go-Go". According to Wikipedia (again), their lyrics are quoted in the Stephen King novels Gerald's Game and The Tommyknockers, if that counts for anything.

I need someone with better Everly knowledge than me to make the case for Kentucky. Looking around online, I see that
a) the younger one was actually born in Chicago,
b) they started performing on their dad's radio show out of Iowa, and
c) they got their big break via Nashville connections!

So I dunno.

I'm from Missouri and wasn't aware that Jars of Clay were from here. Bands from MO with a small amount of success: The Get Up Kids, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, MU330, Gravity Kills, and Story of the Year. Some are better than others.


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News in 11 Years

I won't dispute your Massachusetts pick, only because I don't properly know enough about the Pixies to argue. I *do* know that Steven Tyler frequents the Outback Steakhouse down the street...at least once or twice a month So, in case you ever want a Steven Tyler pic, and need to whip out your Canon Quick Shot, that's the place to do it.

FYI, he looks like a hobo.

Steven Tyler goes to Outback? I had this crazy idea that gazillionaire rock stars could actually afford, you know, a decent steak house...

I registered for the sole purpose of disputing your Illinois pick. I love Wilco, too, but to pick them over the Smashing Pumpkins? There's definitely an argument to be made that Wilco is a *better* band, but more closely tied to Illinois? No way.

Well, in his defense, I totally thought so too. Every time I go into New York, I always look out for celebs (Dan Rather on the last trip!). But cheap family dining in a MA suburb? Not a bad place to go incognito. Although, I guess the "secret" is out now. And to be honest, other than downtown Boston, your options for fine dining are somewhat limited around here.

Oh! And for some reason, I always pictured rock stars and celebs shopping at millionaire shops...but according to my mum's friend, she helped him pick out a blender from Sears.

I wonder if he's the exception or the rule - do you do your shopping by catalog, or can I mill behind some racks at the mall, Brainiac and a pen in hand?

As for other Boston bands - New Kids coming back to the block! Can't they get a nod in there somewhere?

Ike & Tina Turner for Missouri?
con: maybe not a band
pro: not Jars of Clay

Maryland: The Orioles seem legendary enough to me.

Orioles and (especially) Ike & Tina are good picks.

Wilco isn't Chicago enough? They put Marina City on an album cover! They built their own studio there! Siamese Dream was recorded in Marietta, GA! (Get a rope.)

chloelikedolivia wrote:

I registered for the sole purpose of disputing your Illinois pick. I love Wilco, too, but to pick them over the Smashing Pumpkins? There's definitely an argument to be made that Wilco is a *better* band, but more closely tied to Illinois? No way.

I came in this thread for the soul person of disputing Ken's Illinois pick. I absolutely love Wilco, but Smashing Pumpkins are Chicago.


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Q: Who is your hero? A: What is Ken Jennings!

But REO Speedwagon is Illinois...

I'm gonna have to be an old fogie, like Ed, and take Paul Revere and the Raiders for the Idaho band.

And seriously, Ken -- the PIXIES? Over Aerosmith? 150 million albums sold compared to, what? 12 albums? Sheesh....

Ken, Kentucky and Kyle (Cook of Matchbox Twenty) certainly equals the Best Blog Entry of All Time Until the Next Best One.

Kudos on working so hard to get a compliment from the woodwork.

That's my go-to line about Built to Spill, too, though I'm of course a booster of them being both an Idahoan and an indie rock fan (and college radio music director.)

Also, Indiana... Bloomington is the home of a couple great labels (Jagjaguwar, Secretly Canadian) but the big name band from there is John Cougar Mellencamp. Yeah, bleak.


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I want this picture to be a... document. I want to hold a mirror up to life. I want this to be a picture of dignity... a true canvas of the suffering of humanity. But with a little sex in it.