School's Out

You will never convince me that music is not seasonal. Absolutely, it can be independently associative, and what bands and songs make you feel summer may not be the same ones for me. But the association between music and season is still there, of that I am convinced.

Personally, there is something about The Steve Miller Band that causes me to instantly feel the summer. As I sit down to think hard on why this is, I realize that it is probably because The Steve Miller Band was the first CD I ever owned, and I got it as an eighth grade graduation gift along with my first CD player. I can acutely remember being a fourteen-year-old and feeling as if I was no longer a kid, but one of those young adults who knew what it meant to have an independent summer that wasn’t about riding bicycles in the neighborhood, playing hide and seek, or having sleep outs in the backyard.

A new CD ghetto-blaster along with reaching into sixties music, a là Almost Famous, was a summer more about discovery, attending so-called parties (hanging out in friends basements and talking about who was cool at the high school we were about to attend and all the hipster status we were going to accomplish) and I guess mainly it was about girls. The soundtrack to my life during those June through August months is what now initiates summertime music for me: Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama, The Eagles Hotel California, Led Zeppelin’s IV, and Stone Temple Pilots’ Core.

I think we all react similarly to different music at different times of the year. During the winter months, when Christmas is in the air and the weather is a little more crisp, our souls seem to crave an inner-chillax ambiance—jazz that can be played by a Christmas fire, soft acoustic like Iron and Wine that goes along with cooking comfort food and staying in all night, or the female voices of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald that warms our insides after battling the stormy outside.

In the summer, it is almost the opposite, we all feel like rocking hard in aggressive celebration. Iconic images like the mudslide at Woodstock or mosh pit of late-nineties Lollapalooza reminds us that summer is the season of the outdoor festival, the place where you lose all your inhibitions, try drugs for the first time, spend dusk until dawn drinking, and power through the following day in a hazy heated mess, depriving the body of rest. For this we want to hear the up and coming bands, the on-the-edge or breaking into the scene talent that you are the first to tell all of your friends about and who, sadly, will probably only ever be associated with that summer again.

Kid Rock really nailed what I am trying to get at with his 2008 hit “All Summer Long.” Perhaps it is because we are from the same area of the world (he is from Michigan, and I am from just across the lakes in Ontario) and that we arealso approximately the same age, but “All Summer Long” is spot-on with its repeated “Singin’ ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ all summer long.” It is not to say that this song is brilliant in musical score, after all, he did plagiarize both Lynyrd Skynyrd and Warren Zevon to make the song (even worse, here is a little anecdote fore you: he totally ripped off something The String Cheese Incident had been doing live for years prior to this release—marrying these two tracks.Check out “Werewolves of London/I’m Your Captain” live).

Kid Rock’s association between music and summer is something that we can all relate to. Maybe it is for the obvious. To quote Jack Nicholson in The Departed in that scene when he is sitting in the car with his protégé Matt Damon: “School’s out.”

I interviewed North London born, LA-guttered, and New York-resurrected author Tony O'Neill--author of Sick City. Sick City is a superb novel about two heroin junkies with a celebrity sex-tape they use in hopes to score the ultimate heroin experience.

Tony is an interesting cat to say the least. A recovering addict and now married with a little girl, his voice and opinions on the subterranean life that is 'a junky' is fascinating.

Listen to my interview with Tony HERE.

America's Top Music Cities - Part Deux

Last week, in celebration of the July 4th holiday, I looked at the nation's top five cities for music. The list, in no particular order, included New York, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Chicago.

This week I have laid out a list of another top five, just as wonderful as the cities we would all expect to see, but the ones that usually fall through the cracks. It is not about how obvious they may or may not be; it’s just about how good the music is.

Austin:

Everyone knows South by Southwest is awesome, but Austin is awesome the whole year-round. I have never been able to put my finger on what makes thiscentral Texas city so damn cool. No offense to the rest of the state, but what is it about Austin that has all us liberal-minded democrats in the North thinking, “how that hell is that city in Texas?”

Austin’s music scene began to really form a national image about twenty years ago, although its soul is much older than that. Of course Austin, being in the heart of Texas, began its climb to legendary music status in the country scene back in the thirties. Then, somewhere in the eighties, Austin began to earn its reputation as so much more than a country music town.

Nowadays, music fans can enjoy everything from electronic techno venues to hardcore new punk stages. Austin is anything but one-dimensional. 6th Street has come to be recognized as one of the country’s greatest music miles. Austin’s own Channel 8 News has dubbed Austin the “live music capital of the world.” It may sound a bit pompous, but the moniker is not that far off. It just would have sounded better if it came from a music magazine somewhere beyond of the city limits.

Eugene:

Eugene, Oregon’s music theme really began to blossom in the early nineties. You may say it rode on the coattails of Seattle’s grunge revolution, but there is an argument to be made that the reality is that it may have been the other way around.

The thing that makes Eugene so cool is its ‘under the radar’ status. Beyond the late nineties swing-revivalists The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, no band from Eugene has become mainstream famous. Close in proximity to the larger Portland, Eugene is able to feed off the creative flow from the metropolitan area and university campus, yet ditch the pretentious self-righteousness that is often married to young urban bands trying to make it.

Eugene’s music scene is like that party you went to where a bunch of musicians spontaneously started playing together, and the music was as magical and mystical as the night. No one trying to up anybody else, no one trying to impress anyone else, no one with a fabricated ego or style to be taken too seriously. If you are a music fan who thrives on the non-famous,and just loves that night of music that you wish would never end, spend a weekend in Eugene—you’ll be hooked.

Kansas City:

KC is a funny one, because you don’t need to tell anyone from Kansas City or anyone who is versed in the history of American music that Kansas City, Missouri should be on the list. They know that. I know that. But a lot of the country does not know that.

Kansas City has contributed two of the nation’s most famous and revered jazz musicians (Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins) as well as numerous blues players. KC is all about the jazz and blues; it’s like New Orleans, Chicago, and New York all rolled into one. Sitting almost smack-dab in the middle of continental America, Kansas City takes from all four corners of the country and mixes the music up to spit out a pure American sound.

The city continues to attract musicians from all over the Midwest, adding a home-cooking, apple-pie flavor to the music scene. If it’s more than just music you are seeking, and you are after something down-home American, you can find it in Kansas City. Blues, jazz, funk, Motown, hip-hop, it’s all there, but there is something that makes Kansas City feel more red, white, and blue than any other music-city in the country. I am sure it has a lot to do with the fact that it is geographically landlocked—it acts like a magnet for the different musical styles it surrounds.

Charleston:

The city with its own dance, Charleston, South Carolina has always been one of those Deep Southern towns that people often forget about when thinking of America’s great music cities.

Charleston is smothered in that old Southern charm. The music scene in this picaresque town isof an all feel-good nature. When you’re chilling inCharleston, you aren’t there to interpret lyrics, start a revolution, or witness groundbreakingmusical form; you are just there to have a good time.

Charleston continues to produce that unique combination of quality music and a timeless dancehall environment that is soaked in ageless elegance. Unlike the rest of the country, it seems like Charleston never got over the hedonism of Fitzgerald’s jazz age. The state-recognized ‘IOP,” a distinctive stretch of land jetting along the coast into the Atlantic Ocean,houses some of the best venues on the eastern shoreline. If you find your summer plans involve a long drive between New York and Florida, make sure to plan for a few nights spend in Charleston. Walk the main drag of the ‘Isle of Palms’ and check out bands at the top-rated Windjammer, Pour House, or Music Farm, and get your Charleston on.

Minneapolis/St. Paul:

Last, but certainly not least, are the twin cities in the land of a thousand lakes: Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. For some reason, the state of Minnesota is historic for pumping out a few of America’s most creative and recognized musicians (Bob Dylan and Prince among the top recognized).

Maybe it is because it lies so close in proximity to Canada, and is naturally influenced by that laid back and liberal state of mind. Or maybe it is just that it is so damn cold up there most of the time, there is nothing else to do but sit by a basement fireplace and master an instrument. Whatever the cause, Minneapolis and St. Paul are creative epicenters.

More recently, Minneapolis has revolved its style around the fresh indie rock scene, with Tapes n’ Tapes being one of the more successful acts to get their name known beyond state borders. Surrounded by thousands of miles of bucolic deciduous forest and lakes, and rooted heavily in early American folk music, Minnesota maintains the values of the pure American struggle song, but also finding new sounds to share its message. If you like having the option of hearing that acoustic campfire sing-along sound as well as American blues and rock, then Minneapolis is the place to visit.

America's Top Music Cities

Alright America, it’s your birthday—so let’s talk about some of your best music cities.

This week in Liner Notes, I am going to be discussing the nations’ top five obvious choices when it comes to America’s Greatest Music Cities. These are the cities that I would assume most people think about when discussing the top places in the U.S. to hear music. Next week’s copy of Liner Notes is going to examine five ‘not-so-expected’ places, but cities that should be considered nonetheless.

New York:

It is not because I live here, BreakThru Radio is housed here, or every band out there wants to play here that I am beginning with New York City. The argument is more than obvious. Perhaps it is the fusion of cultures that has existed for centuries in this north eastern small town, or maybe it was a direct result of the great migration north that took place after the Civil War. Whatever caused it; New York City is one of the best metropolitans in the world for music, let alone the United States.

Each day, New York music journalists are debating which neighborhoods within the five boroughs are the best for live music, thus part of me thinks it’s a crime to include Brooklyn under the same subcategory as Spanish Harlem. That’s what makes New York so great for music fans. The variety is endless. I mean really endless! One night I watched a Williamsburg German folk band play in the Bowery before heading up to Morningside Heights to take in a Nigerian ensemble headed by Abdoulaye Alhassane.

New York’s greatness in music doesn’t stop at the “live venue” discussion; it is the history behind the locations and the never-ending recording studios, that make this city such a feast for music-gluttons. “Tin-Pan Alley” is now home toDef Jam Records. In the North you’ve got the legendary jazz club Minton’s Playhouse, and in the South you’ve got the iconic punk watering hole Bowery Ballroom. The list can go on-and-on. I need not oversell the obvious. New York City is a place for all music, American or otherwise.

Nashville:

Nashville is Nashville because of itsAmerican-ness. Arguably the town that, if not gave birth to, fostered American music, Nashville, Tennessee has been sought after by musicians and fans from all corners of the country and beyond the Atlantic shoreline. From the Grand Ole Opry’s opening in 1925 to the current music-scene that is witnessing a revival of Honky Tonk, Rockabilly, and Pure Country, one cannot begin a discussion about music in America without placing “Music City USA” at the top of the list.

Due to its geographical location at the heart of the South, as America developed its complex interstate system, all roads led to Nashville. This meant that young singers who wanted a shot at recording themselves were able to easily drive or hitch to one of the two Tennessee greats: Memphis or Nashville. The investment Nashville made into Country Music separated itself from Memphis, which was starting to get more into the uprising Rock and Roll style (such as producer Sam Phillips’ Sun Records). Today, Nashville hasn’t lost a step. It is still home to some of the best venues to take in a live show, whether it be the nostalgic Nashville country sound, or something a little more 2010, like hip-hop funk players The V C Strut Band.

New Orleans:

Jazz, zydeco, funk, whatever; you name it—New Orleans has got it. But they have it with style, and that’s what makes the city of N’Awlins Louisiana so damn impressive. Should we be thanking la liberté de la Couture Français? Any way you slice it, New Orleans just has flavor, not only in music but in all facets of their society. It is no wonder the city continues to perpetually perform and produce some of the country’s top musicians. Maybe not in the “pop” sense of the term, but definitely in the “talent” sense.

The thing about New Orleans is that you can’t go but one block without taking in some sort of live, underground, “I have no desire to be famous, I’m just doing my thang,” music. The ‘birth place of jazz’ continues to push the envelope and lead the rest of the nation in new forms of traditional music. Sticking with instruments and root-themes, New Orleans continues to impress. This is such a great musical city because it keeps its ego constantly in check and never takes itself so seriously. It is the holy ground for purists who care about the sound over the image or the income.

San Francisco:

Will it ever lose its tree-hugging, peace-loving, “I’m gonna save the world with flowers,” image? Does it even have to? Much to the chagrin of a close San Franciscan friend of mine, I stick to the argument that, yes, San Francisco, California is one of the great American music cities; but yes, it is stuck in some sort of time trap. However, that is what makes it such a great place for music. Its history is not to be ignored.

San Francisco’s sixties Haight-Ashbury scene and monumental Gay Pride vanguardism have assisted in developing it as one of the West Coast’sepicenter for great music. From jam band legends The Grateful Dead to nineties misfits Faith No More, San Francisco does have a vast range in style and sound. This is not even to mention its ability to throw an outdoor concert. Music festivals were made for places like the Bay Area. With its inspiring landscape of mountains, ocean, and countryside, San Francisco is probably the country’s number one place to take in a live show.

Chicago:

Home of the blues; but so much more. Chicago, Illinois has a musical past steeped in the tradition of telling it like it is, and using music as a catalyst to make it all seem better. Like New York, Chicago’s thriving music scene during the first two to three decades of last century is a benefit of the great migration north. Mostly Jewish men seeking income in the recording industry and living in the slums of Chicago’s south side, related to the African Americans who too, were delegated to the Chicago slums. While the living was hard, the marriage between the two was a gift to American music. Chess,Alligator, and Cobra were all record labels that began cashing in and promoting the amplified sounds of the Delta-born musicians. Today, ‘Chi-town’ continues its legendary output. More than just blues, Chicago features some of the countries top jazz musicians, top hip hop artists, and top venues to take in a live show.

This is just a top five list. I know it is impossible to choose, and I am very aware of the cities that have been left out of this list. However, before you jump all over me for what I have missed, come back next week to read about the top five not-so-expected cities that house some of America’s best music.