Is there any major city that has never produced a single artist of any commercial or critical success?

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Inspired by Huckleberry's question "Are there any non-local Cincinatti bands?" on the Worst Lps of 2004 thread, I ask:

Are any large to semi-large cities in either the US or UK that have never produced an artist of any note (either commercial or critical)?

Cincinatti might be a good choice, unless we could DJ Hi-Tek or there is some other band/artist I'm forgetting about...

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

bootsy collins

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

afghan whigs, ass ponys

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

How many bands hail from Salt Lake City?

― ddrake, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

How major does the city have to be? Trenton? Harrisburg? Albany? (State capitols seem like a good place to start.)

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Doh, man I feel bad now, I love the ass ponys and afghan whigs!

I suspect there may not be an answer to this question.

Were the Osmonds from Salt Lake City?

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Ohio Players were Dayton, not Cincinnati, right?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

And I think Poison came from Harrisburg!

And "Back to the Rocking Horse" = "Crazy Horses," sort of, wow!

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

osmonds were from ogden

poison were indeed from harrisburg

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Somewhere in Ohio, Chuck Cleaver sheds a single, betrayed tear after your post, Matt

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Ohio Players are Columbus, as are Great Plains/TJ Slave Apts and Royal Crescent Mob and Scrawl

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

How about 200,000+? Hmm..state captials seem like they should be in, but then you have the dakotas and western state captials that might be shooting fish in a barrel (not that I'm a western states rock n' rap expert or anything)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Phoenix?

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Roger & Zapp were from the Cincinatti area, too.

― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Nope, Meat Puppets represent Phoenix!

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

King Records was in Cincinnati, right?

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Birmingham

― Dr. Pongo, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Ronald and Ernie Isley were both born in Cincinnati.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Gin Blossoms are Phoenix, too, right?

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

(keith, I guess it's true when they say that we always hurt the ones we love)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Pongo, is that supposed to be some kinda backhanded Black Sabbath dis?

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Stevie Nicks also Phoenix.

Albany and Trenton looking good (Ray Charles from Albany GA!)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't Alice Cooper from Phoenix?

How about New Haven? Unless you count the Carpenters, but I think they really blossomed in Downey, CA.

― Arthur (Arthur), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I think alice cooper is tempe

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Ozzy singularly does not rule, my friend

― Dr. Pongo, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Sun Ra representing Birmingham!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

What's the difference, blount?

RJD2 is from Cinci, no?

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

So no one's got something on Salt Lake?

RJD2 is from Columbus.

― ddrake, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

If 200,000 is our minimum, I think there are a lot of contenders.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

RE: New Haven: Buddy Morrow (great jazz trombonist from Tommy Dorsey's group who now leads it) is from there.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha Salt Lake = Roseanne!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

And New Haven = Michael Bolton.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

And San Diego Padres fans remember Roseanne's musical talents!

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't Mr. Dibbs Cincinatti?

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Jimmy Eat World also from the Phoenix metro area. Oh, and I think Michelle Branch... yay.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I merely meant "how can a band not be local to the place that they're from" you twisted mentalists!

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Think so, chuck. 5 Deez as well?
Mood definitely is, though I don't know if they have any commercial or critical success. Doom is a pretty good album, with some a few nice Hi-Tek beats.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

huckleberry
It's doesn't matter what your posts mean to you, only what they mean to me!

(sorry my brain doesn't work right anymore - I now take obvious statements and turn them into convoluted threads!)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I vote maybe we limit this to cities that have professional sports franchises.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

albuquerque

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Regina

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay then, jaymc.
Grand Rapids! Beloit!

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Is Over the Rhine considered local still?

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

GR = Judy Garland

Beloit wins, no-one has ever come from Beloit

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

The Shins are from Albuquerque.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought the Shins were from Portland?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Nope. See here.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

there was also a punk band called The Eyeliners from Albuquerque a couple of years ago that were supposed to be good... still neither the shins nor the eyeliners have had much "commercial or critical success", right?

I'm not bashing Albuquerque here. It's one of my favourite cities. Just kind of surprised it doesn't have a Flaco Jimenez or a Freddy Fender or a Doug Sahm-type or even a Thee Midnighters to its name.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

huh. I always thought they were from Portland Oregon. That's fucked up.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 17 November 2003 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Side track: What do you like about Albuquerque, Fritz. I LOVE NM--it's my fav state--but I've just passed through Albuquerque.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

doesn't the Roadrunner live in NM?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

New York?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

There are no professional sports franchises in Grand Rapids or Beloit! Unless you mean minor-league teams. How about MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL, then?

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Edinburgh.

― DoctorBq, Monday, 17 November 2003 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

And I'd consider the Shins to have had critical success.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I just like the atmosphere in Abq & my grandma lived there when I was a kid and my dad grew up there, so I visited it a lot when I was a kid & it has a lot of nice memories for me. route 66 goes right thru the middle of town... it's a cool place.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, minor league. They're professional, too!
Sorry.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the Shins count critically....

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/shins/chutestoonarrow/

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

The Shins! I might go see them on Wednesday night! Are they good?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know much about The Shins, but even I have heard of them so they're obv doing OK so I guess Albuquerque is covered for this thread.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Omaha?

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't that where 311's from?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

*a google later*

Why yes it is. (Although their drummer is from Lexington, KY...BOOYAH)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

And Elliott Smith

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://66.70.167.105/GroundControl/gct%20artists/Bright%20Eyes%20-%20Press%20Shot%201b.jpg

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Omaha's a big deal now -- All that Saddle Creek stuff. The Times even ran a story about how it's the hotbed of indie rock or something!

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 18:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Edinburgh.

Shirley Manson is from Edinburgh (so are the Proclaimers and Fish and some other people), but, yeah, Shirley Manson. She's quite popular, I believe.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

milwaukee unless you count that one band i saw on jenny jones before they broke up. yeah, citizen king.

bright eyes is lame.

― asfdzxc (asfdzxc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I still stand by my assertion elsewhere that no-one famous has ever come from Inverness. And, come to think of it, Aberdeen. Not huge cities, admittedly, but it's all we can manage up here.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Um, isn't that where Prince is from? Milwaukee I mean? I won't be surprised at wrongness.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Milwaukee -> STeve Miller, Violent Femmes

Charleston, SC ?

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Prince - Minneaplois. I always get those two cities confused too.

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Aberdeen: Annie Lennox, The Shamen

Charleston: Hootie's Darius Rucker!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Nickalicious, the Shins are pretty good, but I've heard they're kinda boring live.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Best review of the Shins ever: my friend Megan says they sound like the soundtrack to a Wes Anderson movie.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Aberdeen- Graeme Park, Shamen.

Inverness - may be a winner

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

(Aberdeen, Scotland, not Aberdeen, Washington, by the way)

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

"Prince - Minneaplois. I always get those two cities confused too."

Uh oh, Matt's gonna start listing bands...

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Las Vegas, NV

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Las Vegas, NM

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"major city"

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Fresno, CA (the 3rd most populous city in California)

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

(i know, i just thought it was funny that you included the state)

Planet Asia is from Fresno

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

grandaddy are from modesto, which is KINDA close to fresno, but not really.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

gygax!, Fresno is actually 6th but point taken. (I only checked because 3rd seemed high.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Keith, don't get me started about the new Superhopper record!

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Aren't Superhopper from Indianapolis?

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Anchorage?

― bnw (bnw), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Sacramento?

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

What about Mesa, AZ (which I'm surprised to learn has almost 400,000 peeps)?

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Mesa=Phoenix

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Nope, Superhopper's civic boosterism of St. Paul is legendary.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Sacramento = Deftones

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry about mesa (that'd make a good album title!)

Is Tuscon a suburb of phoenix as well. If not, do they have any bands?

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

No, Tuscon is not a suburb of Phoenix. Yes, they have bands. Calexico for one.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

(Matt, just kidding re:Superhopper)

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

(sorry Keith, I'm understandably a little touchy about Superhopper these days)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Sacramento = Hella

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, I think N2Deep (Back 2 the Hotel) was from Sacramento maybe?

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

This is all easy to check on AMG.

Just take this URL and replace "SACRAMENTO, |CA" with "CITY, |ST":

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311071457051900&sql=DBPSACRAMENTO,|CA

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Excuse me, hobbit, but what about the mighty Brian Kenney Fresno?!?!?

― jack cole (jackcole), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

the internet ruins everything!

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

also, sacramento = Twinkeyes and Public Nuisance

― jack cole (jackcole), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

(Sorry, there should be no space between the comma and the vertical bar. So: "SACRAMENTO,|CA")

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Indianapolis: Wes & Monk Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, JJ Johnson, Babyface, John Hiatt, The Vulgar Boatmen, & The Zero Boys

― earlnash, Monday, 17 November 2003 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

no way, I won't give into to using the internet! this is like a Kasparov Vs. Deep Blue of rock trivia!!!!

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

dj shadow is also from sacramento

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Matt will now be phoning each of you individually with his answers

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

What about Providence, Rhode Island (although something tells me that could have been a hotbead for some kinda macho east coast punk hardcore scene in the 80s)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

(Keith, check with your houseboy - I just sent you a telegram!)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

talking heads formed in providence, rsdi = lots of bands, i think

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Oops you're right, also Les Savy Fav formed at the same school I think.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

theres an assload of bands from providence. lightning bolt to name one.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

DJ Shadow is from Davis, CA.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Providence/neo-no-wave : Omaha/emo

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that these are household names, but J. Majesty and Iceburn are from Salt Lake. I'm sure there are other bands from here as well, that just don't come to mind. That said, in order for a band to get any kind of exposure, they need to relocate relatively quickly.

― fffv (fffv), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Let a real Cincinnati man come in & do the popcorn! (Note correct spelling of the city's name -- it's very tricky, wouldn't know how to spell it myself if I hadn't lived here 35 years.) Isley Bros., Bootsy Collins, Afghan Whigs, Ass Ponys, Mr.Dibbs, and Over-the-Rhine are all acts who've hailed from Cincinnati, James Brown had to visit the city to record at King but wasn't a native, Peter Frampton(!)lives here now because (like me) he married a local gal. Other nationally-known Cincinnati bands I don't think have been mentioned yet are the Lemon Pipers, Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods, Pure Prairie League, and the Raisins/Bears/Adrian Belew. Nearby Dayton has given us the Ohio Players, Slave, Roger & Zapp, the Breeders, Guided By Voices, and other worthies.

― Richard Riegel, Monday, 17 November 2003 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Arlington, TX - 350k citizens, largest city in the nation with no mass/public transit, not one worthwhile band.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Sacramento also claims !!! and Outhud

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Even my little backwoods college town of 250,000+ can lay claim to folks like Les McCann and Richard Hell. I think this game might go on a long time.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, I've just realised I don't win with Inverness as we've got Graham Kemp from Urusei Yatsura.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anybody answered the Las Vegas (NV) question yet? I'm guessing that one's winning the important contest so far (i.e.: "BIGGEST major city that never produced a single artist of clout"); if not, what city is? ('Cause didn't Crystal Method come from Vegas? Maybe not..)

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Plano, TX -- i can't imagine that anybody of much musical significance calls it home.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Crystal Method are indeed from Vegas, though they live in L.A. now.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The punk band MIA came from Vegas, put out a few records on Alternative Tentacles I recall.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

how critically (forget commercially) successful were they, though?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

but wait chuck, isn't SLAUGHTER from Las Vegas??? they win on the commercial side fo sure. (or maybe critical too were they in stairway to hell?)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, I'm thinking Arlington TX might be the winner unless someone comes up with something from that city.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Texas; Big cities with a bigger lack of talent.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Arlington=Dallas

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

How 'bout San Antonio...or even Dallas (well, Tripping Daisy and Bedhead come to mind)?

Also...try Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Particularly SAN JUAN. I double dare ya.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

butthole surfers were originally from san antonio.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Texas; Big cities with a bigger lack of talent.
-- christoff (christof...), November 17th, 2003.

Bwahahhaha. YES.

Arlington=Dallas
-- oops (don'temailmenicelad...), November 17th, 2003

Nahh. Arlington's shittier and not as 'cosmopolitan'. ;)

butthole surfers were originally from san antonio.
-- gygax! (gygax0...)

But I betcha even THEY wouldn't claim it.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

How about Beijing.....??

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I always thought that Dallas's other city was Ft. Worth...

Well, if Arlington's a suburb, how about the Quad Cities in Iowa?

(Geir, I limited the question to US and UK because I'm way too ignorant of international music scenes to even attempt to answer the question worldwide)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Arlington, Ft. Worth and Dallas are three reasonably distinct cities. Close together but very different.

Ft. Worth has the Toadies and the Old 97's (commercial and critical success respectively)
Dallas has Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians (commercial success - critical? I was too young), and quite a few others.

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Arlington has to claim responsibility for Pantera.

We're sorry.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311072140440454&sql=DBPDunferlane

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Distinct to those who live there, but the same to someone 1000 miles away. If y'all listen to the same FM radio stations, you're the same place.
But what do I know? I consider San Bernadino to be LA.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and Dallas has the D.O.C. for critical acclaim.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (metro area = 1,623,018 people in 2000) yields Archie Shepp and nothing else.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Not even one of those awful nu-metal acts from Florida?

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

has New Orleans given us any talented white boys?

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

quintron!

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Bix Beiderbecke!

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

fuck i was thinking of someone else i think

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

(and what's white got to do with the question?)

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

AMG shows nothing for Anchorage.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't Jewel from there?

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Jewel was from Homer, Alaska.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:38 (twenty-one years ago)

2000 census shows 260K living in Anchorage. I'd say a city has to have at least 500K to be considered 'major'.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

D'oh!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

ILLASKA representing, y'all:

http://www.adn.com/front/story/4221129p-4233120c.html

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

has New Orleans given us any talented white boys?

um HOW ABOUT DR. JOHN?!?!?!

Quintron isn't from NOLA, but he is talented and white and great.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Bix was from Iowa, and they'll {meaning Iowa Public Television] never let you forget it.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Iowa? Really? See, after I made that hasty posted I realized he was from suburban Chicago. (ah, AMG tells me he was born in Iowa, moved to IL when he was 18)

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe I should rephrase it. Has New Orleans ever had a big name artist outside the realm of its traditional music (jazz, blues, soul, zydeco, fats domino's brand of rock)? I'm not downing New Orleans, i love it and never plan to leave, but it seems like no facet of this city's musical scene outside of its traditional output has ever really hit big. And yes, Quintron rocks the fuckin mothership, but outside of this board and a handful of locals into what he's doing, i've never really heard much respect for the mad scientist. the most recent "success" i can think of would be anders osborne, but even he draws almost exclusively from the local bluesy soul feel, plus he's not that big of a name.

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:52 (twenty-one years ago)

um why does it matter?

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Ernie K-Doe?

(x-post)

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

um the same reason any of it matters down to and including the thread title itself, I'd imagine

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

why does any of this matter? it's just for information's sake, and maybe it's just growing up with new orleans music, but i've always associated ernie K-doe heavily with fats. I'm asking because i'm worried as hell that this city will never get over the past and since traditionally new orleans music is such a big part of our tourism industry, that everyone is going to continue to completely neglect any new music coming out of the city. and yeah, i know all about master P and Juvenile, but i really dont care for cash money in the least.

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Illaska! That's even better than Shots Paul.

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Matos the question was about any single artist irregardless of genre, and clearly New Orleans has produced tons of great music. Pretending that anyone from the city's so-called "traditional musics" doesn't exist for the sake of a thread seems a big fucking DUD to me. ESP. when couched in bullshit questions like "has New Orleans given us any talented white boys?" What the fuck is that? Also, yeah Mac Rebbenac aka Dr. John came from the "trad music scene" or whatever from NOLA, but he scored pop/rock chart hits so as far as I'm concerned he can be counted as rock too!

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)

so start a thread that's called "Is there any major city that has never produced a single artist -- excluding those of jazz, blues, soul, zydeco, fats domino's brand of rock, hiphop and bounce --of any commercial or critical success?" then!

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I think you're way way overreacting--he rephrased the question quite well and you're not getting over the first iteration of it. he's asking a side question, what's wrong with that?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I just don't understand the point of asking a question like that.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

because you want an answer?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

So, oops, is Plano considered Dallas, too; otherwise anybody find someone noteworthy from there?

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

also the "talented" white boy musicians Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson have lived in New Orleans, but I don't think they're from there.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Matos do people in Seattle still get up in arms about the only music from there being grunge?

(I kid - Seattle's got Heart and Queensryche too.)

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't even think Texans consider Plano to be a major city.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought of them too (and Tori Amos) but it sounds like a valid question to me. New Orleans tends to mean either No Limit or the trad stuff referenced above to people when they think of music, and I've always wondered if there was anything happening there outside of that, as well as whether living in the city pushes people toward making certain kinds of music rather than others for financial reasons.

xpost: but we're talking about a 100-year-old tradition vs. a 20-year one. the latter is nowhere near as entrenched and therefore doesn't define its place to the degree the former does.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oops, if you want to restrict this to U.S. cities > 500,000, here's what we've got:

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, San Antonio, Detroit, San Jose, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Columbus, Austin, Memphis, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Boston, Charlotte, El Paso, Washington, Seattle, Fort Worth, Denver, Nashville, Portland, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, Tucson

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

anyway I think dismissing NO bounce because you don't like it is the real fatal reasoning flaw there.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

So then....San Jose? Has that been covered?

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think of the Meters and Dr. John as being so traditional as much as a synthesis of traditional and new, but hey that's me.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

They have a major league sports franchise too!

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Do you know the way to San Jose?

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

that's fair, sure. but the "new" in question is 40 years old by now, isn't it?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

AMG sez San Jose = Smash Mouth!

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

(Sorry, I cheated again!)

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

well yeah it was new at the time, of course.

I know there are some actual answers to his question (as much as I loathe the question), but for some reason I'm blanking.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

like there's gotta be some whiteboy metal band from NOLA that, say, Chuck Eddy likes or something.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Down to thread.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

well, the northshore has some up-and-comers called 12 Stones that, at least according to local music rags, are the next POD or something. but they're really about as new orleans as britney spears. and I wasn't dismissing No Limit, they definitely fit the bill as far as new charting music, i was just simultaneously voicing my dislike for them and acknowledging that they are obvious contenders. I was wondering if anyone could think of any others, because i, for the past 30 minutes or however long its been since i first saw this thread, haven't been able to.

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

>>there's gotta be some whiteboy metal band from NOLA that, say, Chuck Eddy likes<<

AMG links never work, so, if this doesn't...

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

..just look up "Supagroup."

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

hahaha, yeah that link doesn't work.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

And the two main members of Supagroup were born in Anchorage, hah!

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:35 (twenty-one years ago)

for the record, supagroup rock. they were MIA for a while, but i saw a flyer for an upcoming show of theirs, so apparently theyve come out of hibernation.

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

NOLA- not counting the wealth of indigenous music: Better Than Ezra (though most natives would rather forget)

I can't think of any well-known acts (critical or commercial)
from Jackson, Mississippi (excepting some lesser-known chitlin circuit blues) or Birmingham, Alabama. I have to be forgetting somebody...

― Will (will), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Supagroup may well be the best AC/DC style band ever to come from the United States.

And I doubt whiteboy Frankie "Sea Cruise" Ford (who also rocked) considered himself "traditional" anything, either.

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Where in Mississippi is David Banner from?

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

BTE are actually from Baton Rouge, though they like to pretend. I just thought of one though. Cowboy Mouth. Who suck to a ridiculous degree. I have no idea why it took me so long to think of them. i was in the studio for some of the recording of their first album. really, if you ever get the chance to see them, don't.

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:41 (twenty-one years ago)

yes, Frankie Ford's opinion of himself 40 years ago really means we should heed it here and now. thanks for clarifying that, Chuck.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

oh wait. I think Banner is from Jackson.

― Will (will), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

ooooh cowboy mouth. they're THE WORST.

― Will (will), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, Michaelangelo, I think Frankie was considered a sort of whiteboy teen idol. He was like the Vanilla Ice of 1959 (almost literally -- weren't the lyrics of his biggest hit taken from Huey Smith and the Clowns?), though maybe he got more of a career out of it (though no more big hits). "Sea Cruise" communicates more as teenybop than roots, even now, I think. And even though (obviously) its MUSIC is New Orleans r&b, in the same way Backstreet Boys music is funk or r&b. So in a way, he answers the question, you know?

But even if he doesn't, Supagroup sure do.

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:47 (twenty-one years ago)

they were given to him by HS&TC, and he was pretty well respected, which Vanilla Ice wasn't (though his money certainly was--Suge Knight to thread!). anyway, to non-historians Frankie Ford counts as "roots music" whether he was fun or teenybop or not. I certainly find Chuck Berry fun and teenybop but hey--roots roots roots to any normal person under 25 if not 30.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Then again, "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups (what color were they?) communicates more as teenybop than roots, too.

And does the Glen Campbell style country stuff Alan Toussaint (if I remember right) produced count? Actually, I forget the question.

And is Kentwood, Lousiana (home of Britney Spears) anywhere near New Orleans?

The Residents and John Fred & his Playboy Band are Shreveport, right?

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

New Orleans - Aaron Neville (certainly pop at times) and Louis Prima (is it "traditional" just because it has horns?). The Radiators and the Subdudes are more trad-rock bands though their NoLA influence is patent. Was Randy Newman born there or in LA?

Doesn't quite count, but 3 Doors Down are from a small town near Biloxi.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

it's traditional because it predates hip-hop!

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:57 (twenty-one years ago)

(Christ, I'm turning into Ethan!)

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm thinking Newman was born in L.A. but spent a fair amount of time with relatives in Louisiana

― Will (will), Monday, 17 November 2003 22:59 (twenty-one years ago)

>>anyway, to non-historians Frankie Ford counts as "roots music" whether he was fun or teenybop or not.<<

Well, as OLDIES music maybe. Or GRANDPARENT'S music. Or MUSIC FROM SOME MOVIE I SAW ONCE. Or MUSIC I HAD FUN DANCING TO ON A BOAT OR AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK. Or MUSIC THAT JIMMY BUFFET SANG ONCE. I doubt most non-historians, 25 and under or otherwise, even know what historians MEAN by "roots" music, Michaelangelo. It's a pretty meaningless word, anyway, when you get down to it. (I mean, what exactly is New Orleans r&b even the "root" of? "Lady Marmalade"?? Which hardly bears any resemblance to a tree whatsoever.) (Though I guess some of it is the root of some New Orleans hip-hop. In a way.)

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

The bio on his homepage says he was born in L.A., but it also refers nearby to the lyrics of "Dixie Flyer," in which the first line's "right here" appears to refer to L.A., but it's not entirely clear. Lots of googlable places say he was born in NoLA, but I'm assuming they're misinformed.

(is there any NoLA artist, including the soljas, who can be said not to be of their place?)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:11 (twenty-one years ago)

San Jose:

FACTION
Xiu Xiu

checking AMG:
The Doobie Brothers

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

so, um, why do I have friends my age who refer to all pre-punk rock as "roots rock" then?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

"roots rock" != "roots music"

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:17 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks for clarifying that!

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:18 (twenty-one years ago)

>>why do I have friends my age who refer to all pre-punk rock as "roots rock" then? <<

Maybe at least in part because they're YOUR friends, Michalangelo. And you're considered, like, an expert on music and stuff, you know?

But your friends are not necessarily most (non-historian) people.

Wait, so do they call Zeppelin and Sabbath roots rock??? Weird!

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

But everything's roots after a while. Like I've said, my roots are Duran Duran and Def Leppard, not Howlin' Wolf.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Though Led Zep DID have a song called "Royal Orleans," I guess...

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Can't read the whole thread, but has anyone said

Indianapolis?
Cheyenne?
or
Des Moines?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:24 (twenty-one years ago)

exactly, Ned.

haha Chuck, those friends of mine (I haven't asked lately) would probably just call Sabbath and Zep metal. I was referring more to non-heavy rock. and obviously some friends doesn't equal most people but my larger point still stands. (what, your friends don't change the way they talk about music around YOU?! bullshit)

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't say Des Moines isn't major, it was major enough for Debbie to "do" it!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:25 (twenty-one years ago)

In the first piece I ever wrote for money (Bad Relgion review, Voice, early 1984), I said that, for people my age, folk music was "Aqualung" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Dust in the Wind."

Music from Indianaolis, on the other hand, is called "Indy rock." I believe I discussed that on another thread once, this year. It's rarely as good as Bloomington (or even Seymour) Rock, except for that song about making the Indy 500 look like a Roman Chariot race, now.

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Slipnot, adam!

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah! oh well...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Ok..Cheyenne, then!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Newport?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

>your friends don't change the way they talk about music around YOU?! bullshit<

I never said that! In fact, just the opposite was my point. They only call it "roots rock" in FRONT of your back, see? (& if they were ten years older, they'd call pre-punk rock music CLASSIC rock, maybe.)

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Cheyenne has a population smaller than the suburb i live in.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Topeka, then!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Newport, RI has less than 30K
Topeka has less people than Naperville, IL

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:33 (twenty-one years ago)

anyway, my back has nothing to do w/it--the people I'm referring to (there's two) did so on their blogs!

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Oklahoma City?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

THE FLAMING LIPS HELLO?????????????

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

my favorite band, The Big N, is from Rachel, Nevada.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:41 (twenty-one years ago)

It's really fun shooting him down, innit?

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

shit.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Pueblo, Colorado?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

San Luis Obispo?

Scraping the barrel here...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Fargo?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

South Bend?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:45 (twenty-one years ago)

But Michaelangelo, why don't you get this? They're still: (1) The kind of people who would have music-expert you as a friend and (2) The kind of people who have blogs. Which means the way they talk is not necessarily indicative of the way *most* people talk, see? "Roots rock" is a phrase in the MUSIC EXPERTS AND THEIR FRIENDS lexicon. But I doubt it's quite part of the REST OF THE ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD lexicon.

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think that this question is becoming more like "what is the Major-est city still not to produce a successful artist/band?"

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

...With Chuck Eddy and Matos having a more serious conversation over the top of it...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Las Vegas wins
*waves to Chuck and Matos*

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Edmonton, Alberta: 666,104 people --> the band Snfu.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:49 (twenty-one years ago)

sea cruise is tearing this family apart! *weeps quietly*

Fargo is pretty small, plus it had Hammerhead (am rep from early 90s) and GodHeadSilo

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:49 (twenty-one years ago)

No, Vegas had Crystal Method (and sundry other people) remember? Unless you were joking. I got up at 4 in the morning in Bucks County, PA, and I'm too tired to notice anymore.

― chuck, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

god that's a great lyric

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

gah! how quickly i forget.
(xpost)

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay...the biggest Springfield there is?

Kansas City? Or did that birth jazz folk?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Lester Young, FULE!

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

short-term memory, oops. ;)

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh...Tel Aviv, then.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

is anyone from Baltimore?

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Pueblo, Colorado?

The US government makes a nice informational booklet about Pueblo rock bands that you can send away for.

The Oranges Band is from Baltimore (now I'm really stretching the definition of critical and commercial acclaim plus prob. forgetting somebody really big)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

San Luis Obispo birthed Little Wings and M. Ward.

One time I flew to Vega$ from either SF or LA and the kid next to me was BLASTING the Crystal Method the entire flight (<60 mins.) It was the middle of summer, about 110 degrees F so the landing approach was mired with "potholes" (sudden drops due to heat drafts rising from the ground in very hot weather). At least I thought it was Crystal Method, it may have been Utopia... or The Fibonnacis.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:58 (twenty-one years ago)

mookieproof: Yes! The two foundations of modern music: Frank Zappa and Sisqo.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Joan Jett = Baltimore, I think. (And Crack the Sky wound up there.)
(And Kix are Hagerstown, in case anybody's wondering.)

― chuck, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Also AMG says Philip Glass is from Baltimore

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Springfield

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:04 (twenty-one years ago)

baltimore also = lungfish, nautical almanac, born against, etc.

― jack cole (jackcole), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:04 (twenty-one years ago)

springfield = skeletons/morells

― jack cole (jackcole), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that these are household names, but J. Majesty and Iceburn are from Salt Lake

That's all they've got, then?

― ddrake, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:06 (twenty-one years ago)

South Bend, IN - It's major enough to have Notre Dame and the Fightin' irish.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:06 (twenty-one years ago)

it's not much of an argument anyway, we're nitpicking over semantics.

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:06 (twenty-one years ago)

South Bend also has fewer people than Naperville, IL.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I just felt the need to argue that South Bend isn't a major city=I am running out of ways to procrastinate

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

b-b-but it has an airport!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Springfield = the U.S. Navy boy band that Bart Simpson was in once.

― chuck, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm thinking, all due respect to Ice Burn and J. Majesty and Roseanne, I think Salt Lake might be the winner

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Baltimore = Good Charlotte!

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, this reminds me of a funny story. A couple summers back, I spent a month at Norman, OK, which is where both the Flaming Lips and the Starlight Mints were based from originally (not OKC!, although that's where Wayne Coyne and co. are from), at my cousins'.
The Soft Bulletin had already been released to wild acclaim by this time. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY I met knew who the hell the Flaming Lips were. Yet everybody had been raving 'bout the Nickelback concert a few weeks previous. Maladroit came out during that time, and I remember buying it, because it was the only CD my cousin would let me play in her car, since she had actually read about Weezer on Time Magazine.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Jacksonville has a sports team.

― Shmuel (shmuel), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:45 (twenty-one years ago)

and a couple of bands, two of which are well-known for being from there, not to mention a guy goes by last name Betha

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Anchorage?

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean Juneau

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Juneau's pretty durn small. Plus you can't drive to/from it, which is hell on touring.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Aren't the Used from Salt Lake City?

― Kris (aqueduct), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:55 (twenty-one years ago)

What about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? Do they count? They're pretty well-known. Hell, they've won a Grammy - so that's a measure of success isn't it?

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 04:03 (twenty-one years ago)

"Is there any major city that has never produced a single artist of any commercial or critical success?"

So, the answer's "No" then, right?

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 04:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Richmond, Virginia exists within the vast radius of mediocrity of which Washington D.C. is the center and anchor. The most ass-backwards "it's gotta rock" Fugazi-worshipping zero-creativity bands you could possibly imagine call the city home, bands that have taken Fugazi's basic sound and stilted, awkward experimentation and turned it into their own form of pub rock. It's gotta be Richmond.

― Clarke B. (stolenbus), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Shit, nevermind -- Labradford. DOH!!

― Clarke B. (stolenbus), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't we decide on San Jose?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Young Pioneers sounded like Fugazi?

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:38 (twenty-one years ago)

No way, Adam! San Jose = Smash Mouth! (and Xiu Xiu, but c'mon, Smash Mouth!)

Charlotte, NC?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I could easily see Charlotte, NC producing absolutely nothing of value.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"value this, bitch"
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200_web/drp200/p237/p237833h3u3.jpg

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:57 (twenty-one years ago)

well that ring has gotta be worth at least $50 at the pawn shop.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 06:08 (twenty-one years ago)

besides the geto boys and scarface, what the hell has houston ever contributed to the world of music?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Charalambides. ZZ Top.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Newcastle, because gazza doesn't count.

Belfast?

Portsmouth?

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 06:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Savannah, GA? (I know of some sludgey sexploitation rock band called SPOITS there, but that's it)

El Paso, TX? (were trail of dead originally from there or not?)

Las Cruces, NM?
Santa Fe, NM?

Kansas City, MO?

Reno, NV?
Carson City, NV?

Shreveport, LA?

Spokane, WA? (The Makers were originally from there, but do they really count?)

Nanaimo, British Columbia?

Salem, OR? (apparently, Joe Preston grew up there then escaped)

Fresno, CA and Charlotte, NC are probably the best answers so far.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Kansas City produced tons of great jazz musicians. Also, the Rev. Dwight Frizzell.

Reno, Nevada = 7 Seconds

El Paso, Texas = At the Drive In (yugh)

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Charlotte is a good call.

Big Boi was born in Savannah.

― Antmusic78 (Antmusic78), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Denver. Nothing good comes from Colorado.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 08:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Eminem is from Kansas City.

― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

The Czars are from Denver.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 09:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Baltimore = Dru Hill (Good Charlotte are big, but not from Baltimore).

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Plano, TX is listed at a population of 238,000 (74th overall)

― christoff (christoff), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

i wish new york wouldn't produce so many critical and commercial successes.

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I poop too much.

― Labia, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

the vast radius of mediocrity of which Washington D.C. is the center and anchor

Um...no. Okay, you don't like Fugazi. Then take Duke Ellington, Jawbox, Trouble Funk, Bad Brains, Mary Timony, Dismemberment Plan, Q and Not U, Pussy Galore, etc etc etc. Dag.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

the astronauts (one of the better surf bands in the early 60s) were from denver (seek: "baja").

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 17:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Firstly, I remembered at work today that the Proclaimers aren't from Edinburgh, they're from Auchtermuchty. Then to discount some other British cities listed above...

Newcastle, because gazza doesn't count Paddy McAloon, The Animals, er, Jimmy Nail?

Belfast
David Holmes, SLF, Van Morrison

Portsmouth Cranes.

And anyone who keeps suggesting places like Beijing and Tel Aviv, since when were they in the UK or the US?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Based on population of the city itself, Salt Lake doesn't make the top 100 in the US, so maybe we don't meet the "major city" criteria.

― fffv (fffv), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Orlando?
Honolulu?

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Orlando is boyband capital of the universe.

As for your 2nd choice, have you ever heard the song "tiny bubbles"?

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Fresno, CA and Charlotte, NC are probably the best answers so far.

fred durst grew up in gastonia, which is suburban charlotte. does that help or hurt charlotte's case?

― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

weren't jodeci from charlotte?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

see my K Ci and JoJo pick upthread

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

well then charlotte's off the list

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Fresno:

Faxed Head (well, Coalinga...)
The guy who behind The Chipmunks
Brian! Fucking! Kinney! Fresno!

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

also: Let's Go Bowling

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't GWAR from Richmond, VA?

― earlnash, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Indeed. And Shevreport, LA is home to The Residents!

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Thursday, 20 November 2003 01:51 (twenty-one years ago)

...not to mention of John Fred and his Playboy Band, who (just like the Residents on their first album, right?) parodied the Beatles in "Judy in Disguise with Glasses". Coincidence? I don't know....

― chuck, Thursday, 20 November 2003 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Doobie Brothers=San Jose. Next up (f@#@$) smashmouth. Dreamworks is releasing Prozack. Stonethrow records came from San Jose (Peanut Butter Wolf) as well as the newly released Charizma album which has been in process for over ten years and we finally get to hear it. Ask the question in five years.

― cs appleby (cs appleby), Thursday, 20 November 2003 04:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Adelaide, AUS?

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Thursday, 20 November 2003 04:53 (twenty-one years ago)

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