Friday Music Day

FMD: 4/7/17 – The 50 State Project

58 Comments

First off, let me wish my lovely wife a happy birthday: Happy Birthday Philosofette.
Great, now that that's out of the way, let's do something fun.

Last week I had the privilege of driving across half of the country. We passed through a decent number of states, and as we did so I often found myself thinking, "I wonder what song would be a good song for [the state we are driving through right now]?" I know this type of thing has been done other places, but I thought it might be fun to put together a WGOM 50 State Song List (plus DC).

So nominate your, uh, nominations. Use whatever criteria you see fit. Name dropping (for example: "I'm from New Jersey," for New Jersey), artist home (for example, Springsteen, for New Jersey), or anything else that fits the state (for example, a song by Garbage, for New Jersey).  Then, chime in on others nominations.  If it seems like there's a consensus forming, I might add it to the list.  If the consensus changes, I'll change the list.  You know.  Whatever.  It's informal.  Also, I'm a big fan of not necessarily going with the obvious (though sometimes I suppose you have to).

I've gotten us started with two nominations.

'The List' SelectShow

58 thoughts on “FMD: 4/7/17 – The 50 State Project”

  1. Kentucky--You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (Darrell Scott)

    You know, in the case you want to creep yourself out when driving through Kentucky

    2. ID: Private Idaho by the B-52s

      California: California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas

  5. MN: If you're old enough, you'll remember when "Minnesota" by Northern Lights was on the radio.
    MO: Though technically not about the state, "Oh Shenandoah" has the potential to be the most beautiful entry here.
    AK: "North to Alaska" by Johnny Horton, of course!

    1. Lots of options for MN. Could go by region.

      Shh by Atmosphere
      Girl from the North Country by Dylan
      Southtown Girl (and others) by The Hold Steady
      Blue Earth by Jayhawks
      Skyway by Replacements

        2. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't one of the first ones that occurred to me.

      3. I always thought R.E.M.'s "Man in the Moon" was about MN:
        "Here's a truck stop instead of St. Peter."
        (A reference to the Security Hospital)

      4. I'd agree on "Skyway." An excellent song by an important MN band? That fits well.

    2. MN: The Lake by Trip Shakespeare.

      Go, I know, I know that a
      northern goes
      Close to the shore to lay up
      among the stones
      Cold, he sees all the hissing
      leaves and maybe
      Two, the pair, who meet there
      when they please

  6. MT: Meet me in Montana (Dan Seals, Maris Osmond)
    NV: Reno (Doug Supernaw)
    MS: Mississippi Moon (John Anderson)
    GA: 4 to 1 in Atlanta (Tracy Byrd)...and the Willie song too I guess 🙂
    TX: God there's a million...but I'll go with Texas Tattoo (Gibson Miller Band). It's a song literally about a girl's tattoo of Texas in a special place and he mentions all of the cities in Texas he wants to visit.

    1. I'm in the minority with this but Neil Young's Philadelphia was better than the Boss song.

  8.  

    2017/04/07 - FMD

    01. “Row My Boat” – Four Mints – Eccentric Soul Vol. 1: The Capsoul Label
    02. “Mallrats (La La La) – The Orwells – Remember When
    03. “Making Time” – Creation – We Are Paintermen
    04. “We Sink” – CHVCHES – The Bones Of What You Believe
    05. “Brandenburg” – Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
    06. “The Embers” – Vagabon – Infinite Worlds
    07. “This Magnificent Bird Will Rise” – Deerhoof – Reveille
    08. “A New Career In A New Town” – David Bowie – Low
    09. “Jobless Monday” – Mitski – Bury Me At Makeout Creek
    10. “Down By The River” – Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

     

  9. IL: Sweet Home Chicago - Blues Brothers
    To me, we've gotta have a Beach Boys song for CA. There's a lot of options (and other groups name-dropping), but I'd say "California Girls."
    Michigan probably needs something Motown, though part of me wants to recognize Eminem. Thoughts?

    1. Thing is, "California Girls" isn't really about California. It's about girls elsewhere that they wish were in CA so they could make time with them.

      I nominate Woody Guthrie's "Do Re Mi."

      1. Yeah, California Girls might not be the best. Still, the Beach Boys embody that whole CA culture thing that doesn't really exist anywhere else.

  10.     a. Northwestern Crow “Mobbing Calls from Several Birds” (Cornell Master Set)
    1. Björk “Jóga (Buzz Water Mix)”* Jóga
    2. Tranquility Bass “Mya Yadana”* Transmitting from Heaven: Exist Dance
    3. The Cinematic Orchestra “Burn Out” Every Day
    4. Young Male “Carrier” How to Disappear in America
    5. Solid Doctor “O Say Krevlon”* How About Some More Ether: Collected Works 93-95

        b. Mourning Dove “Song” (Cornell Master Set)
        c. Brewer's Blackbird “Female 'Chit' Calls and 'Tslee' or 'Tslenk' Calls” (Cornell Master Set)
    6. Trembling Bells & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy “My Husband's Got No Courage in Him” The Marble Downs
    7. Sturgill Simpson “Breakers Roar” A Sailor's Guide to Earth
    8. Meat Puppets “Up on the Sun”* Up on the Sun
    9. Merle Haggard and the Strangers “I Think We're Living in the Good Old Days”* Pride in What I Am
    T. Dolly Parton* “I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby” Little Sparrow

    *Notes:
    1. A good description of the remix. It's like an acapella played in a place with large metal containers of water that reverb at her pitches. Then there's a guitar buzz. I think Howie B. did it... yep. He did some good and unexpected work. I really should try his Snatch again, and maybe the albums after it.
    2. Listed as "Monkey Forest Medley: Mya Yadana"
    5. Remastered. A reissue of the 2-disc How About Some Ether, with four bonus discs: two of new songs from the same time, one of full versions of tracks trimmed for the album, and one of the "Losing Patients" EP tracks that didn't make the original album. When Steve Cobby (Solid Doctor) announced the reissue, I asked him on facebook if the "Losing Patients" songs could be included. He said he'd lost the master tapes. I guess he found them.
    8. "A long time ago / I turned to myself and said, / 'You, you are my daughter.'"
    9. An atypical framing sentiment. I like.
    T. Still Alive! I guess she's only 71. Just seems she's part of that group that's been passing on lately. Does she still tour? If so, I should probably get a ticket for myself and EAR (who loves "Jolene")

  11. NY and CA: "I Am a Cinematographer", Palace Brothers/Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
    KY: "Ohio River Boat Song", Palace Music/Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
    IN: "Indianapolis", Bottle Rockets

    NE: "Omaha", Everly Brothers:
    "The rest of the world doesn't matter
    When you find what you're after
    It's all in Omaha"

  12. MA; "Hostile, Mass" - The Hold Steady

    Jason Isbell's got a few good contenders

    AL: "Alabama Pines"
    SC: "Palmetto Rose"
    TN: "Super 8 Motel" (assuming that's the Bristol to which he's referring. Bit of a stretch there)

    1. Alabama AND Tennessee: Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again, Bobby Zimmerman

  13. UT: "Great Salt Lake" - Band of Horses. But also maybe any selection by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would be even better?

  14. CO: "Telluride", Ha Ha Tonka
    AR: "Arkansas", Ha Ha Tonka
    TX/AR: "Texarkana", R.E.M.
    TX: "Love Is the Drug [Paris, TX]", Burger/Ink
    NV: "Bring Trance Back (to Las Vegas) [Blue Hotel]", Burger/Ink
    WY: "Lichen Me to Wyoming", Tranquility Bass
    CA: "California Cottonfields", Merle Haggard and the Strangers
    FL: "Don't Bury Me In Florida", Patty Griffin
    FL: "Miami", Will Smith

  18. LA: The King of New Orleans (Better Than Ezra)
    IL: East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (Duke Ellington), or Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night (The Hold Steady), or Via Chicago (Wilco)

    1. How can I forget "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" by Sufjan Stevens? That's my Illinois song.

  19. OH - Ohio - Neil Young, Somewhere in Ohio - Jayhawks, Cleveland Rocks - Presidents of the US of A
    AL - Sweet Home Alabama - LS, Alabama - Neil Young
    MO - New Madrid - Uncle Tupelo, Kansas City - Wilber Harrison
    NE - Omaha - Counting Crows, Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen
    GA - Georgia on my Mind - Ray Charles, Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight and the Pips
    NC - Carolina on my Mind - James Taylor (AMR Special!)
    OR - Portland Oregon - Loretta Lynn
    WA - Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues - Todd Snider
    WY - Emperor of Wyoming - Neil Young
    OK - Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard
    KS - Wichita - Jayhawks
    NY - Theme from NY, NY - Frank Sinatra

  20. OH: "Bloodbuzz, OH" - The National

    Doesnt' really say much about Ohio except that its in the title, but it might be my favorite National song, so I'm gonna say it.

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