I Like American Music pt. 6 of 50 - Come on Feel the Illinois - Bands from Chicago

Three 90's bands everyone has heard of from Chicago.

Urge Overkill - Sister Havana

Smashing Pumpkins - Drown

Veruca Salt - My Sharona

I Like American Music pt 5 of 50 - Feeling Minnesota

  In the mid-80's 's to the early 90's Minneapolis's Replacements created raucous, rebellious rock and roll that the intended to be broadcast in supermarkets in the 21st century Replacements music at meijer's

Here is their tribute to Alex Chilton who as a teen had a massive hit with 'The Letter" as lead singer of the Boxtops.  Later he as a member of Big Star he wrote an sang 'In the Street' which subsequently covered by Cheap Trick and went on to became the theme song for 'That70's Show'.  Incidentallly I watched that show for three years before I realized it wasn't a documentary.

The Replacements - Alex Chilton

  Another Minneapolis native is John Wozniak of Marcy Playground.

Marcy Playground - Saint Joe on the School Bus

   Across the Mississippi River from Minneapolis is its twin city St. Paul, where Bob Mould and his friends formed Husker Du.

 Husker Du - Makes No Sense At All + Hidden Bonus track

I like American Music Pt. 4 of 50 Ohio

  On September 28, 1991 Greg Dulli of the Cincinnati's Afghan Whigs received a message from the band's manager on his answering machine giving directions to a backyard barbecue. As it turns out earlier that day jazz great Miles Davis passed away.  The message ended with 'Miles is dead. Don't forget the alcohol'.  Dulli under time constraints  to write another track for their album 'Congregation'. Inspired by the message Dulli wrote the song 'Miles iz Ded' that contains the line 'Don't forget the alcohol'.  
Afghan Whigs - Miles iz Ded

Also from Cincinnat is The National.

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

In April my wife and I attended a concert by Cleveland's Mr. Gnome at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids.  Below is a video from an earlier tour when they also played the Pyramid Scheme.
Mr Gnome - Cleveland Polka

I like American Music Pt 3 of 50. Independence Day

   Today is the 239th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  We commence the tribute to the USA with a noted dignitary's interpretation of the National Anthem.

  In the early 1780's Thomas Jefferson was asked what was his inspiration for the Declaration of Independence.  He testified 'so that our descendants will have the freedom to Rageth against thee Machine'(independent verification needed).   

 When the poor, tired huddled masses reach our shores one of the biggest obstacles is learning how to speak American.  Here is a compilation of Kubrick film clips set to the (non-American)Screaming Blue Messiahs' tutorial 'I can speak American.

I Like American Music Pt.2 of 50 - Detroit

The Upholsterers - Ain't Superstitious

Majesty Crush - No. 1 Fan

Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon

I like American Music pt. 1 of 50 -- Wisconsin

   We start our tribute to American Music in Wisconsin. I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere.  So I started........there.

  From Milwaukee we have the Violent Femmes.  Discovered as street corner musicians by James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders.  They were invited to open for James's band that night and took the opportunity and made a 30+ year career out of it. 

  Next the first of two bands based in the college town of Madison.  The three-piece Rainer Maria turned an inventory of Abraham Lincoln's pockets into a full length song.

   Producer Butch Vig's resume' includes shaping the sounds of two of the touchstone albums of the 1990's Smashing Pumpkins' "Gish" and Nirvana's "Nevermind".  As a drummer he was part of a couple of bands Spooner and First Person before he struck gold with Garbage.  Though the band was based in Madison, they were fronted by Scottish lass Shirley Manson. 

oh Canada, pt. 7 of 7. Fireballs Bursting in the Sky, Wasaga Beach First of July

    The last part of the seven part tribute to the music of Canada.  Lots of talent gets displayed on their airwaves due to the CanCon requirements.  Here are four songs that probably never received much air play in the US.

  5440 - Radio Luv Song

 Treble Charger - Friend of Mine

  King Cobb Steelie - Rational

  We'll let renowned producer Daniel Lanois plays us out of our tribute to our neighbors to the north  with a song of his own. 

Daniel Lanois - Lotta Love to Give