Friday, April 14, 2023

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special “Neighborhood Heroes” Edition

From 1967, and German teevee, please enjoy Birmingham, England's favorite sons The Move and a totally live version of their delightful psych-pop hit "I Can Hear the Grass Grow."

I bring up Birmingham because the Move were a sort of Brum supergroup; all the members had migrated over from other succesful outfits in the city (hence the band name -- get it?). I should add that Ace Kefford, the peroxide blonde bass player on the left, was better known to fans as "The Singing Skull." Heh.

But now to business. To wit:

...and your favorite band or performer from a post-Elvis local or regional music scene is...???????

Discuss.

And have a great weekend, everybody!

22 comments:

edward said...

I'm not sure I understand the question. Isn't almost every band from a local or regional music scene at some point? Or is the key here to identify the scene?

steve simels said...

The scene. I.e., REM = Athens.

JB said...

Todd Rundgren (Philly) since we grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same HS. He was three years ahead of me. I had the Woody's Truck Stop album and of course Nazz.

Butch said...

Teddy and the Pandas..(Boston based) had a regional hit with We Can't Go On This Way in 1966

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

JB , Cry"CT. kid and bought the first Nazz album - semi regional.
I had friends who worked for Todd back in the day but those are another story - for CT....
The Wildweeds with Al Anderson and the band at Cheri's Shack in Branford.
" No Good To Cry"...listen
Rob
PS - Blind Bassist

Gummo said...

The Heat - High School Sweater

Great 1978 NYC punk pop band. Wish I could find the audio.

BG said...

You mean like the Dead, Moby Grape, the Airplane?

Tinpot said...

Don McGlashan (Mutton Birds and The Front Lawn) from Auckland, New Zealand.

Great songs and records which are very rooted in where and when they came from and couldn't have come from anywhere else.
As Paul said, everyone comes from somewhere, but most performers could be from anywhere.

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

BG - were those regional bands that you caught in their seminal beginnings ?

Billy B said...

The Box Tops, Big Star (Memphis)

Shriner said...

The Romantics = Detroit

There was a "scene" in Detroit around that time and they were the band that broke big nationally.

pete said...

from Boston - Barry & the Remains
from New Orleans - the Wild Tchoupitoulas
from Atlanta - Bruce Hampton
Oh yeah, from Liverpool - the BEATLES

steve simels said...

My favorite Liverpool band is still the Searchers.

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

Steve, I'll give you the Searchers, a great cover band (needles and pins/Sonny B) but... DC5, cmon.
Covers yes but oh those covers.
rob

Alzo said...

Hey look- Roy Wood, clean-shaven! I'd never heard of the Move before reading your take on the 'Split Ends' compilation in Stereo Review. They instantly became a fave and I actually wore that record out.

As for scenes, it's hard to get more scene-y than the New York Dolls.

GLLinMO said...

Originally from Champaign IL, the Elvis Brothers. Their debut album from 1983, Movin’ Up is a complete classic. (YouTube has a fun video Fire in the City). The entire album is a power pop masterpiece.

The Champaign live music scene in the 80s was fantastic. Moved there in 82 from the Little Apple- google that- and anjoyed great local bands and intimate small venues. Note-I heard Dan Fogelberg hailed from Champaign. If so, before my time. As was REO Speedwagon.

Other great local bands of the era: the Vertibrats, Combo Audio, Nix 86, Last Gentleman.

I will a personal fav from eastern IL, The Basics.

But definitely check out the Elvis Brothers.

Note to the post above: Brad Elvis is now drumming for the Romantics.

Enjoy…

Haik Mendelovich said...

Guadalcanal Diary - Also Athens, and also great, but eclipsed by the REM/B-52s juggernaut.

Smithereens - Carteret, New Jersey. The 'Reens made up for the entirety of Bon Jovi's musical schlock-put with the R&R greatness of their first three albums.

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

Steve, late in the weekend and you have other fun things to do but - some good contributions-
Any quick thoughts on bands.
Kind of like a Stereo Review thumbnail write
Rob

steve simels said...

That's an interesting idea, Rob. We called them Quick Fixes at SR. I'll take it under advisement.

M_Sharp said...

Ramones

Roger said...

Every LI, NYC and NJ group that bought a B3 after hearing/seeing the Rascals: The Vagrants, The Illusion, The Hassles, Vanilla Fudge et al.

Anonymous said...

Phil.cheesebrough@gmail.com