New York, London, San Francisco -- these are the types of places commonly associated with artists. But, there is a land in the United States where a staggering amount of talent is born and/or developed. The Gopher State: Land of 10,000 Musicians.
Here are their Ten Best:
10. Har Mar Superstar
Seriously? This guy is from Minnesota? That's the beauty of the state...Minnesota music produces the most unexpected, innovative, and just plain weird acts on the planet.
"Power Lunch" from You Can Feel Me:
9. Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke's blues, jazz, and folk guitar skills have seen him collaborate with everyone from Chet Atkins to Mike Gordon. Recording for close to 40 years, he's just now getting the recognition he deserves.
"Vaseline Machine Gun (Live)" from 6-and-12 String Guitar:
8. Tapes n' Tapes
This independent rock band from Minneapolis released a stellar debut in 2005 and odds are they'll continue to make great, tight tunes for some time to come. (Clell Tickle said that if I didn't put Tapes n' Tapes at #2 on my list, I would receive a Colombian Necktie. I now live in fear.)
"Insistor" from The Loon:
7. Atmosphere
Slug and Ant are arguably at the center of the Midwestern rap scene and the underground/independent rap movement as a whole. Slug drops the rhymes; Ant drops the beats; your jaw drops.
"Trying to Find a Balance" from Seven's Travels:
6. Soul Asylum
Most folks know Soul Asylum for "Run Away Train," but the band made some rad punk and alternative before their big success in 1992. In fact, Hüsker Dü's Bob Mould produced their first two albums. But, yeah, anyhow...
"Runaway Train" from Grave Dancers Union:
5. The Hold Steady
Some people (including yours truly) have a hard time getting past Craig Finn's vocal stylings, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate what they do. Born and bred in Minnesota, the band has relocated to Brooklyn, where they constantly churn out LPs that the critics eat up like skinny Japanese men at hot dog eating contests.
"Cattle and the Creeping Things (Live)" from Separation Sunday:
4. Hüsker Dü
Do you remember, Hüsker Dü? If not, you sure as shit need to get to the record store to grab Zen Arcade, New Day Rising, Flip Your Wig, and Candy Apple Grey. Like a more hardcore version of The Replacements, these purveyors of punk stormed onto the Minneapolis scene as quickly as they left it behind. Totally kick ass.
"Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" from Candy Apple Grey:
3. Prince
The royalty of R&B, Prince Rogers Nelson was born in 1958 Minneapolis and hasn't strayed far away from home since. He's got the real chops for music (as anyone who watched his recent Super Bowl performance can attest) and his complimentary flair is second-to-none. All hail.
"Purple Rain" from Purple Rain:
2. The Replacements
Why isn't Prince at #2? The Replacements are one of the best bands, ever -- that's why. From their critical bonerfest Let It Be to unheralded discs like Tim and Pleased to Meet Me (even punching bag Don't Tell a Soul rules), Paul Westerberg and the Minneapolis boys were the centerpiece of solid American rock in the 1980s.
"Bastards of Young" from Tim:
1. Bob Dylan
Born Robert Zimmerman in 1941 Duluth, Minnesota, Dylan moved to New York in '61 after learning about music back home. And he went straight up from there: Almost nobody else in the history of American music can rival Dylan's canon and longevity. Year after year, he had turned out poignant tunes that attempt to capture the nation's current state of mind. Two words: living legend. Or we go with: national treasure. Simplified: Bob Dylan.
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" from Bringing It All Back Home:
About the author: He's from Colorado, not Minnesota. Just givin' props where props is due!
