“I was born in Alabama, but I only lived there a month before I'd done everything there was to do.”
- Paula Poundstone
Friend of the blog, Chris, had a great idea for a new series of topics: Best Bands From Each of the 50 States. Splendid! After some discussion, a few parameters fell into place. Each state gets a Best Band pick and a Best Solo Artist. What does “Best” mean? Well, don't we all consider our favorites to be the “Best?” Of course, so, there you go. Additionally, there's one Wildcard pick. That could be an obscure band or artist or up-and-comers, whatever. The other consideration is where the act is from. Is it where they were born and grew up or is it the state they call home as an artist? Gotta kinda stay loose with that one.
So we begin, working through the Land of the Free over the next days with a few interludes sprinkled in. It should be fun. Some states, California, Texas and others will be a challenge given the bounty of options. Others might be difficult for the opposite reason. Hawaii, for example. Who is there to pick from, Don Ho?
So, here we go:
Alabama
From Birmingham north to the Tennessee line, I've rattled around Alabama a good bit during my years in the South. We have good Memphis friends whose roots are in Florence. The mother went to grade school with Patterson Hood of The Drive-By Truckers. He was just Pat Hood then, she said. The dad played basketball at Alabama. Their three sons were gifted athletes and all played football for the Crimson Tide. The oldest won three national championships while starting at a different offensive line position on each one. He won the Outland Trophy in 2011. Not bad.
I ran the Rocket City Marathon with my buddy, Tim, one time in Huntsville. It was cold. At about mile 23, there were some guys cheering and holding up signs that read, COURSE LIARS. “You're almost there!” they'd yell and laugh. It was even kind of funny then and there's not much that is at mile 23.
Best Band: For lack of a standout choice, I'll have to go with the Drive-By Truckers and their shambly raw guitar attack. Their songs are packed with Southern gothic imagery and working-class concerns, which are interesting. I wouldn't agree with them on some of their social commentary motifs, but all in all, they rock and they've had staying power. I tip my hat. One of their albums was named Decoration Day. I liked that. I have a nostalgic kinship with the term. It's what Memorial Day was still called when I was growing up. At the end of the Civil War, Decoration Day, the placing of flowers on graves, became a way for the nation to honor the 700,000 dead who had perished in that horrific conflict. They changed it to Memorial Day in 1971 to recognize all military personnel who died in service of the country. In our home when I was a kid, Decoration Day wasn't limited to the remembrance of service members only. My mother would have sooner gone to town naked than fail to put flowers on the graves of all our family members. It's what was done.
Best Solo Artist: Gotta go with Jason Isbell. It's a small Alabama world. He was a member of the Drive-By Truckers for six years (2001-2007). He hales from Green Hill, AL, just up the road from Florence/Muscle Shoals/Tuscumbia where the other members of the band are from. Isbell left them, or more accurately I believe, was asked to leave, due to an alcohol issue. He describes the period as a dark time, one he seems to have moved beyond. Since then, he's released 10 well-regarded solo albums on the strength of which he's built a strong fan base and become a darling of music journalists.
Wildcard: Taylor Williamson: I've featured this fella from Birmingham a couple of times recently. He's had a long career, solo and with various bands, but he's new to me. I like his mix of sly humor and honesty.