By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Some bands, it seems, make far too many albums — even worse in the CD era, when artists felt the need to fill up 79-plus minutes with their, um, art. Other bands, by design or happenstance, make one signature collection of songs and, to quote the ever-present George Costanza, “go out on a high note.”

A few that spring to mind over the decades include Blind Faith, a supergroup that featured Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker of Cream, Steve Winwood of Traffic and the Spencer Davis Group, and Ric Grech of Family. Though it was a moment in time for these friends to put a combo together, it was most likely a product of the era — and perhaps never meant to last past two sides of an LP.

On the other end of the line, we find the Sex Pistols — one of the most influential and significant bands of all time — who made only one album and a few singles. The internal combustion factor, the media, and a sort of planned obsolescence were all to blame for their one-and-done. Plus, they pretty much said everything they needed to say with that one eternal LP.

There were others — some radiant in their success, others, like Toy Matinee, glowing in their obscurity. Session players Guy Pratt (bass) and Patrick Leonard (keyboards) joined forces to work on some songs and suddenly, they had a band. Joined by fellow session players — multi-instrumentalist Kevin Gilbert, drummer Brian MacLeod, and guitarist Tim Pierce — Toy Matinee was born in 1988.

With a sound somewhat defined by that era, the band featured a glossy, radio-ready brand of sophisticated pop — somewhere between the sky-bound hills of Steely Dan and the shiny pop of Crowded House. Songs like “Last Plane Out” and “The Ballad of Jenny Ledge” were pushed at radio to no avail. It was quickly considered dead in the water by the record label, Warner/Reprise, and the plug was pulled.

Perhaps a decade earlier, or a decade later, they may have had better luck. But their slick, glossy “adult” sound couldn’t have been more out of step in a world about to explode with grunge, hip-hop, alternative, and so on. There are some who did hear the album who still hold it fondly within their music collection. There are far more who have never heard the thing!

Every musical cycle, trend, whim, or movement has boxloads of lost, forgotten or — more to the point — never-heard albums. Perhaps we’ll begin to feature more of those, thus expanding the definition of “essential” along the way.

By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director

What's everyone been listening to out there? So much new music coming at us, so little time... However, these songs that might fly under the radar to most are what I've been diggin' these past few weeks!

Like what you hear? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm and let me know what you think!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

When the Byrds burst upon the music world in the summer of 1965, it was a sound of freshness, of a new direction, a new future that would last far longer than any trend of the day known as “folk rock.” With folk music as their roots, the members of the Byrds were well schooled in that tradition, but like most young musicians of the era, were equally gazing into the future, and taking a hard look at the present to see where they could go. Pop music was on a jet‑fueled path to wherever an artist wanted to take it, or so it seemed.

The two obvious planets that collided to help the Byrds become the Byrds were the arrival of the Beatles on U.S. shores in 1964, and the arrival of Bob Dylan into their universe. By merging elements of these two worlds, Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke would create their own sound, made up of ingredients from both, and that sound they created would go on to influence and inspire countless other musicians for decades to come.

The Byrds released their interpretation of Dylan’s poetic masterpiece, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” in the spring of 1965 to unanimous love that pushed the single to No. 1 in short order. “Folk rock” may have seemed a passing fad at the time. The number of folkies who suddenly plugged in, or the beat groups who rapidly became interested in lyrical content and ideas beyond boy meets girl, was mammoth. From the Turtles and Sonny & Cher to the Mamas & the Papas and Buffalo Springfield, a jingle‑jangle morning had risen everywhere. Dylan himself had already “gone electric” a few months earlier with the landmark “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” but this Byrds take on a classic Dylan was simply pop perfection, and the world took notice.

The Byrds were hardly a one‑trick pony, as that debut LP was crammed full of brilliant songs penned mostly by singer Gene Clark, along with some help from Roger (Jim) McGuinn. Suddenly the Byrds were thrust into the spotlight and Columbia Records wanted more, so the band headed back into the recording studio at the end of summer 1965 to nail down their follow‑up.

Completed in around two months and released in November, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” picked up where “Mr. Tambourine Man” left off, with the band continuing down that folk‑rock path, merging traditional with the new. A couple more Dylan songs, a couple traditional folk standards re‑arranged Byrds style and more from Clark and McGuinn—the album is less focused than its predecessor, but still totally captivating. The single “Turn! Turn! Turn!” was based on a Pete Seeger arrangement of the folk standard with text in the Book of Ecclesiastes. McGuinn came up with the arrangement and suddenly, it was a Byrds song! As it became a modern‑day folk‑rock classic, it scored the Byrds another No. 1 single.

“It Won't Be Wrong” and “The World Turns All Around Her” were two more instant Byrds classics. Another Gene Clark gem, “She Don’t Care About Time,” was left off the album but was issued as a non‑LP single that fall. The LP hit No. 17 in the U.S. and No. 11 in England. Within two years, with various line‑up changes, the band was barely recognizable from their 1965 incarnation, while their sound and style continued to evolve and change.

The Byrds are, in my opinion, one of the most significant bands of all time, and as I write this in 2025, they seem all but forgotten. Their influence and inspiration can be directly traced to bands like R.E.M., Wilco, the Lemon Twigs and countless others. The entire “jangle rock” world of the early 1980s was built on Byrds riffs, while their country phase with Gram Parsons was ground zero for all that became “Americana.”

Any of the first five Byrds albums is a good place to start your listening adventure—just do yourself a favor, and don’t forget the Byrds!!

By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director

Our latest Summit Sounding Board gathering at the Varsity Club in Youngstown delivered another fantastic evening of musical discovery, and now the results are officially tallied! Summit members came together to rate and rank a diverse collection of tracks, and every single vote counted in determining our final rankings.

For those who missed this member-exclusive event, you missed out on some serious musical gems – but don't worry, our next Sounding Board is coming in July, and we want to see you there! These listening parties are one of the fantastic perks of Summit membership, giving our community a chance to discover new music together and help shape what gets added to our rotation.

The Final Rankings

Here's how the dozen tracks scored, ranked from highest to lowest average rating:

1. S.G. Goodman - "Fire Sign" (7.848)
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2. Durand Jones & the Indications - "Flower Moon" (7.531)
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3. The Beths - "Metal" (7.454)
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4. Chaparelle - "Inside the Lines" (7.454)
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5. Turnstile - "Never Enough" (7.379)
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6. Wednesday - "Elderberry Wine" (7.000)
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7. Esther Rose - "New Bad" (6.788)
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8. Stereolab - "Aerial Troubles" (6.393)
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9. Kathleen Edwards - "Save Your Soul" (6.379)
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10. OK Go - "Love" (6.359)
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11. Molly Tuttle - "That's Gonna Leave a Mark" (5.303)
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12. Big Thief - "Incomprehensible" (4.727)
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What's Next?

S.G. Goodman's "Fire Sign" took the crown with an impressive 7.848 average score, followed closely by the soulful sounds of Durand Jones & the Indications with "Flower Moon." The diversity of genres represented – from indie rock to electronic to country – showcased exactly what makes our Summit community so special.

These results help guide our programming decisions and give us insight into what resonates with our listeners. More importantly, they represent the collective voice of our Summit family coming together to celebrate great music.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for our next Sounding Board in July! As a Summit member, this is your chance to be part of the conversation and help shape the sound of our station. We can't wait to see what musical discoveries await us next month.

Keep listening, keep discovering, and keep being part of what makes The Summit FM so unique.

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Missed this Sounding Board? Make sure you're signed up for our member benefits and join us for the next one! Click here for more information about becoming a Summit member.

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

When it comes to electronic music, there are often two camps. One is wholeheartedly invested in the technological aspect and creating sounds and, sometimes, other worlds. The other, first and foremost, are songwriters, with electronic music as their chosen path to executing those songs. Ideally, those two worlds should collide, and when they do, some great music can be offered up. Such has always been the case with Depeche Mode.

From their debut run of singles, “Dreaming of Me,” “New Life” and “Just Can’t Get Enough,” all released in 1981, it was obvious there was more here than flashing technology. These great songs would have worked on an acoustic guitar or many other modes of transportation. From the start, this helped Depeche Mode stand apart. Their strong singles run continued through the next couple of years, with equally significant LPs, Speak and Spell, A Broken Frame and Construction Time Again.

With each new single, LP and video, Depeche Mode stacked up more and more fans, as well as good reviews from critics. It was a slow and steady climb as their debut barely made the U.S. Top 200, while their fourth offering, Some Great Reward, went Top 50 in America. In addition to college radio and MTV, the ever-popular 12-inch remixes would become huge hits at the dance clubs.

Released in September 1984, a golden year for U.K. pop sounds, Some Great Reward showed the band growing and experimenting. The singles “People Are People,” “Master and Servant” and “Blasphemous Rumours” all became hits at college radio and MTV and went on to become signature Mode songs. The band continued to branch out and experiment with sounds. “You have to take risks,” said singer Dave Gahan. “You can’t be safe all the time.”

Working with Mute Records chief Daniel Miller and engineer Gareth Jones, who had lent a hand to their Construction Time Again LP, the band opted to record this new album in Germany, home to a vast history of electronic music. “We definitely wanted to go somewhere else,” said singer Dave Gahan. “It was time to try something different. The idea of going to another country really appealed to us.” The band ended up in Hansa Studios, where David Bowie and Iggy Pop had previously created magic.

One interesting example of this was the use of toy instruments on “Master and Servant.” “People tend to think that if you’re using toy instruments then they have to sound whacky,” said member Alan Wilder in a 1984 interview, “but we put some to very good use because as soon as you sample them they take on a whole new quality and when you transpose them it puts them in a completely new context.”

Though a lot of people think of Depeche Mode as terribly serious about things, they have maintained a slice of humor along the way, as Gahan pointed out in a 1984 interview. “Martin’s got a very weird sense of humour, and that of humour comes across in his lyrics. For instance, the lyric in ‘People Are People,’ ‘people get along so awfully.’ The word awfully is a funny word. You don’t really say that in conversation, I get on with you so awfully. There wasn’t really anybody who picked up on that.” Alan Wilder recalled being asked by a fan what the song was about, and replied, “It means exactly this: people are people, no bears or wallabies. I think this says a lot.”

Depeche Mode continued to grow in the years that followed with the albums Black Celebration, Music for the Massesand Violator. They continue to this day, still on a creative run and standing above the fray of similar acts.

By Matt Anthony - Summit FM Digital Media Specialist

 A worn brick alley in Annapolis.  Paint weathered and removed over time on the railing of a stairwell in St. Louis.  Or the scuffed and grooved surface of a check-out counter in an old convenience store here in Akron. 

These timeless tales, and the stories they could tell, have always intrigued me, long before it was considered ‘contemporary’ to have exposed brick or ductwork in a loft or a chic eatery. 

When I was a teenager (and when the owner, Dick Koller, wasn’t looking, I would run my hand gently over the counter at Cottage Market, on Fulton Road. The edge of my palm sliding across it, like ice.  I wondered how many small grocery items had slid across it, who bought them, and what was their purpose. 

Several years ago, while at the Canton Brewing Company, I left briefly to go downstairs to the restroom.  A modern speakeasy graced it then, along with posh restrooms and brewing equipment. The basement was once a major retail section of the old McCrory’s store.  I stood for a moment, watching couples swig pale ales.  On the walls, to the left, were enlarged photos of what was once in this space, photos from the 30s and 40s.  I suddenly wished that the owners had left some of the history intact. 

When I would ride the city bus as a teenager, I imagined who once sat in the seat that I was sitting in.  Was it a mother taking a child shopping for school clothes?  A struggling husband traveling across town to a second job?  A businessman skipping his stop, preferring to stay on the bus so that he didn’t have to arrive home to share the news with his family about the results of the medical report he’d received earlier that day? 

My trips to New York, for instance, have been filled with, yes, all the sights and sounds that New York City can offer.  But I was entranced just as much with the stoop in front of the brownstone in Brooklyn, trying to imagine who sat there during a hot July day during the war in 1942.  During the Summer of Love of 1969.  Or during a gentle drizzle on an uneventful Sunday afternoon in September in 1980 as the Mets played on the radio. 

While on our only trip to Europe, we spent our last two days in London.  The first afternoon, Donna and I walked around, resembling every bit the American tourist, each with a hand holding on to an outstretched map and trying to work our way around the city.  Not sure if we were looking at the Royal Opera House in the distance, we came upon an elderly gentleman, looking quite distinguished with his long coat, cane, and beret. 

“Excuse me,” interrupted Donna, “but that building to the left, in the distance.  Is that the Opera House?” 

He walked towards us. “Why, yes, it is,” he responded.  Then he pointed out various buildings and landmarks, suddenly making our cheap map relatively useless. 

We walked together for several blocks, where he turned into a personal tour guide.  It was one of the highlights of the whole trip!  He deftly explained details about streets, government structures, and museums, almost as if he were hired to do so.  Finally, at one intersection, we stopped. 

“And here,” he said, “is where Benjamin Disraeli made a very public pronouncement that caused much controversy during his time.”  We all paused to take it all in, and suddenly Donna said, “Wow.  Just think of all the famous people who have walked on this street.” 

Our tour-guide looked at us, thought for a moment, and replied, “That is quite the pleasant ‘think’, now isn’t it!” 

And he said in such a perfectly, blissfully British way that all three of us, right there on the second day of January in 1989, where Benjamin Disraeli once spoke, laughed out loud like hyenas. 

I thought of that trip this past Fall when we made our annual pilgrimage to Thomas, West Virginia.  Thomas is my parents’ hometown, and on my list of things to do was a visit to the old B & L store.  My grandparents shopped there, and my parents told many stories about it.  That store is gone, and so, sadly, are my parents. Today, it’s been wonderfully refurbished as The Buxton and Landstreet Gallery and Studios. 

We encountered many gorgeous paintings and pieces in this gallery, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the floor.  I bent down and touched it.  I wondered how many times my father and mother, as children and as teenagers, had walked across this floor.  Were some of those scuffmarks and worn groove-patterns made by their shoes or boots? 

Just think, I thought as I walked across it, I could be walking on the same floor that they walked on.  And that turned out to be quite the pleasant ‘think’. 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

From their days as a trusted backing band for artists like Otis Redding, the Bar-Kays soon emerged as a force for the great Stax label. Like Motown in Detroit, Stax had proven itself as a go-to label for a different style of soul music in the 1960s. The focus was not on the sweet harmonies and style of acts like the Four Tops, Temptations, and so on, but rather on a grittier and more edgy sound while still retaining great melodies and an overall euphoric vibe.

They signed up for the label in 1967, and their first single became an instant hit. Released on April 14, 1967, the rousing excitement of 'Soul Finger' was addictive, causing the record to shoot up the charts to #17 pop and #3 R&B. The stomping beat, punctuated by those dynamic horns, exploded from radios. Mix in some tasty guitar work, and you have a genuine classic. Self-penned by the band, the instrumental workout featured shouts of 'Soul Finger,' an idea from Stax staff songsmiths Isaac Hays and David Porter, who also enlisted a group of local children to join in on the chorus. It quickly became the band's signature song.

The recording of a full album began and was released in July. It was recorded by the legendary Tom Dowd and produced by staff producer Jim Stewart. It remains a staple of 1960s soul music with its relentless grooves and top-notch playing. Songs like 'Knucklehead,' 'Bar-Kays Boogaloo,' and 'Pearl High' keep feet on the dance floor. Elsewhere, the band showcased a variety of influences, such as the jazz touches in 'With A Child's Heart' and 'Hole in the Wall,' which evoke Jimmy Smith or Jack McDuff. Then there is the rock soul vibe of 'Don't Do That' and 'Theme from Hell's Angels.'

Eleven classics clocking in at just under a half hour, 'Soul Finger,' the album, would become ground zero for what should have been a promising career; however, while serving as the backing band for Otis Redding, four of the members were on that fateful flight in December of 1967 that claimed the lives of Redding and four band members. Jimmy King, Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, and Ronnie Caldwell were all killed when the plane crashed in Lake Monona, just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Redding and the band were scheduled to perform at The Factory in Madison, Wisconsin, but they never made it. 

Interesting side note: The opening act booked for that show was a band called the Grim Reapers. Their lead guitarist was Rick Nielsen, who would go on to fame as the leader of Cheap Trick ten years later.

Only trumpet player Ben Cauley survived, while bassist James Alexander had been on a different plane. Plain and simple, it was a tragedy that altered the lives of those on board and the music that all that talent would never make. Cauley and Alexander eventually put together a new Bar-Kays, who went on to have hits in a funk style in the coming years, but it would never be the same. 'Soul Finger' remains a testament to not only the band that made the record but to a moment in time that was utterly unique. It is the definition of essential. Now go and play it loud!

By Summit Wellness Contributor Marc Lee Shannon

So, I ask you: How long will you live, and how well will you be when this journey reaches port? Notice that the question has two parts: how long and how well?  

I am digesting and reflecting on a book now, and I'm about ⅓ finished, so this is a bit premature to discuss, but still, I have spent a few fresh coffee mornings thinking about this topic nonstop, so I want to share my thoughts, even if they are incomplete.  

How well can I be in the rest of my life? The golden years, the time in my life that I have worked hard to enjoy and savor with my loved ones, guitar in hand or on stand nearby, golf clubs in the trunk, grandchildren on the way someday. (Nudge, hint, Shannon boys). 

Dr. Eric Topol is an American Cardiologist and Author. He is the founder and Director of the Scripts Research Transitional Institute, and his accomplishments and credentials are too numerous to name here. Still, one stands out to me: As a researcher, he has published over 1,300 peer-reviewed articles with more than 340,000 citations and is one of the top 10 most cited medical researchers. Yep, he knows what's up, he’s that guy.  

His new book, “Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity,” has piqued my brow and set me back on my heels.  

Topol has published multiple original research and review papers in leading peer reviewed journals on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the medical field. His observations, predictions, and hopeful optimism were welcome for this reader who often stumbles across contrarian views hobbled with doomsday predictions. Remarkable as it may seem, many directional movements in the AI field can help predict major disease inevitability before it happens. Sometimes decades or more. He also presented a TED Talk on the transformative power of AI in medicine that is worth a view.  

So, what is the takeaway from this Reporter, Essayist, Health Fanatic, on the 70 side of 60, former Minor-Rock-Star-Musician, and Recovery Advocate? Three things (my favorite number). 

1. Exercise. There is irrefutable evidence based on data that if you walk and do resistance training as a habit for 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week, you will improve your chances of being older and well. This simple habit is not new by any means, but is true by all accounts. 

2. Food. What we put in the center of our head portal means everything. Processed food is a killer, full stop. Read the label to see if the food type product has ingredients that remind you of a first-year high school chemistry class. Danger, danger, don't do it. Whole foods like our grandparents ate are, without a doubt, better for us. Just look at any movie made in the 1940s, and you can tell that something about the meals at the family table was very different back in the day. Very different. Dig? What, how much, and when. Big difference.  

3. Sleep. So much depends on the ability to rest and rest well, and modern research tells us that we will not be able to function properly unless we get the recommended allowance of dream time determined by our age group. We suffer when we struggle to do what we need to do in the daylight because of a lack of what we need to do in the dark of night. Without proper rest, we are somnambulists seeking asylum. I just heard a wise whisper from an old Blues Musician pal in my ear tell me facetiously, “Rest is an activity, dude.” Yep.  

So much makes sense, so why is it so hard to do the simple things we all know are better (Better-er) for us?  

That's a profound and important question— and the answer is not just about willpower. How our modern environment, biology, and psychology interact is vital in explaining why we find it hard to do the right thing at the right time. We are wired for short-term comfort. Quick rewards, such as “who has time” messages from the media, bombard our common sense, and we give in.  

Ultra-processed food is engineered to be hyper-palatable. Sugar, salt, and fat equal a powerful dopamine rollercoaster thrill. Screens, scrolling, and junk food tap into a dopamine loop, just like other addictive substances.  

Our world is set up for convenience, not health. Drive-thrus, desk jobs, artificial light, and 24/7 access to entertainment create a toxic convenience where the easiest choices are the least healthy. Chronic stress and busyness help all this; we are all susceptible to this in our ultra-modern communication device-driven world.  

Hey, we are all human and not necessarily lazy. We are all just that: normal humans living on a vastly changing planet that constantly pushes us to our limits.  

A little self-kindness is in order. It’s just not easy.   

I am excited to finish this book, but it has already inspired a new band idea. Instead of another typical, inappropriate skinny jeans longing for the old days, wishful former teenagers turned older rockers, I want to curate a new band. What's the outfit's name?  

The Sensational Wenderleys.  

Ha! It beats the alternative: Not-so-much Ill-derly, elderly guys who can't stand and play, sing, or lift their axe.  

Till next time -- Stay Standing and Steady On.  

mls 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

The Dave Matthews Band is the true definition of a fan-driven rock and roll success story. In 1993, they released their debut CD, 'Remember Two Things.’ This resulted from a consistently growing, rabid fan base for the unassuming band in Charlottesville, Virginia. The self-released disc went on to sell over one hundred thousand copies without major or indie label support. They took the music directly to fans, mostly college crowds, who took to their earthy, multi-cultural sound. Eventually, things were bursting at the seams, and the band signed a deal with RCA/BMG Records who released 'Under the Table and Dreaming' in September of 1994.

Coming into view on the heels of the 'alternative rock' revolution, it was out of place, yet right at home, in the landscape of the times. DMB combined traditional rock with a rootsy vibe, folk, and jazz influences, all with a jam band vibe and aesthetic. The whole stew was mixed with some modern touches and won the ears and loyalty of the masses. Early on, fans of the band even took to recording the band's live shows and trading with other fans ala the legendary tape trades of the Grateful Dead.

For a band only used to a live setting, they jumped in with both feet by enlisting Steve Lilywhite to produce the album. The legendary Lilywhite was well known for his work with everyone from U2 and Peter Gabriel to Talking Heads, Psychedelic Furs, and XTC. All a far cry from the DMB sound and style. It would prove, however, to be a wise choice when tracks like 'What Would You Say,' 'Satellite,' and 'Ants Marching' took off at alternative radio and MTV.

DMB stood out by being, for lack of a better description, normal! In the world of grunge superstars, nerdy pop, and angry industrial sounds, Dave and company provided their own alternative to the alternative. "The things that keep me excited about it," Matthews said in an interview promoting the album, "everybody has this different view of music, but when we're all together, we all come at it with this openness and aggression."

Though the band had a head start in their fan base to support the release, a steady motion pushed the album higher and higher, eventually just missing the US Top 10, clocking in at #11. It would go on to reach Platinum status six times over. The Dave Matthews Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.