By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Throughout the years, contemporary artists of whatever genre have tossed their Santa hat in the ring, trying to create a classic Christmas album. Countless takes of holiday standards mixed with self-penned songs of the season would become standard, while at other times, artists would issue special 'fan club […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor The Blind Boys of Alabama are an American institution, keepers of the flame of a musical tradition and cornerstone. Founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, the ensemble has, obviously, changed members several times over the decades, all the while maintaining the legacy established way back when. Over those […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Like many subgenres, country rock has somewhat murky origins. Who was first to the table, who did it best, who was most successful, and so on. While not being first, no one has been more deeply connected to the concept of 'country rock' than Gram Parsons. Born in […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Formed in 1981, 10,000 Maniacs began their recording career with a self-released LP, Secrets of the I-Chingin 1983. While it failed to ignite, it did bring attention to the band, who, in turn, signed with Elektra Records. The follow-up, produced by the legendary Joe Boyd, the man behind the […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Ahh Memphis! The rich musical heritage of Memphis, Tennessee, is something to behold, ponder, and study. From Sun to Stax and everything in between and beyond, music rides in the air, runs in the water supply, and grows in the earth. The legacy of great records and artists […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor A long time ago, in a forgotten chapter in the rock and roll tale, there was a band called Split Enz. This wacky art-pop combo was formed in the early 1970s by Tim Finn and Phil Judd. These New Zealand popsters had a very colorful vision of what […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor 1978 was truly one hell of a year for rock and roll! With the rise of bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols, Ramones, The Cars, Blondie, Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, and countless more issuing landmark albums, to the stadiums filled by Fleetwood Mac, ELO, and The Rolling Stones, […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Pop culture is one crazy beast! It reflects as it creates and in many cases, ultimately represents a moment in time or an era. So many great films, records, books, television programs and so on are so deeply tied to the time frame from which they came, they […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor It all goes back to singing in church for many. By the dawn of the 1970s, the Staple Singers, a long-respected and popular gospel/R&B act, had put many miles under their feet. Things were changing everywhere and on a variety of levels. 'Pops' Staples and company had released […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor By the time of his third album, Tom Petty's audience, along with his bravado, had been continuously growing. Gone were any hesitations or uncertainty, Petty and his Heartbreakers were here to stay! "That was a record where life was never gonna be the same again," said Petty, in […]
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