By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Since Woody Guthrie first declared of his guitar, "this machine kills fascists," singers and songwriters have felt motivated to lend their voice to protest. From those like Guthrie and Pete Seeger, to Bob Dylan and the great Phil Ochs, to Jefferson Airplane, the MC5, the Clash, Jello Biafra, […]
Read MoreBy 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 […]
Read MoreBy 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 […]
Read MoreBy 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 […]
Read MoreLast night’s “History of the Akron Sound” event, part of the Akron 200 Bicentennial’s Forgotten History Forum Series, brought the city’s musical legacy to life in a powerful and engaging way. Hosted at the Akron-Summit County Public Library and presented by the FirstEnergy Foundation, the evening was moderated by Brad Savage of The Summit FM and […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Born in England and raised in Australia, the Gibb brothers certainly had music in their DNA. Between 1963 and 1966, they released two LPs and eleven singles, one of which, “Spicks and Specks,” reached #5 in Australia in 1966. They were all still teenagers. Robin, Maurice, and older […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Born in Leeds, England, in 1979, Corinne Bailey Rae has long forged her own path. Her first proper gig with her band was in 1996. It would be another ten years before she finally released her debut LP. During that decade, she gained a great deal of insight […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Released in May of 1966, the Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' is the greatest album ever made. Oh, do you want more details than that? Okay, sure. Everything that would become "the 1960s" came to a boiling point in 1966. From the advent of a character named Bob Dylan […]
Read MoreIt is with deep sadness that we share news of singer-songwriter Jill Sobule's sudden passing yesterday, Thursday, May 1st. Many of you were present for what we now know was one of her final performances when she graced our studio on Tuesday, April 22nd. That afternoon, Jill brought her characteristic wit, warmth, and musical brilliance […]
Read MoreReleased on April 25, 2025, Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young is a new tribute album that reimagines Neil Young’s iconic catalog through the voices of contemporary artists. Produced by Cinema Music Group and Killphonic Records, this compilation features a diverse lineup including Fiona Apple, Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, Mumford & Sons, Sharon Van Etten, […]
Read More