Celebrating Native American Heritage Day: The Lasting Influence of Native Cultures on Modern Music On Native American Heritage Day, we honor the profound contributions of Native cultures to modern music. Their rich traditions—expressed through rhythms, instruments, and storytelling—have shaped countless genres, leaving an enduring legacy. Below, we highlight how America’s First People have influenced music […]
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 Once again, it's that time of year. Crazy people get all dressed up, make their presence known, babble some nonsense, and show off in front of their peers. No, not Halloween; I'm talking about the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction Ceremony. Every year around this time, […]
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 […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Released in 2007, the third album from Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist went a long way to solidify not only her artistry but also her fan base. Having released her debut album, Monarch, in 1999, she soon had listeners take notice of her signature, somewhat haunting vocal style, mixed with […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Way back when, soundtracks to movies were usually a film score with the occasional vocal track for the title tune. Often created by one composer or artist, these soundtracks served as a sonic companion to the film. From the countless brilliant Henry Mancini soundtracks of the 1960s (and […]
Read More