It's relatively easy to rattle off a list of great songs or albums, but what defines a great recording artist? Is it record sales? #1 songs? A showcase night on American Idol?
Producer Brian Eno once noted, The Velvet Underground never sold a lot of records, but everyone who bought one went on to form a band.
Ani DiFranco, on the other hand, sells a lot of records. But she does it on her own terms. DiFranco founded Righteous Babe, an independent label, long before the Internet was a series of tubes while reimagining an artists' business model--and redefining the role of the singer-songwriter--for the MySpace generation.
Bands such as the Grateful Dead and Phish reinvented their songs and set lists every night, creating a new concert experience for fiercely loyal fans and introducing a series of live albums and bootlegs that, arguably, are just as important as their studio work.
Jeff Buckley is fondly remembered for one amazing album. And, like a lot of artists who died too young, a catalog of posthumous releases (and an assembly line of vocal imitators) has tried to fill the void.
George Clinton receives royalties every time someone samples Parliament-Funkadelic. When does he ever get credit for the originals?
Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits are enjoying a renaissance in the twilight of their careers. They never experienced the mass adulation (and scorn) as when Bob Dylan plugged in an electric guitar, but where would popular music be without Various Positions or Rain Dogs?
Are younger songwriters like Jack White and Ryan Adams so prolific--with so many incarnations--that it's hard to identify a career-defining album?
How many of these artists qualify as the Greatest Artists of All Time?
I call this my War and Peace mix. It's about having your own mind and not letting others rule your thoughts, and being open-minded and seeking a peaceful solution to things instead of trying to get your own way.
"Zor and Zam," by The Monkees
"They," by Jem
"Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong," by Michael Franti & Spearhead
"Philosophia," by Guggenheim Grotto
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World," by Tears for Fears
7 a.m. Brandon Hurley
These songs make me think of the financial crisis. We started with the flood of consumerism and high expectations, which have all come crashing down.
We all try to escape through different ways. Some react with medication, some pine for "good old days," others just try to deal with life and try to hang on to hope of a better place. But, at these times we all need to rally around each other.
"First Day," by The Futurehead
"Interesting Drug," by Morrissey
"Compositions for the Young and Old," by Bob Mould
It's a mix of great tunes, a couple of which WTMD has turned me onto in recent years, and it's a mix of some trippy grooves interspersed by rockin' tunes from great bands. Just great music that fits my alma mater's station's style!
"Rebellion (Lies)," by Arcade Fire
"Eple," by Royskopp
"Have You Once Recalled the Days?" by Warren Zanes
"What Are You Afraid Of," by West Indian Girl
"Valerie," by The Zutons
1 p.m. Kristin Symes
These are pretty much my top five favorite songs right now. I picked them because they are a great mix from a variety of different genres, with a progression from upbeat to soft and chill.
"If She Wants Me," by Belle and Sebastian
"Something to Talk About," by Bonnie Raitt
"Staple It Together," by Jack Johnson
"Give It Away," by Zero 7
"Day Dreaming," by Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott
2 p.m. Keith Pozanek
The "x" files + god & the devil. Most of these excellent songs received little or no airplay. I am a closet DJ.
The theme may be obvious: all women! I think this lineup would go over well, and I love Ms. Sara's tune for local flavor.
"9 to 5," by Ms. Sara and The Help
"Lonely Love," by Juliana Hatfield
"Hurt So Bad," by Susan Tedeschi
"Rehab," by Amy Winehouse
4 p.m. Mary Thomas
Representative of the darker side of love and relationships.
"We Both Go Down Together," by The Decemberists
"Fly," by Moxy Fruvous
"Cold Kisses," by Richard Thompson
"Break Your Heart," by Barenaked Ladies
5 p.m. Amanda Krotki
These are all songs from Cameron Crowe movies and we're overdue for a really great new film from him.
"I Can't Get Next to You," by The Temptations, Elizabethtown
"Vanilla Sky," by Paul McCartney, Vanilla Sky
"Tiny Dancer," by Elton John, Almost Famous
"Dyslexic Heart," by Paul Westerberg, Singles
"In Your Eyes," by Peter Gabriel, Say Anything
6 p.m. Laura McGuire
These are all artists I've seen live in the past year, courtesy of WTMD: emerging artist concerts, First Thursdays, member concerts, Baltimore Unsigned tapings, in-studio performances.
You guys bring great music to Baltimore!
"Stop and Think It Over," by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles
"Good Day," by Jukebox the Ghost
"Emancipated Minor," by Ani Difranco
"Frera," by Fools & Horses
"A Little Bit of Riddim," by Michael Franti and Spearhead
Utah Phillips- folk musician, achiever, hobo, Korean War Veteran, story teller, labor organizer, and the "Golden Voice of the Southwest"- died on Friday.
I really enjoyed the two CD's he made with admirer Ani DiFranco, especially The Past Didn't Go Anywhere.
Take a look at this video interpretation of "Bridges," and remember a man who will live on through his transcending skill for storytelling.
...and here's Utah himself doing what he did best.
