BolivarBaLues Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 My hometown, Knoxville, Tennessee, I think is one of the best-kept secrets in music. We have a thriving and vibrant rock scene, and it's been that way for much longer than I can remember, which dates back to my first club gig in 1985 at age 15. We've had our share of successes, such as power pop rockers Superdrag, former Supperdragger & V-Roy Mic Harrison, alt. country heroes The V-Roys, former V-Roy Scott Miller and his band The Commonwealth, metal dudes Ten Years and country rocker Robinella. For a city with a metro population of around 600,000, there's much more here than you would expect, including a plethora of live music venues, ranging from small clubs to 5,000-seat theatres (if you're counting popular music, we've also got a 25,000 or seat arena that's an acoustical nightmare, as well as a couple of other options for large, successful touring artists). You can find original music of all sorts here on any given night of the week. If you're ever here, be sure to pay my favorite watering hole, The Corner Lounge, a visit; have a few Guiness' on tap and check out some great live music. The proliferation of great music in this area is no recent development; in fact, music has been an important part of this region for since Irish settlers first brought over their native songs and instruments in the 1700s. East Tennessee is one of those places where everyone seems to play an instrument, and especially in the mountain regions, bluegrass jams are about as far away as the next front porch. But one interesting bit about our history is the fact that before Nashville was crowned the country music capital of the world in the 60s, Knoxville was the epicenter of country music. Country music, in fact, practically got its start about 115 miles northeast of Knoxville in Bristol, TN (where a new museum, called "The Birthplace of Country Music Cultural Heritage Center," is in the works). It was in Bristol in 1927 where talent scout/producer Ralph Peer recorded the Carter Family for what would eventually be a series of 78s released on the Victor label. Jimmie Rodgers ("The Singing Brakeman") was also recorded during this same infamous sessions, known as "The Bristol Barn Session." These sessions are widely credited with being the very beginnings of country music. Radio station WNOX went on the air in 1921 (it's one of the ten oldest radio stations in the United States) and played a crucial role in the early development of country music. The station's powerful signal broadcast the burgeoning genre all across the southeast, bringing local and regional talents such as Roy Acuff (who, along with Chicago songwriter Fred Rose, formed the publishing company Acuff-Rose), Chet Atkins, Don Gibson, The Louvin Brothers, Archie Campbell and many others to the attention of millions of listeners. Though the station today operates in the talk radio format, radio station WDVX is carrying on the tradition, bringing live music ranging from rock to blues to folk and real country (emphasis on "real," meaning that it has nothing to do with today's "country," which is basically commercial pop music with only a slight hint of country twang) every day of the week at noon on the show "Blue Plate Special," which can be heard over the Internet using the link I provided. I've gotten a little long-winded with my exposition, though its purpose is to illustrate the rich history of this area in order for you to understand the importance of the real point of this post, which is the recent discovery of some rare recordings made in 1929 and 1930 in Knoxville. My friend Jeff Bills (ex-V-Roys drummer) owns Lynn Point Records, a local "label" of sorts (for lack of a better term; Jeff insists that it's not a label, per se) that specializes in local music, much of which is available for free download through his website. He has recently acquired these recordings (known as "The St. James Sessions"), which were made at the WNOX studios at St. James Hotel in Knoxville by the Brunswick record label. For years these recordings have been very hard to find, existing mostly in private collections, but now they're available for free download. These recordings offer a glimpse into the sort of music indigenous to East Tennessee during the early development of country music, though other genres are featured, including blues, folk and jazz. These recordings also hearken back to a time in which music was made solely for the love of making music, and complications such as record sales, promotion and image were not even imagined. I think that it's wonderful that Jeff is making this music available. I've known him since the mid-to-late 80s when we were both active on the local college music scene, and like everything he's been involved with musically, it's driven by his deep love for music and his desire to share his musical passions with anyone that's willing to lend an ear. I decided to post what's turned into a rather lengthy diatribe on ViaChicago not only because I know there are lots of open-minded music lovers here, but also because of the direct link between the music indigenous to rural Appalachia and the brand of music Uncle Tupelo and early Wilco were known for. I think this is something that many of you will enjoy, and I encourage you to check out Jeff's website, where you will find articles and other various sources of information regarding these recordings. And while you're there, be sure to grab some of the free rock downloads. Try some Stewart Pack and The Royal Treatment; his music will be of particular interest to lovers of power pop. And though their albums are not available for free download, you can find a few free songs from the bands The High Score and The Westside Daredevils, which I also think will appeal to Wilco fans. Don't let the fact that these guy aren't on well-known labels discourage you; this is top-notch stuff that I consider on par with anything else in my rock collection. They're both great examples of "the Knoxville sound," which is guitar-heavy and hook-laden rock with equal measures of lyrical wit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I have been to Bristol in the last year. The Birthplace of Country Music museum badly needs to get out of that basement however..... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkstar Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Hmmm...... Sounds like either an ad by the Knoxville City Chamber of Commerce or from that record label..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BolivarBaLues Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 Hmmm...... Sounds like either an ad by the Knoxville City Chamber of Commerce or from that record label..... Yeah, that's funny. I have no affiliation with anyone you mentioned, and I am receiving no perks whatsoever. My only bias and/or motivation is that a) I'm from Knoxville and Jeff is a friend of mine and c) I wanted to turn some people on to some good music. Believe it or not, some people are genuinely enthusiastic about music and want to share it with others, no strings attached. I don't know why I wasted so much time on this post when people like you just want to be pricks about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j4lackey Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Thanks for the post, BBL. Very cool! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I'm interested... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brokendowntele Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Very cool! I love early recorded music such as this. Outstanding stuff! Thanks!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BolivarBaLues Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 Cool, I'm glad you guys enjoy it. I thought it was really interesting stuff. I really enjoy all the field recordings of rural music, not just in the U.S., but all over, like the stuff Alan Lomax used to record. Anyway, didn't mean to get snappy, I just get tore up when I'm trying to do something out a sense of altruism and someone has the nerve to question my motives or suggest a hidden agenda. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Nothing wrong with promoting local music scenes....either past, present or future... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Cool, I'm glad you guys enjoy it. I thought it was really interesting stuff. I really enjoy all the field recordings of rural music, not just in the U.S., but all over, like the stuff Alan Lomax used to record. Anyway, didn't mean to get snappy, I just get tore up when I'm trying to do something out a sense of altruism and someone has the nerve to question my motives or suggest a hidden agenda. Cool your jets, Maverick. Regardless of your intentions, it certainly does come off like a spam email, what with almost thirty links and all. Looks interesting, though, so I'll probably give it a look... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BolivarBaLues Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 (edited) Cool your jets, Maverick. Regardless of your intentions, it certainly does come off like a spam email, what with almost thirty links and all. Looks interesting, though, so I'll probably give it a look... I guess I need to learn to be more jaded, huh? Or perhaps the drugs were just kicking in really good at the time... As far as the links go, halfway through writing my post I realized that I could easily transform it into a piece for my LiveJournal page, so I decided to put the effort into providing links and all. But I assure everyone that there's no money being made here, and that my intentions are merely to promote the local scene and possibly stir up some interest in this music, much of which is made by friends of mine. We've got a fairly supportive thing going on here amongst musicians, and unlike towns like Nashville, people make music for the love of making music and try to help promote one another. Nashville's where you go when you're still disillusioned (or naive) enough to think that living there's going to make you rich, and Knoxville's where they eventually come when they're over the game and just want to make music. Edited August 30, 2006 by BolivarBaLues Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkstar Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 (edited) Yeah, that's funny. I have no affiliation with anyone you mentioned, and I am receiving no perks whatsoever. My only bias and/or motivation is that a) I'm from Knoxville and Jeff is a friend of mine and c) I wanted to turn some people on to some good music. Believe it or not, some people are genuinely enthusiastic about music and want to share it with others, no strings attached. I don't know why I wasted so much time on this post when people like you just want to be pricks about it. Uh....OK. You gotta admit it did seem a little spammy. But I'll take the highroad, sorry if it came off that way (me being a prick), was just posting an honest opinion at the time. 1,000 pardons Hope all is well out in the eastern part of our fair state. And I think you got it right about Nashville. The local music scene here pretty much sucks. Edited August 30, 2006 by darkstar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 My hometown...Good luck with it. I think it's fine for anyone who has been here a while to promote anything music-related that they are interested in and wants to share with others. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 BBL, this is very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to write (beautifully, I may add) about these free downloads and give so many great links in your post. That was a labor of love. Lou, do you still have a link to your posts from your trip? I never finished reading them but still would like to. Perhaps BBL was not a member back then and I'll bet he would find it interesting as well. However, I'm surprised to hear Nashville is considered a bad city for live music. though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 However, I'm surprised to hear Nashville is considered a bad city for live music. though. I heard Amy Rigby say once "I needed some time to myself, so I booked a gig in Nashville". Don't know if she made that one up, or if it's a standard joke for touring musicians... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Allan Lomax was not the saint you think he was. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Lou, do you still have a link to your posts from your trip? I never finished reading them but still would like to. Perhaps BBL was not a member back then and I'll bet he would find it interesting as well.Nah, I figure that shit is kind of ephemeral. Maybe someone else can find it, it would be from back in late October or early November. I doubt I ever posted my delta trip, but it was fun too.Allan Lomax was not the saint you think he was.No probably not, but his work was very significant. Very facinating is the Jelly Roll Morton interview that was recently released in full. I love the part where Alan asks Jelly Roll if some musical figure was a "fairy". As long as we are talking about early rare recordings I want to put another plug in for Archeophone Records out of Champaign, who were nice enough to meet with me and my friend Chris on the way through to Carbondale last week. Their CDs are absolutely facinating and incredibly well annotated and explained. Richard and Megan are totally dedicated to this pre-electric recording material, some of which is so politically incorrect it is amazing. Things sure were different 100 years ago. But saving it and preserving it and making it available for study is absolutely essential to understand even some of the issues we deal with today in popular music. After all, the Lomax's saw no problem with shlepping Ledbelly around in prison garb. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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