New York has always been a mecca for music lovers. It has birthed more great musicians than probably any city on earth. From Tin Pan Alley to the jazz age of the Harlem Renaissance. From the Be-Bop revolution of 52nd Street to the golden era of Broadway. From Max’s Kansas City and the Fillmore East to CBGB’s. From Studio 54 and the Copa and to the Palladium and the Limelight, the Big Apple is without question the epicenter of musical creation. In celebration of the greatest city on earth, here’s a list of my top 6 quintessentially New York bands:
Simon & Garfunkel Peak Years: 1964-1970 Hood: Greenwich Village via Forest Hills, Queens
These folkies set the world on fire with their impeccable harmonies and the brilliant songwriting of Paul Simon. Firmly rooted in New York, Simon’s highly literate lyrics were brought to life by Garfunkel’s angelic voice. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” from 1970 is one of rock music’s most rousing and touching (not to mention ambitious) songs and was one of the decade’s biggest hits. The duo’s 1981 reunion concert in Central Park drew over 500,000 people and has become a watershed event in the history of the hallowed space.
At the nexus of music and visual art, the Velvet Underground depicted New York’s underbelly in vivid detail. Songs like “Heroin” and “Lady Godiva’s Operation” showed a side of the city far removed from the glitz and glamour of Broadway. Their influence on indie music is massive and is still heard today, especially in fellow New Yorkers, the Strokes.
The Ramones Peak Years: 1976-1985 Hood: Bowery via Forest Hills, Queens
Some peg them as the first true punk band, kick starting a worldwide phenomenon that still lives on today. From the dingy little club known as CBGB’s, the Ramones blasted their fast, primitive, four chords gems for all to hear. Each one adorned with candied melodies, inane lyrics, and a boatload of attitude.
Led by the incomparable Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Chic came to define the decadent disco era of late 1970’s Manhattan. They were the kings of Studio 54, disco’s Taj Mahal. Their funky, bass heavy, synth driven hits (like “Le Freak” and “Good Times”) got lots of rumps shakin’. “Aaa, freak out!”
Run DMC Peak Years: 1984-1988 Hood: Hollis, Queens
Bringing hip hop to the masses, Run DMC might not have been the first, but they were certainly the biggest. With 1986’s “Raising Hell,” and a collaboration with Aerosmith, Run DMC ushered rap out of the ghettos and into the suburbs. Every successful hip hop group that followed owes them a debt of gratitude.
The Strokes Peak Years: 2001-? Hood: Lower East Side via Upper West Side
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying that the Strokes put New York City rock music back on the map with their 2001 debut, “Is This It?” Overhyped, yes. But their tasty, ragged garage band hooks and Television and Velvet Underground-inspired cool, captivated audiences around the world. Dubbed the “saviors of rock and roll” and adored in England, the Strokes’ swagger is all Big Apple.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment