Feb 272014
A friend posted this today on FB. It’s invites further discussion from the likes of us:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/02/25/here-is-a-map-of-every-states-favorite-band/#ixzz2uNGOSGVa
Bonobo? Really? It was making me verklempt. I had to look up the band.
Let’s talk amongst ourselves.
So as I drive through my home state of Pennsylvania I can assume the likelihood that someone out there, beside my stepfather, is listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes? Interesting. My stepfather, by the way, recently bought everything he could find by Sharpe. He caught them on Austin City Limits, then dug some movie soundtrack that Sharpe was behind.
Good to know that The Boss still reigns supreme in the Garden State.
I saw that on your timeline, LMKR. I really don’t get the selections. Am I really this unaware of apparently popular artists, or is the list culled from an service whose audience is skewed towards bleeding edge (I won’t say hipster) listeners? Sure, if I haven’t heard of Bonobo that’s understandable, but if you and Mr. Royale haven’t, can they really be The Most Popular Artist In California Which Is The Most Populous State in the Nation?
I am skeptical!
This is what I thought of when I saw that map:
http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/starvania.png
Neil Young being most popular here in MA is a real head-scratcher to me.
Who in the fuck is Florida Georgia Line? I live in Ohio and I’ve never heard of them. I don’t understand his reasoning for why if a band is already the “sound” of a more populous state, it isn’t used again. That’s stupid. Because then they’d find out everyone likes Katy Perry or Taylor Swift and it would be boring.
I live in VA now and it’s not surprising to me that Dave Matthews Band is number one. Many people here love him and its always a tough ticket. A friend has been to his farm near UVA. Like offers to see Radiohead — I always politely decline.
Metric in Minnesota? I can kind of see it — I mean I would go see Emily Haines do her thing, but c’mon Twins fans, let’s give it up for some of our state’s heroes.
http://blog.thecurrent.org/2014/02/the-best-selling-minnesota-albums-of-all-time/
To add to this, Mr. Royale had heard of Bonobo, but said, “Oh, I didn’t think they were still making music.”
So much for our state being on the cutting edge.
This explains the map a bit more:
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-every-states-favorite-band-2014-2
Talk about a bait and switch. Granted, it’s interesting information but really!
Indeed! I love Neil and all but clearly there is nothing Neil-oriented about our Commonwealth.
Aha! Which is to say that it really doesn’t mean anything. Except: when it sort of does! For example, Phish in Vermont strikes me as (sadly) spot on as does the Dead’s dominance in my native NH. Matchbox Twenty in W. Virginia as well as my almost total non-recognition of any of the faves in flyover country would appear to confirm all of my worst prejudices, except that the West coast bands are equally unknown to me. Thus, it made me feel a little better that you did not know Bonobo either.