50 Songs for our 50 States

The inspiration for this list came from two influential compadres of mine - Sufjan Stevens and Steve Glass... aka Schmee, or the artist formerly know as Schmeeve.

Mr. Stevens has of course gained significant notoriety for his 50 states project, which every critic feels compelled to describe as "ambitious" within the first paragraph of their review of "Illinois" . I am no critic, but I am going to go ahead and agree that the prospect of composing an album for every state across this great land sounds daunting... and Sufjan is just the man to embrace the creative writing forces required to accomplish such a task. And what better pallate to draw inspiration from than the good ole US of A (ok, so Iowa might cause some problems down the line, but he could write 10 songs about the storied history of wrestling or something). Based on interviews, Sufjan has indicated that Rhode Island and the Garden State are next on the agenda. RI will consist of tunes that clock in at a minute or less, symbolizing it's stature as the smallest of the 50. Jersey's diverse crowd will be wowed by Sufjan's unique take on the state, using turnpike exits as creative fodder.

Here are a couple select listens:

KCRW live performance - great set full of songs from Illinois, Michigan, and Seven Swans

NPR "The Lord God Bird" - Sufjan was "commissioned" to pull a song together based on interviews with the Berkely, Arkansas community after the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was rediscovered.

Sufjan Stevens - Michigan: This is the album that first turned me on to Sufjan and the Ashmatic Kitty label. It is still my fave of the bunch.
Michigan Part 1 (.zip)
Michigan Part 2 (.zip)

Schmee gets credits for the simple act of asking me to compile a few songs that dealt with specific states... and I obviously took the task and ran away with it. .. or got carried away. Thanks for helping me waste valuable time at work Schmee.


Alas, the 50 States:

Alabama
Billie Holiday - "Stars Fell On Alabama"
Lynard Skynard "Sweet Home Alabama"
Blind Boys of Alabama - "I May Not Can See"
Neil Young - "Alabama"

Alaska
Dan Bern - "Alaska Highway"
Johnny Horton - "North To Alaska"
Michelle Shocked - "Anchorage"

Arizona
Public Enemy - "By The Time I Get To Arizona"
Wilco - "Hotel Arizona"
The Constantines - "Ariozona"

Arkansas
Sufjan Stevens - "The Great God Bird"
John Linnell - "Arkansas"
MC Solaar - "Arkansas"
Robert Johnson - "32-20 Blues"
Michelle Shocked - "Arkansas Traveler"

California
Momma's and the Poppa's - "California Dreamin'"
"The Beach Boys - "California"
Tupac feat. Dr. Dre - "California Love"
Luna - "California All The Way"
Phantom Planet - "Here We Come (California)"
Wilco & Billy Bragg - "California Stars"
Dead Kennedys - "California Uber Alles"
Mason Jennings - "California [Part II]"
Semisonic - "California"

Colorado
John Denver - "(Colorado) Rocky Mountain High"
The Flying Burrito Brothers - "Colorado"

Connecticut
Superchunk - "Connecticut"
Aerosmith - "I Live In Connecticut"

Delaware
The Dambuilders - "Delaware"

Florida
Muddy Waters - "Deep Down In Florida"
Whiskeytown - "Jacksonville"
Will Smith - "Miami"
Troubled Hubble - "Floribraska"
Butthole Surfers "Moving to Florida"

Georgia
Ray Charles - "Georgia On My Mind"
Whiskeytown - "Macon, Georgia, County Line"
Nat King Cole - "Sweet Georgia Brown"
Robbie Fulks - "Georgia Hard"
Blind Willie McTell "Statesboro Blues"
Ludacris & Jermaine Dupri - "Welcome to Atlanta"
Alan Jackson - "Chattahooche"
Alison Krauss & Union Station - "Oh, Atlanta"
Allman Brothers "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"
Uncle Tupelo - "Chickamauga"


Focus on the City of Athens
R.E.M. - "Gardening at Night"
Pylon - "Crazy"
Of Montreal - "Wraith Pinned To The Mist (and other games)"
B52's - "Dance This Mess Around"
I Am The World Trade Center - "Can't Take The Heat"
B52's - "Love Shack"

Hawaii
The Ventures - "Hawaii Five-O"Haley Bonar - "Hawaii"

Idaho
B52's - "Private Idaho"
Built To Spill - "Twin Falls Idaho"

Illinois
John Linnell - "Illinois"
Sufjan Stevens - Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL

Focus on the City Of Chicago
Smashing Pumpkins - "Jackie Blue"
Robert Johnson - "Sweet Home Chicago"
Material Issue - "Valerie Loves Me"
Ryan Adams- "Dear Chicago"
Common Sense - "Orange Pineapple Juice"
Veruca Salt - "Seether"
Muddy Waters - "Baby, Please Don't Go"
Big Black - "Pete, King Of All Detectives"
The Redwalls - "Love Her"
Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago"
Kanye West - "My Way Home"
Chicago "Take Me Back To Chicago"

Indiana
Jackson Five - "Goin' Back To Indiana"
Jackson Five - "2300 Jackson Street"
The Music Man Soundtrack - "Gary, Indiana"

Iowa
John Linnell - "Iowa"
Dar Williams - "Iowa (Traveling III)"

Kansas
The Wedding Present - "Kansas"
The Get Up Kids - "Campfire Kansas"

Kentucky
Patsy Cline - "Blue Moon Of Kentucky"
Elvis Presley - "Kentucky Rain"

Louisiana
Muddy Waters - "Louisiana Blues"
John Lee Hooker - "Goin' To Louisiana"
Lucinda Williams - "Louisiana Man"
Lucinda Williams - "Lake Charles"

Maine
John Linnell - "Maine"
Okkervil River - "Maine Island Lovers"

Maryland
Mary Chapin Carpenter - "Down In Mary's Land"
The Modern Lovers - "Roadrunner"

Massachusetts
Juliana Hatfield - "Feelin' Massachusetts"

Focus on the City Of Boston
Pixies - "Monkey Gone To Heaven"
The Cars - "Dangerous Type"
Lemonheads - "Rudderless"
Aerosmith - "Train Kept A-Rollin'"
The Standells - "Dirty Water (Boston you're my home)

Michigan
Bruce - "In Michigan"
Kiss - "Detroit Rock City
John Linnell - "Michigan"
Sufjan Stevens - "Say Yes! To Michigan"

Focus on the City Of Detroit
Stevie Wonder - "Superstition"
Eminem - "8 Mile"
Martha & The Vandellas -"Heat Wave"
Kiss - "Detroit Rock City"
The White Stripes - "Hotel Yorba"
MC5 - "Kick Out the Jams"
Marvin Gaye - "Got To Give It Up Part One"
David Bowie - "Panic in Detroit"
Kid Rock - "Detroit Thang"
Gomez - "Detroit Swing 66"
Derrick May - "Strings of Life"

Minnesota
The Dandy Warhols - "Minnesoter"
The Push Stars - "Minnesota"
Gear Daddies - "Minnesota Polka"


Focus on the City Of Minneapolis/St. Paul
The Trashmen - "Surfin' Bird"
Prince - "Raspberry Beret"
Atmosphere - "Shhh"
Husker Du - "Love Is All Around"
Kid Dakota - "Ten Thousand Lakes"
The Jayhawks - "I'd Run Away"
Soul Asylum - "Sometime To Return"
The Suburbs - "Love Is The Law"
The Replacements - "Skyway"
Semisonic - "Sculpture Garden"
The Hang Ups - "The Entry"

Mississippi
Memphis Slim - "Mississippi Water"
The Doobie Brothers - "Black Water"
Robert Johnson - "Cross Road Blues"

Missouri
Low - "Missouri"
Muddy Waters - "Kansas City Here I Come"

Montana
Frank Zappa - "Montana"

Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen - "Nebraska"
Counting Crows - "Omaha"

Nevada
Mark Olson - "Walking Through Nevada"
The Jayhawks - "Nevada, California"
REM - "All the Way to Reno"

New Hampshire
Sonic Youth - "New Hampshire"
Matt Pond PA - "New Hampshire"

New Jersey
Red House Painters - "New Jersey"
Tom Waits - "Jersey Girl"
Bruce Springsteen - "Jersey Girl"
The Promise Ring - "Jersey Shore"
Bruce Springsteen - "Atlantic City"

New Mexico
Johnny Cash - "New Mexico"

New York
AK-Momo - "Return to New York"
Bob Dylan - "Talkin New York"

Focus on the City Of New York
Ryan Adams - "New York, New York"
Frank Sinatra - "New York, New York"
Velvet Underground - "I'm Waiting for the Man"
The Hold Steady - "How a Resurrection Really Feels"
Simon & Garfunkel - "The Only Living Boy In NY"
The Ramones - "I Wanna Be Sedated"
Bob Dylan - "Hard Times in New York Town"

North Carolina
Ryan Adams - "Oh My Sweet Carolina"
James Taylor - "In My Mind (I'm Going to Carolina)"

North Dakota
Lyle Lovett - "North Dakota"

Ohio
The Pretenders - "My City Was Gone"
Modest Mouse - "Ohio"
Jayhawks - "Somewhere In Ohio"
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - "Ohio"

Oklahoma
The Kinks - "Oklahoma, USA"

Oregon
Loretta Lynn - "Portland Oregon"

Pennsylvania
Bruce Springsteen - "Streets of Philadelphia"
Brian Setzer Orchestra - "Pennsylvania, 6-5000"
Poor Line Condition - "Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful"
Billy Joel - "Allentown"

Rhode Island
The Gazetteers - "Poor Little Rhode Island"
Kinski - "Rhode Island Freakout"
Blossom Dearie - "Rhode Island Is Famous For You"

South Carolina
Her Space Holiday - "From South Carolina"
Archers of Loaf - "South Carolina"

South Dakota
Bee Gees - "South Dakota Morning"
Chris Koza - "South South Dakota"


Tennessee
Johnny Cash - "Tennesse Stud"
Arrested Development - "Tennessee"
Whiskeytown - "Tennessee Square"
Ryan Adams - "Tennessee Sucks"
Robbie Fulks - "Coldwater, Tennessee"
Dolly Parton - "Rocky Top Tennessee"

Texas
Jimmie Rodgers - "Blue Yodel T for Texas"
Johnny Cash - "Tennessee Flat-Top Box"
Lyle Lovett - "That's Right, You're Not From Texas"
George Strait "All my Ex's Live in Texas"
George Strait - "Amarillo by Morning"
Willie Nelson - "Somewhere in Texas"

Focus on the City Of Austin
The Gourds - "Lower 48"
Alejandro Escovedo - "Rosalie"
Supersuckers - "Coattail Rider"
Nancy Griffith - "Boots Of Spanish Leather"
Single Frame - "I'll Lose Your Balance"

Utah
John Linnell - "Utah"
The Pixies - "Palace Of The Brine"

Vermont
Magnetic Fields - "Long Vermont Roads"
Cursive - "Vermont"

Virginia
Eddie From Ohio - "Old Dominion"
Iggy Pop - "Louie Louie"

Washington
Neko Case - "Thrice All American"

West Virginia
John Denver - "Take Me Home Country Roads"
Jason & the Scorchers - "Take Me Home Country Roads"

Wisconsin
Fonzie Space Satellite - "Wisco"
Lou and Peter Berryman - "Cheese, Beer & Snow"
Gear Daddies - "Dream Vacation"
Hanson - "Man From Milwaukee"
John Prine - "Milwaukee Here I Come"

Wyoming
The Ocean Blue - "Ticket to Wyoming"

Washington D.C.
Postal Service - "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight"

America
Yes - "America"
The Sweet - "4th Of July"
Ray Charles - "America, The Beautiful"
The Soviettes - "The Land of Clear Blue Radio"
Jimi Hendrix - "Star Spangled Banner"
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - "This Land Is Your Land"
Parlaiment Funkadelic - "One Nation Under A Groove"

Please email me with new submissions and I will keep the project growing....
Thanks,
- T