I love the discussion here on this delightful new message board! A few things:
**Someone mentioned Drivin n Cryin. What an outstanding band! Really important in the history of Southern alternative rock. A fascinating group. They had that brief commercial heyday with "Fly Me Courageous" -- I didn't love it, being more into their earlier stuff and feeling that record sounded too slick. But I think I was wrong. They were always hard rockers. And, you know, it's hard to make the perfect sounding record. They were going for a big rock sound -- and that was true to their whole thing.
Also, I later saw them in Spartanburg, SC -- at a low point for the band's popularity -- in 2003, I think, and maybe 50 people were there. Well, they played "Fly Me Courageous," and oh man....rocked like mad. I got it then. They also played "Scarred but Smarter, which also was amazing. I saw them in Asheville at the Grey Eagle last summer. They have kind of had this resurgence in appreciation, which I think is so cool. They had a solid crowd and put on a fabulous show. Truly top-notch rock and roll.
**I'm not a huge Jimmy Buffet fan, though I recognize his outstanding talent and his impact. Turns out, he played around the corner from my house when he was not yet well-known. There's a longtime Chinese restaurant on the east side of Spartanburg. There was apparently a little bar kind of in the basement of the place. Buffet was in town to play at Converse College (now University), and showed up at the little bar and sat in.
**I sort of see "Life's Rich Pageant" as REM's top record, though I don't necessarily feel strongly about it. I do think "Fall on Me" is a total masterpiece. My favorite song of theirs. LRP seems to blend their early murky/arty/folksy sound with a slightly bigger sound -- but not as big or radio-ready as later stuff, including "Document" -- and kind of best of both worlds, far as REM goes.
**I've been listening to a good bit of James McMurtry lately -- such an amazing songwriter and singer.
**Big fan of Vulgar Boatmen and Silos. Big fan of Nashville songwriter-rocker Tim Carroll.
**Raleigh-based Accelerators have not done much in a long while, but one of my favorite groups ever.