10 SONGZ: My Stomping Grounds

Forbes used to release an annual list of the most miserable cities in the U.S. From California's Central Valley, the city of Stockton has been ranked #1 on this list multiple times. Why would I mention this? That's where I grew up.

This blogpost isn't about my childhood exposure to the uniquely American brand of misery, but bragging about the cool music that grew from there. Bragging about my upbringing is usually reserved for letting people know that I played on the same little league team as Aaron Judge when I was in 3rd Grade. But today is for the neighborhood weirdos who made it into the music industry. Those who represent the fertile farmlands and concrete wastelands of the Central Valley.

Spoiler: I'm not gonna write about Deftones.

Here's 10 SONGZ!

Pavement Lions (Linden)

While I remember our Stockton zip code of 95215, we lived pretty darn close to the small town of Linden. And Stockton's own alt-rock legends Pavement wrote a song about the Linden High School Lions, where I attended high school as a Freshman. This song is ugly and stupid. I'm not gonna expound on the spiritual context I get from this.

Grandaddy Everything Beautiful Is Far Away

Modesto sits just south of Stockton, about the same size and perhaps even a bigger eyesore of a city. Grandaddy was Modesto's golden gift to 90s alt-rock. If you were raised in Modesto, you'd probably write a song called "Everything Beautiful Is Far Away" too.

Chris Isaak Wicked Game

Chris Isaak doesn't capture the ugliness of Stockton. He successfully capitalized off a sleek rockabilly sound and a sexy ass voice. I honestly don't think anyone did this better than the man himself. 

Flying Blind Smokescreen

Flying Blind is from the small town of Hughson. My favorite local radio station B93.1 played this song a lot, as this was their respective breakout single. Who knew a band from little ol' Hughson would land a song on the American Pie 2 soundtrack?

The Dave Brubeck Quartet Blue Rondo à la Turk 

Dave Brubeck grew up in the foothills of Ione, where I played many soccer games in middle school (for some reason). Dave later attended the University of Pacific, where he started his collaborative jazz projects. Time Out would go on to be the definitive West Coast Jazz album, and Dave has sole songwriting credit for the dopest song ever written in 9/8 time.

Creedence Clearwater Revival Lodi

CCR are from San Francisco, which I can't claim to be part of the Central Valley. But Lodi is actually a real place! It's the city on the northern border of Stockton. The more you know!

Death Grips Stockton

I'm finally giving up and resorting to talking about acts from Sacramento. I figured I'd start with a song titled after my hometown, a 50-minute drive south of Sactown. I must admit: I don't think this song is actually about Stockton, but whatever. Also: Very much NSFW.

DJ Shadow Midnight in a Perfect World

DJ Shadow's Endtroducing..... is my favorite album from Sacramento, and boasts itself as the first album ever made entirely out of samples. This is the most popular song from there, and anyone whose heard it knows it's absolutely deserving of the praise. 

Blackalicious Make You Feel That Way

Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious has become a personal favorite rap album over the years. This song in particular reminds me of my favorite semester of college. But yeah, mandatory RIP to Gift of Gab; this stuff still sounds pristine.

CAKE Short Skirt/Long Jacket

Considering I started this list talking about Pavement and Grandaddy, I think CAKE is the appropriate accommodating band from Sacramento. Kind of a favorite band among me and my siblings, plus a career that's garnered a delightful--dare I say, bulletproof--batch of hits.

10 SONGZ: September Songs

As I write this, the first day of autumn is just 3 days away. The mornings are much colder, the afternoons are still hot. That's the September experience. 

In fonder times of my life, I associate September with the beginning of the school year. Whatever my life was like in the summer, that was soon to vanish. But sometimes... I was okay with that. A lot of music memories attached with my college days of trying to accumulate friends I could keep around for the semester, to prepare myself for the forthcoming seasonal depression about to hit me like a truck.

Here are some songs that take me back to wandering campus like a lost tourist, and the slightest breeze had the potential to blow away my scattered little mind.

Here's 10 SONGZ! 

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

I'll just get this out of the way: Neil Young is the King of Autumn Music. Most everything here is merely an extension of the folk rock sounds he created. Neil lasts from Sep-Nov every year. Pick an album. You can't really lose.

Nick Drake Three Hours

Nick Drake is the other King of Autumn Music. Nick mastered melancholy on multiple musical levels (that's a lot of m's). This song might be his most intricate.

Built to Spill Fling

I absolutely consider Built to Spill's There's Nothing Wrong with Love an autumn album. A lot of crunchy guitars and Neil Young influence. Granted, the rest of the album sounds nothing like "Fling." But it's that sour cello part that keeps it an autumn song for me.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Young Adult Friction

There's an autumnal side to indie rock, not to be confused with the naturally grainy strands of indie folk. I mean like, hipster stuff. Some of the whitest music you'll ever hear. Skinny dudes in knitted sweaters spilling all the intelligent charm they can muster into their schoolwork, flirting, and music. 

Uncle Tupelo Slate

Uncle Tupelo's Anodyne doesn't sound anywhere nearly as aged as you'd expect from early 90s country music. I think this is how Neil envisioned the future of country when he made Harvest. This is a brisk fall morning if I've ever heard one.

Bob Dylan Girl from North Country

It's hard to pinpoint the state of modern music lyricism in the early 60s, and why Bob was such a revolutionary standout. But dang, I definitely remember my first time listening to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the 2010s. The simplest songs carry the most emotional weight. 

The Pastels Nothing to be Done

Another indie rock pick, although the characters feel a lot different. If The Pastels were taking classes at all, they sure sound like they were failing. The chemistry here is cute and the guitars are corrosive. Holding hands and drinkin' beers. Gotta love it.

The Band When You Awake

The first 2 albums by The Band make for some of the prettiest music I've ever heard. "When You Awake," like the rest of the band's self-titled album, is meant to take place during the U.S. Civil War. The bearded Canadian rockers accidentally reinvented 100 years of American music.

Elliott Smith Alameda

I believe there's an Elliott Smith album for every season. I don't think Either/Or is depressing enough to be his winter album, but it can definitely a downer. A reminder of the cold things to come. Singing along to "Nobody broke your heart, you broke your own...." Yeah, that first hint of autumn chill just shot down my spine.

Big Star September Gurls

Not to get too on the nose here, but c'mon. It's September. I guess I could have added the Earth, Wind & Fire song, but I gotta have that crunch. This song is a walk in the autumn sun.