Delaware

What's that I smell? It must be Delaware!

Or maybe it's just George Thorogood...

We're going to give Delaware the benefit of the doubt and forget they were responsible for this abomination on blues rock. After all they're just a little state... Smaller even than last post's Connecticut, but they could totally whoop Rhode Island's ass...

In addition to being small, there are other things Delaware has going for it, and I'd love to tell you what they are...

I just don't really know any...

Ooh! our new VP was a Senator there... I know that...

I also know the capital of Delaware is Dover, and if John Denver had been born with the name Ben Deutschendorf, and had been a big fan of Delaware, he likely would have ended up in a different line of work...

I also discovered through the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame (don't ask) that Judge Reinhold is from Delaware... Just imagine the heights to which Judge would have soared had he picked the stage name Ben Dover...

I bet Wikipedia knows some things about Delaware:

- Delaware is known at 'The First State' as they were the first to ratify the constitution.

- Delaware holds this over New Jersey every time the gang gets together for beers.

- The northern border between Delaware and Pennsylvania is unique as it is the only true arc boundary separating two states in the entire nation.

- Yes, I do find that interesting. I also spend lots of free time here...

- Delaware is divided into three counties. Just three. That's cute.

- Delaware is one of only 5 states without a single city population exceeding 100,000.

- The state with the most people is Denial, followed closely by Panic, Shock, and California.

- Delaware doesn't boast much, but when it does, it's usually about having the longest twin span suspension bridge in the world.

- The Delaware Destroyers routinely beat the Delaware Smash at basketball

- The Delaware Smash often times return the favor while on the tennis court.

Onward, to the music!

The Selections:

Solo Artist: Clifford Brown

Delaware is a teeny, tiny place that very few people come from, go to, or congregate in. As a result, a jazz trumpeter who died tragically at the age of 25 is the best possible option. Besides, we should all get back to our jazz roots from time to time, and Clifford 'Brownie' Brown was said to be a grand example of the jazz trumpet medium.

Named the Down Beat critic's poll 'New Star of 1954' Brownie was on his way to being a star in the bright jazz universe, and despite his untimely passing in a rainy night car accident, Brownie has been cited as an influence by jazz trumpeters including Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Valery Ponomarev, and Wynton Marsalis.

It's just wrong to copy and past from a Wikipedia entry, but I've got nothing. I do promise, Delaware, that the next time I'm looking for some jazz trumpet, I'll attempt to track down a recording of Clifford Brown.

Band: Television

So did you get the hint from the end of Connecticut?

You see, the band is called Television, and I quoted 'The Simpsons', a show... That's on TELEVISION...

Pretty sneaky huh?

I'd love to say that I've been listening to Television for a good long while, having discovered them at the same time as similar proto-punk acts like The Clash, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, etc., but that would be a big fat lie. I had heard of Television, mostly from bios and rock docs about the aforementioned artists, but it wasn't until I was surfing for downloads with a couple of bucks to spare that I decided to give them a shot, along with another punk-godfather band, the MC5.

Now I enjoyed Detroit's first wrecking crew of sonic death, the 'five', but Television absolutely blew me the eff AWAY. Marquee Moon is a triumph of recorded music, and had it only been my starting place into the world of punk rock, I likely would have wasted less time looking for artistry in The Sex Pistols, thereby better able to appreciate them for their thoughtless banging on helpless instruments, having found the real artists of punk here, in Delaware.

As a caveat, Television is oft seen as one of the New York proto-punk outfits, having played early shows at CBGB and Max's Kansas City. They earn their Delaware cred because the founding members Richard Hell (oft lauded purveyor of punk style) and Tom Verlaine met at St. Andrew's School in Middletown, DE. Hell and Verlaine, along with fellow DE'er Billy Ficca headed for New York to hit the big time, and never really quite found it. All have kept on, making a living off their love of music, but not as Television, and never in the meteoric rise fashion of some of the other New York punks.

Honorable Mention: Elisabeth Shue

OK, so she's an actress, not a singer, but she TOTALLY pulled off a lipsynch routine to He Kissed Me in Adventures in Babysitting, and you wouldn't want me giving Thorogood any kind of props would you? I did consider giving the spot to Valerie Bertinelli, since she was married to Eddie Van Halen, but c'mon... Aside from being an adventurous babysitter, she caught the eye of The Karate Kid, played Marty McFly's main squeeze in the second and third Back to the Future films, played the inevitable only-way-to-get-an-Oscar hooker in Leaving Las Vegas (got an Oscar nomination BTW...), and did a turn in the much-better-than-I-expected Hollow Man of which I had very low expectations.

Still, she does not sing, but may I remind you that Delaware is really REALLY small?

Ah, give me a break and enjoy Lisa rockin' out with her hairbrush...

Next, our tour of the nation continues alphabetically with the only non-state on the list, The District of Columbia. The rockin'est district this side of the Potomac...