Stereogum's Proposal For An Indie Rock Wing To The NJ Hall Of Fame
Since one 'Gum staffer was born and bred in NJ (hey, Brandon, South Jersey represent), we figure it's OK for us to weigh in on the Garden State's new Hall Of Fame. Via AP:
The Hall of Fame exists only as a virtual entity now, but officials are raising money to build a permanent museum. The first class was chosen through an online vote after 25 finalists were announced in 2006.All inductees must have lived in the state for at least five years, though organizers made an exception to that rule for Underground Railroad pioneer Harriet Tubman.
The inaugural class is 15 strong with people from various disciplines. As far as music goes, it's Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra. You can see the rest of the pretty obvious list -- Thomas Edison, Yogi Berra, Albert Einstein, Toni Morrison, Meryl Streep, Vince Lombardi, etc. -- here. All due respect to the Boss and Old Blue Eyes, of course, but the official list got us thinking of New Jerseyians who've been especially important to us musically. We easily could come up with dozens (and dozens) if we cast our net too widely, so we opted to keep it indie: This means no Queen Latifah, Bon Jovi, Kool And The Gang, Fugees, Naughty By Nature, My Chemical Romance (ummm....). Maybe we're splitting hairs, but we even opted against Thursday and the Misfits. Basically, if you were a kid in NJ, these are the bands you might've gotten to play your backyard hardcore matinee or indie-rock festival. Our inductees, in no particular order...
- Yo La Tengo
- Danielson Famille
- Lifetime
- Deadguy
- Dillinger Escape Plan
- Rorschach
- The Feelies
- Ted Leo
- Turning Point
- Fountains Of Wayne
Bowing to Brandon's early years, there are tons more hardcore and post-hardcore bands that we'd nominate (You And I). Also, early Bouncing Souls (and their amazing New Brunswick backyard shows) also deserve respect. Does Uncle Floyd count? Anyway, consider this thread the official repository of potential inductees for when you (never) actually erect an indie rock wing, New Jersey. Time to remind folks that there's more indie to the Garden State than Zach Braff's iPod.
Posted at 5:46 PM
God Bless the Danielson Fam! Even though I'm North of the mason dixon line (sussex county, baby) i've got some strong south jerz affilitations Could do without fountains of wayne, even though ive driven by it a few times.
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whoa..never expected to see you and i mentioned on stereogum.
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How could you talk Jersey "Indie Rock" without mentioning The Wrens.....they named two of their albums after Jersey locations and they are one of the best bands to ever come out of the Garden State.
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Hell yeah Lifetime!
I think you could've given Thursday and the Misfits a break though.
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Yeah, we had to find a way to limit it ... those two, and others, are certainly honorary members. Also, with New Brunswick (and the Misfits, really) on the mind: Sticks and Stones.
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Lifetime is outstanding. Young, loud, and scotty, indeed.
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fountains of wayne is without a doubt the lamest band around these days
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neil perry
the assistant
penfold
ensign
mouthpiece
hands tied
vision!!
undertow
zero zero
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ha! penfold! there's a name i havent heard in a while.
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jon solomon.
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He definitely deserves a spot for those 24-hour Christmas marathons. And for having Shellac play in his parents' living room.
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karen o
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what about Apes and Androids? or their old band, Call Florence Pow?
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They were never THAT big, but Mothermania made me want to run away from home and join a band from Jersey.
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I've lived in South Jersey for 20 of my 24 years, and I'm really behind on my NJ celebrities and musicians. I don't really care about this, admittedly. I dig Bruce, and I'm down with the others, but I just don't really see the point in state pride.
But I will say that I care enough to keep Karen O out.
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the wrens! yes!
and please no one make fun of me.. but i kind of like(d) saves the day.
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Where the fuck is Patti Smith?
Deplorable
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what about malkmus and berman? Not sure how long they hung around the Irty Irty but they definitely live in Hoboken and Jersey City as well. And fuck, if were talking indie, how about Mike Simonetti, dude founded Troubleman Unlimite and Italians Do It Better and probably reps jersey harder than your mom reps Oprah.
No offense Brendan, but everybody knows South Jersey blows.
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dramarama
ween!!!
patti smith & lenny kaye
nicole atkins
monster magnet!!!
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ween's from pa
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lol new brunswick.
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If indie rock is defined by thick black glasses and scarves, then sure, put in whoever. But indie rock was pioneered by Black Flag, so put 'em in.
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Dude, the WRENS for christssakessss
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What about Joe Budden?
Someone on WebA&R, Inc. pointed out that though his sole studio album release was the self titled Joe Budden which produced the 2003 summer hit "Pump It Up" came out over 4 years ago, Joe is still considered one of Jersey's finest!
They posted a review of his album on http://webaandr.ning.com, which mentioned that he was from Jersey.
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Aren't The Feelies from NJ?
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loving the feelies
what about frankie valli?
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An "Indie Rock" wing separate from "Arts & Entertainment?" If you're serious about it, lobby for just one on your list (Yo La Tengo?) and call it a day.
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i realise i'm the 15 millionth person to say but seriously, what's with the lack of the wrens.
come on!
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This is meaningless without including radio personality Tom Scharpling. Straight outta Newbridge!
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we're working on blueprints for the scharpling hall of gomp
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I think if you want to classify Lifetime as "indie" you have to do the same for the Souls and Thursday. They all came from the same scene.
Midtown, the DeGenerics, Ex Number Five, Saves The Day, Armor For Sleep, are all Jersey as well
Anyone have thoughts on who future inductees would be? Bands that could potentially become Jersey all-stars?
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Uh, yeah, the Wrens, stridently from NJ, NJ on their t-shirts, an album called Secaucus and another called The Meadowlands, c'mon!
Also, anyone remember Merge act Spent? Love Child o? Tiny Lights? Am I dating myself here?
Special Honorary Hall of Famer Matt Pinfield.
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OK, can't believe we forgot the Wrens. If we had to vote again today, they'd be on the list. In fact, we just voted them in....there.
Re: Spent -- they played in my NJ backyard when I was a teenager. Do you recall John King's zine? I can't remember the name.
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ann
slams
in
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oh and i totally forgot, James fucking Murphy and Morgan Geist. Got the NJ indie-disco fire going for sure. with simonetti on board, NJ might as well be a bonafide home of nu-disco, or whatever the fuck we call it now.
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Now that I think of it some more, scratch Yo La Tengo and Indie Rock, and write in Morgan Geist!
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Potential? CHRIS BATTEN AND THE WOODS!! Awesome current NJ band.
Also...wouldn't Stacy's Mom more then graduate Fountains of Wayne out of the "indie" category?
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No. Chris Batten and the Woods are awful.
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SKUNK
WEEN
LAUREN HILL/FUGEES
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post of the year. Union County represent.
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Hey guys -- conceded on the Wrens! Very conceded. I think it was one of those "so obvious you forget about it" type situations. I mean, the Meadowlands? Duh. Anyway, their appearance on http://stereogum.com/drivexv should tell you where we stand!
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Dramarama is an absolute given.
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Dramarama.
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I saw someone post Patti Smith and thought hmmmmm ........... So I checked "wiki" and here it goes:
"Smith was born in Chicago. Her mother, Beverly, was a jazz singer, and father, Grant, worked at the Honeywell (Morristown, NJ) plant. She spent her entire childhood in Deptford Township, New Jersey."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_Smith
Looks legit to me. If not the "Indie Rock Wing", she should be up there with Springsteen and Sinatra. I mean, her last also begins with "S"........ Alliteration! C'mon. Always keeping the ladies down. Drag.
"
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Parliament/Funkadelic started in Plainfield, NJ. How can their influence be ignored?
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let us not forget debbie harry
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whoever said black flag is from jersey is about 3000 miles off.
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Ditch Croaker from Hoboken. One of the more underappreciated bands of the mid- to late '90s.
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My South Jersey-bred (Barnegat, Exit 67!) soul was beyond pleased to see this post and my contribution to the unmentioned Garden State alums is the highly-underrated Redman.
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Hahaha! Mothermania did (or almost did) get their young, stupid, snotty asses whipped at a Demarest Hall show in the mid-90s. And, deservedly so.
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No Sonic Youth? This list is a travesty!
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howdy, ‘tis charles from the wrens.
I saw this thread via my new-found addiction to my RSS reader (thanks for ruining me, google). And figured while I’m reading, it would impolite to not say thanks to the folks who threw our name into the virtual hat – and to Brandon as well.
But probably really only replying because he’d pointed toward the link of our version of ‘night swimming’ for their ‘Automatic for the Peeps’ tribute and felt compelled to add that our contribution is an abomination unto the lord, that I/we crammed that out the week I was getting married, and that it shows.
After it was done, I begged a chance to submit a proper finished version and Brandon & the stereogum folks were nice enough to agree to post it but of course, I haven’t finished it yet. We/I decided to put that off until we’re officially under way recording at the end of this month.
So, sorry, not that it’s important to anyone but me & didn’t mean to prattle on about us…more importantly, my contributions to the NJIRHoF, would be to add another vote for the Feelies, to add Eric Madison & the Magnets (‘80s band from Atlantic City – ‘our’ south jersey. Good luck finding them), and East River Pipe, who I don’t think I even saw mentioned. They’re great.
Ok, add Elk City, My Pocket Zoo and I’ll be the first to go on record saying that Cymbals Eat Guitars/Joseph Ferocious will end up indie famous within the year.
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An NJPP wing is wholly necessary too. Midtown wut!!! ::stabs self::
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Duochrome, slow children playing and bubblegum thunder
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excluding the Misfits is criminal
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fuck you guys for disqualifying thursday. full collapse is one of the best albums...ever.
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Tiny Lights, yes!!! One of the best live bands ever, in their prime.
Plus...The Wooden Soldiers, The Slaves of New Brunswick, All Gods' Children, The Seigobillies, Bigger Thomas, Mark Bradley. New Brunswick was the shit in the late '80s/early '90s.
Eh, you guys probably never heard of any of 'em.
Are the Smithereens too well known to be "indie"?
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wait...people are actually proud of being from jersey?? wow
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Hell yeah I'm proud of New Jersey.
Where the fuck are you from, jdubs? Oklahoma? You're probably the typical midwest hipster who thinks he's cosmopolitan because he's lived in Brooklyn for 6 months. You'll never be a native New Yorker, you'll always be a hick. I spit on you.
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Umm, didn't Vince Carter come from Daytona Beach? Check the hostility, Benny, nobody wants to get you all upset about "The City" or your place "Down The Shore."
Lifetime, baby. To respond to the reader above, the only similarity between Lifetime and Thursday is the series of New Brunswick basements they played in.
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Wow, Dramarama, Monster Magnet, Joe Budden, the Smithereens, Frankie Valli... you people really have your fingers on the pulse, don't you?
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Wow, how about showing some Jersey pride? Looks like you'd rather be from elsewhere, too.
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We never got beat up. SUCKERS!!!!
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^Jeff??
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Mutha! Tell yo children not to walk mah way. Tell yuh childrin not to hid my wuds, wut duh meen, wut duh sey... Mutha! MUTHA!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rye Coalition Anyone? Drummer has NJ State Tattooed on his forearm
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hey y'all, just because your favorite band is really into the fact that they're from new jersey doesn't mean that they should be celebrated in a hall of fame. chances are they still suck, despite mad love for new brunswick or the shore.
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patti smith, assholes.
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Plugspark Sanjay??
The Wrens??
American Watercolor Movement??
Prosolar Mechanics??
These bands are what it means (meant) to be a New Jersey indie rock band...
and Shaquille O'Neal. Just cause he's so effing rad.
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"Plugspark Sanjay??
The Wrens??
American Watercolor Movement??
Prosolar Mechanics??"
These bands are what it meant to live in Hoboken in the year 2000, well after Jersey's indie wave had last crested. It's amazing that a town can attempt a SXSW-style festival, and that NO bands from that festival apart from maybe (Brooklyn's) Ex Models are still with us. Sad. At any rate, these bands don't belong in any hall of fame.
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this is the best post stereogum has ever done. my votes:
Neil Perry
You & I
the Wrens
Lifetime
Thursday
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http://universechild.net/victoryhall/index.php?page=monumental06_00 The Jersey Rocks Triumphal Arch, by Joe Heaps Nelson. NYTimes endorsed. Check it out second paragraph with photo. The idea is getting legs and this could be the face of your campaign.
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The Capitol Years may call themselves a Philly band, but they got their start in New Brunswick.
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Chris Batten and The Woods are the one reason why i wish i lived in NJ and not Seattle.
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