RTP-area local music and culture

[bendy <bendy AT duke.edu>]

Steven Keith wrote:
>    But the
> Monday's?  Neither my wife or I or had heard of them. Must a' been
> swimming too long in the main stream.

Happy Mondays were huge in England, a band that totally defined their 
moment- to English ears, they defined all that was Manchester in one 
fell swoop- New Order, Buzzcocks, the Fall, the Smiths. I was living in 
England at the time, and they totally baffled my American ears. Sounded 
like a bunch of stoners trying to be funky. I bought a record, and sold 
it right away to the singer in my band, who couldn't believe I didn't 
like it. Mancurian Soul, matey. Not only did you have to be there, you 
had to be born there.

In America, they were, at most, stars of the cutout bin, like EMF and 
Jesus Jones.

I think that kind of jumbled dance rock fills a social niche similar jam 
rock in America- replace the pot, jeeps, and white ballcaps with 
ecstacy, hi-end cell phones and jogging suits.

Bendy