Erie’s Rockin' Blues
By Jenna Croyle

This week’s featured bands has been performing their special brand of Rock’n Roll Blues since 1992, and have become known not only as Erie’s most wanted Classic & Blues Rock band, but also as America's Favorite Biker Band.

Rick Magee and the Roadhouse Rockers have not only played just about every place in and around Erie, they have also toured the country performing at Bike events, concerts, rib fests, fairs, and clubs. Over the years the band has shared the stage with legendary artists such as Ted Nugent, Eddie Money, Molly Hatchet, Nazareth, Steppenwolf and Marshall Tucker just to name a few.

With Rick Magee on Guitar and vocals, Dave Brunn on bass and vocals and Bill "Gypsy" Craciun on drums, this three piece band has an incredible rich sound that engulfs any stage and venue they may play as though they were a much larger group.

As one of Erie’s most popular local groups, Rick Magee and the Roadhouse Rockers not only perform classic tunes but also have written and recorded many original songs that have over the years become as popular with their fans as those they cover.

The roots of the Roadhouse Rockers started as far back as 1981 when Bill “Gypsy” Craciun and band front man Rick Magee began working together. In 1992, Dave Brunn joined the duo and the Roadhouse Rockers became the power trio that has entertained tens of thousands throughout Erie and across the country.

As the band takes much of their musical influences from Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and ZZ Top, along with many more, the band has released several CD’s including "Bad Machine", "Live at Hazen" "Takin' It by Storm" and "Honor Among Thieves".

The band’s front man Rick McGee has deep seeded roots in music as he began to play the guitar at the early age of seven. Taking much of his personal musical influences from some of our legendary musical icons such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Jimmi Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd, McGee went on to be a two-time finalist of the Jimi Hendrix Guitar Competition in 1996 and 1999.

Rick Magee and the Roadhouse Rockers profound musical ability and crowd-pleasing talents have earned the group the recognition of not only their fans and peers, but of prestigious corporate sponsors such as Miller Genuine Draft & Miller Lite and Harley Davidson of Erie along with many sponsors across the country.

Rick Magee and the Roadhouse Rockers’ amazing pulse throbbing style of blues-and-boogie that is infused by hard pounding originals and carefully selected covers is sure to make you stand up and get down and party hard this Friday June 10th as they roar their three piece big rock sound from the stage at Docksider Tavern, 1015 State Street.

If you have never seen the band before, or are a long time fan, you simply have to be at Docksider this Friday at 10pm for one of Erie’s most talented goodtime party bands as they do what they do best, rock the house down.

For more information on Rick Magee and the Roadhouse Rockers and show dates, please visit their website at www.roadhouserockers.com

Cover Gurl
Erie’s Fresh-Face For Female-Fronted Rock Bands
By Drew Chiodo

Sometimes, things just do not change, Things like “Vegetables are good for you” or “The Price Is Right isn’t the same without Bob Barker” will always be there to cement their long-standing precedents and remind us that things are the way they are for a reason.

But every once in a great while there is that maverick that takes these everyday traditions and tells them where to shove it. Cover Gurl is one of those bands.

Local to the Erie area, Cover Gurl features Chris Mathers, Anthony Mucci and Chelcie Gette. They do covers of artists ranging from Beyonce to Heart and much more. The band usually plays songs from the 80s, 90s, and today, but doesn’t feel there is a need to stop there.
By tradition, most bands in this day and age are fronted by a male singer and Erie is no exception to that tradition, normally. But now Erie, along with almost anywhere else, is beginning to realize the powerhouse that is the female-fronted band.

“Cover Gurl started with Chris Mathers (guitarist). He really wanted to create a new band in Erie that was different than the rest,” said Chelcie Gette, Cover Gurl’s lead singer. “I played acoustically with him at times and he asked if I was interested in starting a band.”

Gette is a recent graduate of Fairview High School and has been a singer her entire life. So when the opportunity came to shake-up music in Erie, Gette was the obvious choice.

“Most of the bands in Erie have male lead singers. There is definitely a lack in female singers of Erie. So (for Cover Gurl) to have a female singer is different and will hopefully attract fans,” said Gette.

Though most bands typically see a reason for having a male for a lead singer, Gette would argue girls just do it better.

“Girl singers can sing anything!” said Gette. “We can do the guy songs and the girl songs. While guy singers are very talented, it might be kind of strange to see a guy singing Carrie Underwood.”

Cover Gurl plans to book more and more shows in the near future and continue with there hot-streak. Now a common feature in venues like Sherlocks and Oasis, this band will be all over the place in the upcoming months.

The bands most recent show was last night at Quaker Steak and Lube on upper Peach. For updates on the bands upcoming shows, check out the bands Facebook page and make sure to not miss out on what this band brings to the table.

Do It Yourself
What it means to be involved and survive in the D.I.Y. scene from Erie and beyond.
By Drew Chiodo

When people hear the term “Rock Star” they tend to think of three things: sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. The average perception of a touring musician brings to mind the image of an explosive party animal/insomniac with a vendetta against hotel TVs.

Perhaps some of these stereotypes may hold some truth to them, but there is more behind the scenes of a touring band than the average person may believe, especially when it comes to “Do It Yourself” or D.I.Y. bands.

Though not commonly dressed in suits and ties, these musicians also largely play the part of a traveling salesman. “You have to know everything about your product,” said Jess Scutella, drummer in the local band In the Day.

Everything from transportation, to personality, to the location of the next show plays a huge role in the world of a touring D.I.Y. band.

A tentative definition of a D.I.Y. band is when a band controls and operates not only the musical aspect of being in a band, but the business and marketing part as well.

D.I.Y. bands are sometimes signed to an independent record label, but are for the most part self-run. These band has more free range to customize themselves as a marketable product, rather than a band on a major label who is usually tied down to the guidelines of whoever represents and supports them.

The ultimate downside of being in an unsigned or D.I.Y. band is the lack of funding. What you earn for yourselves, as a band at shows and on the road, is what you use to keep your band afloat. A D.I.Y. scene in music is merely a community where these bands come together.

Though it might not be the most known market in the Erie area, the underground D.I.Y. music scene has been a thriving part of the local community for decades now.

From all-ages shows with 600 plus attending, to basement shows with just a handful of kids in the crowd, Erie has seen a wide variety of bands come through it’s streets and into it’s venues.

Famous acts such as Fall Out Boy, Motion City Soundtrack and My Chemical Romance have made their way through Erie venues as young, fresh-faced bands.

Even today, Erie is still putting on shows that seem to peak the interest of the up and coming generation of show-goers. “We’ve had shows over the past three years sell out at full-capacity and over-capacity even,” said Casey Kuftic of Erie Shows Dot Com.

Kuftic, 20, currently runs and operates Erie Shows Dot Com. His responsibilities include booking, promoting and the setting up of shows for regional and national touring bands. He also is involved in the main booking and promotion of many of the local D.I.Y. shows in Erie.

Casey had been a big part of the local music scene since 2005 and knows what small touring bands, as well as local bands, do to survive.

As the front man for Erie Shows Dot Com, Casey is in constant contact with members of all types of bands and deals a lot with the business aspect of running a music scene.

The present day Erie music scene is in no shortage of local D.I.Y. bands attempting to make their footprint in not only Erie, but in towns and cities all over the United States. Such names as Deadhorse, Biter, In The Day, and Smoke and Mirrors are all local D.I.Y. bands that can be seen playing shows on almost a regular basis in the Erie area.

Though these bands are local, somewhat smaller acts, as a whole they possess vast experiences or knowledge about what a D.I.Y. band is all about.

They know what they have to do to survive not only locally, but on the road as well. “You really have to be an experienced sales-person,” said Jess Scutella, when asked about the way D.I.Y. bands have to act to stay alive as a business.

Scutella, 20, has been a part of the Erie music scene since he was 14 years old and has been an avid and enthusiastic member of the local D.I.Y. community ever since. He has drummed for many local bands and has had a hand in the promotion and production of many of the areas local shows.

Although, not a common thought when it comes to musicians, Scutella knows that the business and sales aspect of D.I.Y. are just as important as the music aspect.

“You have to sell this product that you have and make it worth while to the fan to want to purchase your CD, your merch, your shirt that you have, a sticker or a poster even,” Scutella said.

He also talks about a sort of “checklist” to surviving as a band on a personal level. “One huge factor into a successful tour is to make sure you’re going out with people you will have fun with.”

He told stories about tour and elatedly explained his experiences. “I’ve been lucky enough to go with all of my best friends over the years and it has been some of the best and most insane opportunities and experiences in my life,” said Scutella.

Another part of any D.I.Y. scene, would be the consumer, or in other words, the fans/spectators. One of the main reasons the Erie music scene/the D.I.Y. scene has thrived for so long and why so many D.I.Y. bands can call Erie home or come through for shows, is because of the connection between the musicians and the spectators.

Without this connection, Erie would not have had the same caliber D.I.Y. scene as it has the last couple of years and would have not flourished to the point that it did between 2006-2009.

But as any local will tell you, Erie has seen it’s fair share of problems, especially in recent years. “The Erie music scene tends to come and go in waves. Show attendance and frequency of shows may dwindle for a time, but more often than not, it bounces back,” said Shane Young, front man and singer for In The Day.

Young, 24, is a very familiar face in the local music scene. He has been involved in the hardcore aspect of the Erie scene since 2003. Not only has Young been in numerous bands over the years, but has also been in attendance to a great number of shows that have taken place over the past couple of years.

Young recognizes both sides to the business and fun of playing in a band.

He knows what bands need to do, but also what the fans/spectators commonly do when it comes to keeping a scene and its bands alive.

“You never know who may be gracious enough to offer your band a helping hand,” said Young.

But what is a big reason that most people come out to shows other than to support their favorite bands? That was an easy one for Cory Beaumont, a regular member at almost any Erie show. “All I want is to be able to go out to a show hear some music I love, maybe get a little rowdy and hangout with my friends,” said Beaumont. “It’s the one place I feel most comfortable in my own skin.”

However, over the past couple years in Erie, there have been a slope in the number of shows and productions being put on in the D.I.Y. scene. As many will tell you, one of its direct causes comes from the lack of venue availability.

In the short span between late 2009 to mid 2010, Erie lost two of its most active venues, Forward Hall and The Hangout. These two venues were the staple points that meshed and held a large portion of the scene together.

Most of the D.I.Y. shows and Erie Shows Dot Com productions had taken place in these two venues over the past decade. The loss of these two venues has been an enormous blow for Erie music to endure. A couple of attempts to find new venues have been pursued, but as of recently, nothing has seemed to pan out.

So what does this mean for the underground Erie D.I.Y. scene and the D.I.Y. bands that are involved in the scene? For the most part, no one could really tell you. “Having a town with a steady venue and a steady scene are two huge factors into keeping the D.I.Y. spirit alive in bands and a music scene,” said Andrew Brock, a veteran to shows in the Erie area. “If these venues continue to shut down and the current trend spreads, it will be very hard for D.I.Y. bands to not only flourish, but to expand to their full potential,” Brock added.

What does the future hold for D.I.Y. bands not only locally, but in a regional and national sense as well? No one can really be certain, but most have an optimistic outlook for its future. “I hope that it is still thriving and sincere, but that will depend on the efforts of everyone involved,” said Shane Young. “They don’t call it ‘Do It Yourself’ for nothing.”

Brewerie at Union Station

Cloud Music Smackdown: 10 Facts On Apple Vs. Rivals

Which cloud music service best suits you? Here's an early comparison of iTunes in the Cloud, Google Music Beta, and Amazon Cloud Player.
By Brian Burgess

Cloud computing has already rewritten some longstanding enterprise IT rules, but Google, Amazon and, Apple, are betting you want your music in the cloud, too. There's no question that storing your favorite music in the cloud is very convenient, but figuring out which of these high profile services is right for you is tough. Especially considering they are just weeks old, with two of them (Apple's and Google's,) not even out of beta.

After taking a deep look at everything I could about these three services, I came up with 10 key points that you'd be wise to consider before deciding on any of them.

1. The hype around music cloud services is crazy These products remain in their infancy. Apple's iTunes in the Cloud is so embryonic its service only offers one released component--the purchasing and wireless sync component, which I reviewed here. Google Music Beta is only available for the lucky few who have free invites, and while I found it impressive, the final version doesn't even have a release date. As for Amazon Cloud Player, it's been out for just six weeks. If you're serious about moving your music to the cloud, the first piece of advice is hold on a moment. There's a lot to shake out.

2. You must understand iTunes Match If you subscribe to iTunes--and around 70% of Americans do, according to 2010 stats--you especially want to wait and see. Apple's offering is obviously iTunes oriented, but there's a catch. It's only a free service for music you've bought through iTunes. If you want to upload music you've ripped from your personal collection or anywhere else, it's going to cost you $24.99 a year through another component, iTunes Match, scheduled for fall. It's free for the first 5GB, but serious music collectors will easily burn though that.

3. Google may have a space advantage If you're a serious music connoisseur and use iTunes as most people do, the Music Beta by Google, still invite only, actually is a better solution--at least at this stage in its development. It allows you to sync and download your entire iTunes collection, ripped CDs, plus many other music file stored locally or on a network. Google's service allows 20,000 tracks recorded in most popular formats (see charts) and bitrates, but pricing and availability is still a big unknown.

4. Amazon costs deserve close scrutiny For those not locked and loaded into iTunes with collections stored within iTunes and beyond, Amazon Cloud Player is a contender. Its Amazon Upload Player will only upload MP3s--even the MP3 songs in your iTunes collection. But its automatic scanner (for MP3s in iTunes and Windows Media Player) works in a sketchy way in my experience. When it doesn't work, you have to manually point it to the physical location where your music lives. If you buy one album from Amazon's store, Amazon throws in 15GB free for a year in addition to the 5GB free for the service. After that, though, the service is priced by the gigabyte--$1 a GB, to be precise. Over time, this winds up being pretty expensive.

5. Your devices matter Are you a PC or Mac user? Do you have an Android-based mobile phone or tablet or other devices (like a BlackBerry, or HP WebOS smartphones)? You might even have a discontinued Microsoft Zune or a dying-off Nokia Symbian. These gadgets all play MP3s. It's still unclear whether or how well Apple, Amazon, and Google musical cloud services will work from and download to the rich mix of devices out there. The only thing that's obvious--because it's in Apple's best interest--is that Apple-loyal folks with iOS devices are going to be safe with the iTunes for the Cloud offering. Amazon is going for all things Android. Or so Amazon says. It's still so early. And everything else is, well, still a bit cloudy.

6. Upload speeds matter Now let's talk specs. Steve Jobs says specs don't matter anymore, but they do if you're considering moving music to the cloud. Not everyone has the time to sit around while uploading music libraries to the cloud or downloading them to various devices. So far, in my experience, Amazon Cloud Service is generally faster at uploading and downloading than Google's offering. But the music beta by Google is still in development. In terms of sheer performance for uploading, reviews show that Amazon is a bit faster at uploading. During this week's announcement at WWDC, Apple CEO Jobs bragged a lot about how much faster iTunes for the Cloud would be than Google, but again, there's nothing to test but his word. BYTE just wants to see it in action. There were quite a few disappointing things about the iCloud announcement in general.

7. Audiophiles will have special concerns So far, we've been talking about MP3s and the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format for purchased iTunes music, but true audiophiles know there are many more formats out there with better quality sound. An example is the Free Lossless Audio Codes (FLAC), a super high quality format available for compressing your CDs and even LPs into smaller files without any audio quality loss. Note that only Google supports uploading of FLAC files. But don't cheer yet. As soon as you upload these files to Google's service, it converts them to MP3s. Admittedly, it converts them to highest quality 328Kbps MP3s, but your lossless format is now at a bit of a loss.

8. Related movie questions remain far from answered More and more, photos, movies, and other rich data will become part of the collection on your devices. At the time of this writing, the music beta by Google is limited to music only. That could change, along with Google's pricing, performance, and availability details. Apple's service, unavailable to test, purportedly will support photos, documents, and calendar info. Video details are not clear yet. Amazon goes even further--I've tested this--and Amazon Cloud Player let me upload, store, and download any file format (from videos to zip to exe files to encrypted files) to its service. It's distinct from the other two services in that it's a true storage locker, which makes its higher price more acceptable.

9. Consider offline access to music Another thing to consider with these services: will you have access to the music offline? iTunes for the Cloud and Amazon Cloud Player allow you to download music to computer and devices. But the music beta by Google will cache four to five songs and allow you to play them back even if you don't have an Internet connection. This might not seem like a big deal in our always-connected tech world, but is definitely worth a mention.

10. Conclusion: You want to date, not marry, for now Cloud services for music are hot--and hot for a reason. People need a safe, secure, and flexible way to get their music (and other files) off their devices and into the cloud. But these services, are not yet ready for primetime. They all are promising. Their comparative offerings and specs are complex and worth considering. Start watching them now as they evolve and improve into mature products. When BYTE launches in July, our team will provide the deepest and most authoritative reviews, shootouts, and comparisons in this space.

10 Must-See Acts at Bonnaroo

At this point, I've been to all the major Stateside rock festivals and I can confidently say that Bonnaroo, running June 9-12, is the most musically eclectic and culturally distinct. For four days every year, 700 acres of farmland turns into a massive human kaleidoscope. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds (and smells-festivals still haven't quite figured out the port-a-potty situation), so to help manage the sensory overload, here are ten picks for bands to see. Good luck, stay clean, and use sunscreen!

1. My Morning Jacket: This year will mark the sixth visit to the festival for the eclectic Kentucky jammers, so it's almost like a home game for them. But that doesn't mean they let themselves get comfortable. Jim James and Co. are known for delivering epic-length sets at Bonnaroo, full of left-field covers and goosebump moments.

2. Eminem: The festival's biggest headliner has been riding an artistic resurgence since last year's Recovery. That album's material-sure to be heavily featured here-is full of martial anthems (think "Not Afraid"), the kind of songs that go over great to a crowd of 50,000. If you're into flipping the bird as a show of solidarity, this is the set for you.

3. Arcade Fire: The band's long post-Grammy victory lap continues. Their performance at Coachella-punctuated by an awe-inspiring drop of countless LED-outfitted beach balls-was one of the standouts of the festival. Expect a similarly passionate, well-planned performance here.

4. The Sword: The Bonnaroo lineup is a little light on metal this year, so anyone looking to headbang would be wise to check out these Austin stompers, whose pounding drums and slicing guitar solos will be a nice balance to all woodly-doodly major key noodling occurring elsewhere on the grounds.

5. Buffalo Springfield: Legend has it that the Springfield's live shows used to be an invigorating, jaw-dropping riot, fueled by Stephen Stills' and Neil Youngs' guitar duels. A couple hard-to-find recordings seemed to bear that legend out, but it appeared that young whippersnappers would have to take the old-timers' word for it. Now, with the band reconstituted for the first time since the late '60s, we finally get to witness the band roar into action.

6. Deerhunter: One of the best live acts on the planet. Bradford Cox's experimental Atlanta indie outfit has a wholly unique approach to melody, sonic texture, and mood. Equal parts deeply emotional, heady, and rocking.

7. Dam-Funk & Master Blazter: Unbelievably funky. The L.A. singer-keytar virtuoso gets bodies moving with a spacy, percolating sound that recalls the post-funk, pre-rap era of the late '70s and early '80s-Prince's 1999 is a touchstone. And: keytar!

8. Shpongle Presents the Shpongletron Experience: By far the best name of any performer at Bonnaroo. Who, or what, is Shpongle? Well, musically, the project is the work of U.K. producers Simon Posford and Raja Ram, who together concoct some seriously trippy, dub-influenced beats. Live? Who knows? I guess we'll have to get experienced together.

9. Dennis Coffey: You might not know Dennis Coffey's name, but you've heard his sound. Dude played guitar in Motown's house band, adding his psych-funk licks to songs by the likes of the Temptations and Edwin Starr. Earlier this year, he put out the mind-melting, hip-shaking self-titled album. Go and get born.

10. Dr. John: The good Doctor is my pre-pick for festival MVP. He's performing twice, first with the impossibly funky Meters and Allen Toussaint, who are teaming up to help reprise their backing role on Dr. John's 1974 album Desitively Bonnaroo (which also inspired the name of the festival). Then, on Sunday, he's joining forces with the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach as Superjam. I suspect that name will prove apt.

AllMusic Loves 1985

It’s the classic year of college rock — or perhaps more specifically, it’s the year that Minneapolis dominated the sound of America from the upper reaches of the Top 40 to the underground of college radio. The former was all about Prince, who undercut his Purple Rain train by quickly releasing the Paisley Underground-accented Around the World in a Day while others, like Ready for the World, were ripping off his 1999 synth groove. The latter belonged to the Replacements and especially Hüsker Dü, who released the twin titans of Flip Your Wig and New Day Rising on the heels of ’84’s Zen Arcade. But it’s also the year that rap began to edge its way onto the charts and the year U.K. rock began to shake off the stylized threads of the New Romantics for murky guitars via the Smiths and Jesus and Mary Chain, modernistic rock countered by the rise of roots rock from America’s heartland and the pubs of Britain, where Dire Straits had a surprise smash hit. They all provide plenty of reasons to love 1985.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Hüsker Dü – Flip Your Wig
Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising
The Replacements – Tim
R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
Prince & the Revolution – Around the World in a Day
Talking Heads – Little Creatures
Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit – The Rose of England
Bob Dylan – Empire Burlesque
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
John Fogerty – Centerfield
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
Sonic Youth – Bad Moon Rising
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians – Gotta Let This Hen Out!
Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms
INXS – Listen Like Thieves
Camper Van Beethoven – Telephone Free Landslide Victory
Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85
Los Lobos – How Will the Wolf Survive?
Sting – The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Marshall Crenshaw – Downtown
John Cougar Mellencamp – Scarecrow
The Style Council – Our Favorite Shop

Prince & the Revolution – “Raspberry Beret”
Scritti Politti – “Perfect Way”
R.E.M. – “Can’t Get There from Here”
Hüsker Dü – “Makes No Sense at All”
Eurythmics – “Would I Lie to You”
John Fogerty – “The Old Man Down the Road”
Talking Heads – “Road to Nowhere”
Murray Head – “One Night in Bangkok”
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – “Make It Better (Forget About Me)”
Don Henley – “All She Wants to Do Is Dance”
Huey Lewis – “The Power of Love”
The Power Station – “Some Like It Hot”
Charlie Sexton – “Beat’s So Lonely”
The Coward Brothers – “The People’s Limousine”
Madonna – “Material Girl”
The Dream Academy – “Life in a Northern Town”
‘Til Tuesday – “Voices Carry”
Level 42 – “Something About You”
Ready for the World – “Oh Sheila”
Dire Straits – “Walk of Life”
Mick Jagger – “Just Another Night”
Hooters – “And We Danced”
Pete Townshend – “Face the Face”
Arcadia – “Election Day”

John Bush
Even though I was a music-addicted teenager in the ’80s, I had no interest in the big three — rap, punk, and synth pop. Fortunately, that left me plenty of time to focus my adolescent adoration on individual bands/objects (like New Order, R.E.M., the Smiths, INXS, Bauhaus), and still leave plenty of time to hear a bit of the rapturous perfect pop still being aired on the radio (‘Til Tuesday, anyone?). Producers had finally figured out how to reconcile the sterility of digital production with the presence and atmosphere that a good song requires. The result of this was magic — pop songs that sounded like nothing else heard before them, pop songs that you got lost inside (especially when you were listening on your Walkman). There’s a long list of artists affected by this production aesthetic (even when you narrow it down to 1985), but those who nailed it, themselves or with outside help, included a variety of talents: Bryan Adams, Simple Minds, Phil Collins, Tears for Fears, a-ha, Scritti Politti, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, the Power Station, Foreigner, Dire Straits, and Simply Red. Plus, of course, ‘Til Tuesday, whose “Voices Carry” was the clouded but strangely comforting song I listened to most on my Walkman that year.

R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction
INXS – Listen Like Thieves
David J – Crocodile Tears and the Velvet Cosh
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
The Dead Milkmen – Big Lizard in My Backyard
New Order – Low-life
Love and Rockets – Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven
ABC – How to Be A… Zillionaire!
The Cult – Love
The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last and Always
Skinny Puppy – Bites
The Chameleons – What Does Anything Mean? Basically
The Dukes of Stratosphear – 25 O’Clock
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
7 Seconds – Walk Together, Rock Together
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon

‘Til Tuesday – “Voices Carry”
Bryan Adams – “Run to You”
Tears for Fears – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
Simple Minds – “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”
Billy Joel – “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)”
INXS – “Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)” (YouTube)
The Cure – “In Between Days”
Echo & the Bunnymen – “Bring on the Dancing Horses”
The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Just Like Honey”
Killing Joke – “Eighties”
Camper Van Beethoven – “Take the Skinheads Bowling”
Beat Happening – “Our Secret”
Billy Bragg – “Jeanne [Peel Session]”
Sonic Youth f/ Lydia Lunch – “Death Valley ‘69″
Madonna – “Material Girl”
Katrina & the Waves – “Walking on Sunshine”
The Power Station – “Get It On (Bang a Gong)”
Jan Hammer – “Miami Vice Theme”
Dire Straits – “Money for Nothing”
Simply Red – “Holding Back the Years”

David Jeffries
Big Audio Dynamite – This Is Big Audio Dynamite
Clan of Xymox – Clan of Xymox
Colourbox – Colourbox
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
Gene Loves Jezebel – Immigrant
Gregory Isaacs – Private Beach Party
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Killing Joke – Night Time
LL Cool J – Radio
Love and Rockets – Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven
Machinations – Big Music
Mad Professor – Who Knows the Secret of the Master Tape?: Dub Me Crazy, Pt. 5
Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
Propaganda – A Secret Wish
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Talk About the Weather
Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock
Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85
Shriekback – Oil and Gold
The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last and Always
Mark Stewart – As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade

Thom Jurek
Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Firstborn Is Dead
Crime and the City Solution – Just South of Heaven
Scientists – Atom Bomb Baby
Hüsker Dü – Flip Your Wig
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Kommunity FK – Close One Sad Eye
Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit – Rose of England
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
The Replacements – Tim
Shriekback – Oil and Gold
The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last and Always
Slayer – Hell Awaits
Sonic Youth – Bad Moon Rising
Mark Stewart and the Mafia – As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
LL Cool J – Radio
Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock
Dub Syndicate – Tunes from the Missing Channel
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
Jason & the Scorchers – Lost and Found
Green on Red – Gas Food Lodging
Butthole Surfers – Psychic… Powerless… Another Man’s Sac
Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
Faith/Void – Faith/Void
Jacobites – Robespierre’s Velvet Basement
Sly and Robbie – Language Barrier
Leonard Cohen – Various Positions
Miles Davis – You’re Under Arrest
John Carter – Castles of Ghana
Kip Hanrahan – Vertical’s Currency
Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Decoding Society – Decode Yourself
Marc Johnson – Bass Desires
Abdullah Ibrahim – Water from an Ancient Well
Gianluigi Trovesi – Dances
John Zorn – The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone
Carmen Lundy – Good Morning Kiss
Meat Puppets – Up on the Sun
Nile Rodgers – B-Movie Matinee

Andy Kellman
Special mention to wizard Wally Badarou, whose weird keyboard magic is the common thread through “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On,” “Something About You,” and The Power Station, as well as some of the other editors’ loved albums: Language Barrier, She’s the Boss, and Electric Africa. Banner year for him.

Propaganda – A Secret Wish
René & Angela – Street Called Desire
Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85
Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
Prince & the Revolution – Around the World in a Day
Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair
Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston
Loose Ends – So Where Are You?
New Order – Low-life
Alexander O’Neal – Alexander O’Neal
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Sade – Diamond Life
LL Cool J – Radio
Luther Vandross – The Night I Fell in Love
Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock
Killing Joke – Night Time
Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising
The Chameleons – What Does Anything Mean? Basically
The Power Station – The Power Station
Savage Republic – Ceremonial

Model 500 – “No UFO’s” (YouTube)
Starpoint – “Object of My Desire”
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force – “I Wonder If I Take You Home” (YouTube)
Maze – “Twilight”
Mary Jane Girls – “In My House”
Teena Marie – “Lover Girl”
Linda Di Franco – “T.V. Scene”
ABC – “How to Be a Millionaire”
Wish – “Touch Me (All Night Long)”
Robert Palmer – “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On”
Madonna – “Into the Groove”
The Family – “The Screams of Passion” (YouTube)
Roxanne Shanté – “Bite This”
Schoolly-D – “Gucci Time”
Level 42 – “Something About You”
Prince & the Revolution – “She’s Always in My Hair”"
Sheila E. – “A Love Bizarre”
Abecedarians – “Smiling Monarchs”
Section 25 – “Crazy Wisdom”
World Domination Enterprises – “Asbestos Lead Asbestos”

Jason Lymangrover
Black Flag – In My Head
The Cure – The Head on the Door
The Dead Milkmen – Big Lizard in My Backyard
The Descendents – I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
Fear – More Beer
Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
LL Cool J – Radio
Love and Rockets – Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven
Meat Puppets – Up on the Sun
Minutemen – 3 Way Tie for Last
New Order – Low-life
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
Prince & the Revolution – Around the World in a Day
R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction
The Replacements – Tim
Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs

James Christopher Monger
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
Iron Maiden – Live After Death
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians – Fegmania
The Dead Milkmen – Big Lizard in My Backyard
Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms
John Mellencamp – Scarecrow
Camper Van Beethoven – Telephone Free Landslide Victory
Prince & the Revolution – Around the World in a Day
Love and Rockets – Seventh Dream of a Teenage Heaven
Talking Heads – Little Creatures
Subhumans – Worlds Apart
The Damned – Phantasmagoria
a-ha – Hunting High and Low
Toy Dolls – A Far Out Disc
Howard Jones – Dream into Action
Wall of Voodoo – Seven Days in Sammystown
The Exploited – Horror Epics
The Waterboys – This Is the Sea

Ratt – “Lay It Down”
Adam Ant – “Apollo 9″
The Dream Academy – “Life in a Northern Town”
Level 42 – “Something About You”
The Outfield – “Your Love”
Duran Duran – “A View to a Kill”
AC/DC – “Sink the Pink”
Nick Lowe – “The Rose of England”
‘Til Tuesday – “Voices Carry”
Kate Bush – “Jig of Life”
The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Just Like Honey”
The Cure – “Close to Me”
The Sisters of Mercy – “Black Planet”
The Smiths – “How Soon Is Now”
Dead Can Dance – “Enigma of the Absolute”
The Cult – “Phoenix”
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – “Tupelo”
Sting – “If I Built a Fortress (Around Your Heart)”
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
Nick Mason – “Lie for a Lie”
Hooters – “And We Danced”

Sean Westergaard
I was a sophomore in college in 1985 and my musical tastes were expanding exponentially, thanks mostly to WCBN-FM Ann Arbor. In addition to so-called “college rock,” they played the widest variety of music I’ve ever heard on one station (and continue to do so). During that period, I discovered that I actually like jazz and country music and the “new” sounds of the NY downtown scene and Celluloid records were blowing my mind. There was a wealth of fine record stores in town at the time (sigh) and I had ample time to dig around. Good times.

28th Day – 28th Day
Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy – I Only Have Eyes for You
Willem Breuker Kollektief – To Remain
Ornette Coleman – Opening the Caravan of Dreams
Deadline – Down by Law
Manu Dibango – Electric Africa
Dinosaur – Dinosaur
The Dukes of Stratosphear – 25 O’Clock
The Golden Palominos – Visions of Excess
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians – Fegmania!
Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Decoding Society – Decode Yourself
The Knitters – Poor Little Critter on the Road
Sleepy LaBeef – Nothin’ But the Truth
Meat Puppets – Up on the Sun
The Ordinaires – The Ordinaires
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley
Semantics – Semantics
David Sylvian – Words with the Shaman
Trouble Funk – Saturday Night (Live from Washington, D.C.)
John Zorn – The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone

Matthew Garbutt
Barrington Levy – Prison Oval Rock
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down
Guana Batz – Held Down at Last
Green on Red – Gas, Food and Lodging
Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising
New Order – Low-life
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Firstborn Is Dead
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – Sugar Ditch Revisited
The Cure – The Head on the Door
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
The Meteors – Monkey’s Breath
The Playn Jayn – Five Good Evils
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
The Prisoners – The Last Fourfathers
The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last and Always
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
The Style Council – Our Favourite Shop
Thee Mighty Caesars – Thee Mighty Caesars
Tom Waits – Raindogs

Cabaret Voltaire – “I Want You”
Cameo – “Single Life”
Frankie Paul – “Pass the Tu Sheng Peng”
Killing Joke – “Love Like Blood”
Lone Justice – “Ways to Be Wicked”
Misty in Roots – “Food, Clothes and Shelter”
New Model Army – “No Rest”
Pet Shop Boys – “West End Girls”
Prefab Sprout – “When Love Breaks Down”
Prince & the Revolution – “Raspberry Beret”
Scritti Politti – “Wood Beez”
Slaughter Joe – “I’ll Follow You Down”
The Cult – “She Sells Sanctuary”
The Loft – “Up the Hill and Down the Slope”
The Redskins – “Kick Over the Statues”
The Shop Assistants – “All Day Long”
The Smiths – “Shakespeare’s Sister”
The Untouchables – “Free Yourself”
The X-Men – “Spiral Girl”
Wayne Smith – “Under Me Sleng Teng”

James Wilkinson
R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down
New Order – Low-life
Camper Van Beethoven – Telephone Free Landslide Victory
The Dentists – Some People Are on the Pitch They Think It’s All Over It Is Now
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians – Fegmania!
Neil Young – Old Ways
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
The Pale Fountains – …From Across the Kitchen Table
Bert Jansch – From the Outside
Pentangle – Open the Door
Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
Original Soundtrack – Back to the Future

The Dentists – “Strawberries are Growing in My Garden (And It’s Wintertime)”
The Smiths – “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”
The Smiths – “How Soon Is Now”
The Cure – “In Between Days”
The Dukes of Stratosphear – 25 O’Clock
Stone Roses – “So Young”
Bruce Springsteen – “Dancing in the Dark”
The Smiths – “Shakespeare’s Sister”
The Cure – “Close to Me”
The Dentists – You and Your Bloody Oranges EP
The Stranglers – “Let Me Down Easy”
Felt – “Primitive Painters”
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
Bruce Springsteen – “Glory Days”
Manchester United FC – “We All Follow Man United”

Vestige of 1960s Greenwich Village Painted Over

A vestige of 1960s Greenwich Village has been painted over by a Mexican restaurant, prompting an outcry from New York City preservation advocates.

An old sign for the Fat Black Pussycat Theatre had remained for decades at its original site on Minetta Street, a spot taken over by Panchito's Restaurant in the 1970s. Last week, Panchito's covered the sign with bright red paint..

The coffee bar had been a beatnik haven, where some claim a young Bob Dylan wrote "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1962. Bill Cosby, Richie Havens and Tiny Tim were among those who had performed there..

Andrew Berman, executive director for the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, called the paint job "a shame.".

"It's a tangible link to this incredibly important era in the neighborhood's history, when so many great musicians and poets and artists used the South Village as a springboard to transform the world," said Berman. "Less and less of it is left.".

In 2006, the society proposed that the city designate a large swath of Greenwich Village as a historical landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated a significant amount of the requested area, though the Fat Black Pussycat Theatre and the remaining sign was not deemed a landmark..

Panchito's owner Bob Engelhardt said the nostalgia is misplaced, and that the preservation group doesn't understand the spirit of Greenwich Village..

"The preservation advocates, from those I've met, were never in the Fat Black Pussycat, as I was," said Engelhardt. "It was a cesspool.".

Engelhardt said he had never been told not to paint over the sign. It was on a faded front of bricks above the restaurant's Minetta Street entrance. It's a short, quiet street behind the more bustling, beer-soaked MacDougal Street..

"There are buildings that are worth preserving. Ninety percent of what's in the Village isn't," said Engelhardt. "The Village was freedom. The Village was not rules and regulations set in concrete. It destroys everything the Village was always famous for."

Top 30 Summer Songs of All Time

The sun is shining, the beaches are crowded and the bodies are tanned, which can only mean one thing -- Summer 2011 is in full swing. To celebrate the return of our favorite season, we've scoured the Billboard chart archives and updated this definitive list of the most popular songs about summer ever recorded.

These 30 hot tunes with summer-specific themes are ranked based on each track's performance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from August 4, 1958 -- the inception of the chart -- through the chart dated May 28, 2011. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least.

30 Surfin' Safari
The Beach Boys
1962
As is often the case, the Beach Boys pay homage to their favorite sport in their 1962 pop hit "Surfin' Safari," with lines about loading up their Woodie -- that's a 'board-friendly station wagon for you gremmies -- and inviting the world to the best beaches for waves. With a catchy beat and great harmonies, the song reaffirmed surf tunes' appeal, residing on the Hot 100 for 17 weeks.

29 Summertime
Billy Stewart
1966
Perhaps one of the most widely covered tunes, "Summertime" epitomizes the season's lighthearted ethos. Billy Stewart's 1966 crossover rendition, which is embellished with jazzy horns, bluesy guitar, and funky, scatting vocals, peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100.

28 Wipeout
Fat Boys and the Beach Boys
1987
The rap-n-surf-guitar track came complete with a skit-y video featuring the ultimate boys of summer, the Beach Boys and the Fat Boys, the ultimate '80s hip-hop boys of dinner, throwing hula hoops and surfboards into the car for a sojourn to the beach. Not that anyone really needed to see either the Fat Boys in board shorts or the Beach Boys scrachin' on the turntables. Wipeout, indeed.

27 Cruel Summer
Bananarama
1983
For summer days when you're feeling down, Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" is the companion who understands your discontent. The somewhat downbeat dance-pop track, which cozied up to the Hot 100 in 1983, bemoans the harsh heat of loneliness that can make any summer a drag.

26 Summertime Blues
Eddie Cochran
1958
Eddie Cochran knows how much it sucked to be a teenager, even back in 1958. His slightly rebellious hit "raised a holler" about just how much of a bummer it is to have to work all summer instead of frolicking with your girl and your friends. The tune, appropriately featured in the 1980 film "Caddyshack," may claim there's no cure for the summertime blues, but we'd guess it sure beats sitting in school.

25 A Summer Song
Chad & Jeremy
1964
Capturing the sweet sadness of saying farewell to summer love, Chad & Jeremy employ delicate, simple vocals over chugging drums and rich acoustic guitar plucks. In this tune, which entered the Hot 100 in 1964, the folk rock duo reminds the listener that there are always the memories to keep you warm in the fall.

24 Suddenly Last Summer
The Motels
1983
For those with any nostalgia for the decade of Pac-Man and leg warmers, The Motels' "Suddenly Last Summer," which peaked on the Hot 100 in 1983, will satisfy any craving for '80s summer music. Over a catchy drum beat and spacey guitar, the emotionally distraught Martha Davis explains in a hot, dusty voice that though the seasons change, that doesn't mean the summer has to end.

23 Surfer Girl
The Beach Boys
1963
The Beach Boys' name alone should conjure images of summer, with the Cali group's many carefree songs about surfing, cars, and girls. Peaking on the Hot 100 at No. 7 in 1963, "Surfer Girl," a romantic ballad channeling the likes of '50s doo wop, is no exception, with vocal harmonies that will make you yearn for a summer fling with whom to sway along.

22 Summer Breeze
Seals & Crofts
1972
When it peaked on the Billboard charts in 1972, "Summer Breeze" focused on a sense of simplicity and clarity in a time of Vietnam war and big cultural shifts. With its soothing combination of soft guitar, banjo, vocal harmony and toy piano, as well as its reflective lyrics, Seals & Crofts's first hit single is a crucial component of any mellow summer soundtrack.

21 School's Out
Alice Cooper
1972
With heavy eyeliner and a snarling, guitar-driven swagger, Alice Cooper took the sweet, innocent idea of the first day of summer break, and turned it into an emancipation proclamation for ditching class permanently. School, he growled, was not only out for summer, "School's out forever!" The gritty tune peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 in 1972.

20 Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer
Nat King Cole
1963
Nat King Cole's rhyme happy 1963 hit is an oldie but goodie in the truest sense of the phrase. Well into the rock era, it peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100. Between the charm of Cole's warm voice and the "soda and pretzels and beer" he sings about, it's no wonder this tune is still familiar decades later.

19 Summer Love
Justin Timberlake
2007
While many summer tunes are relaxed, breezy numbers, Justin Timberlake took his danceable 2007 "Summer Love" in a refreshingly poppy, electronic direction. Timberlake devotees and casual fans alike flocked to the song, giving it a No. 6 climax on the Hot 100.

18 Saturday In The Park
Chicago
1972
With brassy horns blowing like a cool breeze off Lake Michigan, Chicago's "real celebration" of a hot July day in the park took sights and sounds like people laughing and a man selling ice cream all the way to No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1972. "Can you dig it?" they sing. Yes, we can.

17 Summer Girls
LFO
1999
The theme song to many a youthful turn of the millennium summer night, "Summer Girls" is the solid hit from the cheesy dreamboats of LFO. This 1999 lyrical masterpiece ("When I met you I said my name was Rich / You look like a girl from Abercrombie and Fitch," anyone?) spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 3.

16 California Girls
The Beach Boys
1965
By the mid-'60s, the Beach Boys were the kings of surf music. In 1965, the west coast poster boys for the genre sent "California Girls," a sunny paean to the merits of Cali ladies above all attractive women from anywhere else, all the way to No. 3 on the Hot 100.

15 Summer
War
1976
War's 1976 soulful slow jam "Summer" earned its peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 with then up-to-the-minute lyrics about cruising around town "with all the window down / eight track playin' all your favorite sounds." Including bongos, apparently. Do they make bell-bottom shorts? The tune starts at 2:24 in the video.

14 Under The Boardwalk
The Drifters
1964
In the summer of 1964, the Drifters saw their dreamy tune about catching some shade and some steamy good times literally under the boardwalk at the beach spent lots of quality time on the Hot 100. The tune has become a summer staple covered by many, including Bruce Willis and the Tempations.

13 Summer Of '69
Bryan Adams
1985
A mid-'80s Bryan Adams, who had a clear penchant for leather and tight jeans, released "Summer of '69" in 1985 and sent it to No. 5 on the Hot 100. This anthem of playing his "first real six-string" and meeting a summer sweetie at the drive-in is a classic, nostalgic ode to the summer of the "the best days of my life."

12 In The Summertime
Mungo Jerry
1970
The boys of Mungo Jerry handed the world the ultimate laid-back summer track when they released the vaguely tropical jam "In the Summertime" in 1970. The U.K. group's only major U.S. hit, the tune also scored lots of chart love for Shaggy in the summer of 1995. His remake rose all the way to No. 3 on the Hot 100.

11 The Boys Of Summer
Don Henley
1984
"I can tell you my love for you will still be strong / after the boys of summer have gone," croons Don Henley as he patiently awaits the departure of his estranged love's summer flings so he can regain his ex's affection. The 1984 top five hit, which ironically hit the charts during the holiday season, also scored Henley the Grammy award for Best Male Rock Vocal performance.

10 Summer Nights
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
1978
Popular everywhere from bar mitzvahs to karaoke bars, "Summer Nights" is one of those great movie songs that appeal to everyone. Made famous by John Travolta and Olivia Newton Jones in the movie "Grease" in 1978, the legacy of Danny and Sandy's summer fling lives on in the faux-'50s tune that warmed up to the top five at the height of the disco era.

9 Surfin' U.S.A.
The Beach Boys
1963
Namechecking every popular surfing spot, The Beach Boys certainly did their research for summer jam "Surfin' U.S.A." They sang they'd be gone all summer, and hey, if they didn't make it back before school starts, "tell the teacher we're surfing." The song, a reworking of the tune from Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen," reached the top five of the Hot 100 in 1963.

8 Hot Fun In The Summertime
Sly & The Family Stone
1969
With a mellow, funky horns and bassline and soulful vocals, Sly & the Family Stone's easy-going hit entered the Hot 100 the same month the group played the most iconic summer festival of all time, Woodstock. In the tune, each member expresses a line about what they love most about summer, however they all agree, "That's when I had most of my fun... those summer days." Particularly the summer days when you manage to be part of music history.

7 Summertime
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
1991
"This is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness," rapped Will Smith before he was an international movie star back in 1991 when he was still the rapping cohort of DJ Jazzy Jeff and a newly-minted sitcom actor. Smith was giving props to their sample of Kool & the Gang's "Summer Madness," and that hook helped the duo earn a No. 4 peak on the Hot 100.

6 Endless Summer Nights
Richard Marx
1988
"Endless Summer Nights" finds Richard Marx waxing hopeful about a summer fling he wants to develop into more, despite his girl's resistance. This ballad must've done the trick, because he later married the woman he was on vacation with when he was inspired to write the song. "Endless Summer Nights" reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1988.

5 Surf City
Jan & Dean
1963
"We're goin' to Surf City / 'cause its two to one" sing Jan and Dean of the girl-to-guy ratio that awaits them in some tasty beachside locale - that is, if their '30 Ford Wagon doesn't break down along the way. The surf rock track rode the airwaves to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1963.

4 Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini
Bryan Hyland
1960
Decades before Yoplait turned it into the soundtrack to a commercial about achieving your summer perfect beach body, in 1960 Bryan Hyland hit with this ode to one girl so shy about showing her daring two-piece swimsuit at the beach that she sat wrapped up in a blanket and then hid in the water until she turned blue.

3 Wipe Out
The Surfaris
1962
Summer anthems are often defined by the sing-a-long factor. Aside from the manic laugh and shriek of the song's title at the beginning, The Surfaris' "Wipeout" is the exception to the rule, with almost 3 minutes of surf-guitar instrumental magic and one of the most memorable drum beats of all time.

2 Summer In The City
The Lovin' Spoonful
1966
"All around, people lookin' half dead... But at night, it's a different world," sings John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful, contrasting a New York summer's day with the vibrant nightlife of rooftops cats out looking for kitties he much prefers. "Summer in the City," complete with honking cabs and jackhammers, scored the band a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 in 1966.

1 California Gurls
Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
2010
With an unabashedly synthy beat and breathy vocals about a "warm, wet and wild" place and the women you find there, how could Katy Perry's perfectly timed hit -- with a smooth assist from Snoop Dogg, not have been the top song of summer 2010? In fact the song was so huge, it leapt from No. 18 when we first published this chart in May 2010 to No. 1 just one year later, beating out over 50 years of other hot summer songs.

Nashville Marks 40 Years of Country Music Festival

The capital of country music lives up to its nickname beginning on Thursday where some 70,000 fans get the chance to mingle with their musical heroes at the CMA Music Fest.

The June 9-12 music festival, which is celebrating its 40th year, aims to get fans as close as possible to obtain autographs, photo opportunities, and a snatch of conversation with performers.

"Music Fest is a time for all of us to thank the fans and be here for them," said Miranda Lambert, who attended the event as a fan before performing in it as a star.

The music plays practically nonstop in Nashville from 10 a.m. to midnight on stages set up from Fifth Avenue to the Cumberland River and across the river at a stadium.

The projected 2011 lineup of more than 150 performers includes Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Billy Ray Cyrus, Gary Allan, Bo Bice, Katie Armiger, Crystal Bowersox, and newlyweds Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. Veteran performers include Jeannie Seely, Gene Watson and Earl Thomas Conley.

Some fans come year after year, lining up for autograph and photo opportunities with favorite performers at the Nashville Convention Center.

Last year 65,000 attended the festival and fans queued around the convention center to get coveted signatures from Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. This year will find similar scenes as Dolly Parton, Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Darius Rucker, Kellie Pickler and Easton Corbin sign autographs.

Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys has been to every festival from its beginnings downtown in 1972 to its move to the Tennessee Fairgrounds and now back downtown.

"It's just gotten bigger and bigger. Right now, I think being part of Music Fest means more to us than it ever has," Bonsall said.

"Most of our fans save their money all year long to come to Fan Fest. For me to be one of the people they come to see is why I do what I do," said Darius Rucker, front man for Hootie & the Blowfish and also an award-winning country singer.

On the sidelines will be benefit shows and fan club parties, kicked off on Wednesday by Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam featuring Dolly Parton, Mel Tillis and other friends.

"I expect her 'Dolliness' (Parton) to wreck the room and steal the show and I'm not going to let her leave the stage until she does it," Stuart said.

Some artists host extravagant private events, such as Gary Allen's riverboat ride and Randy Travis' concert for just 75 ticket-holders who will pay $225 apiece to hear him perform his new album and talk about his 25 years in the music business.

Reba McEntire told reporters about her first Music Fest in 1977, once known as "Fan Fair" and held at the 10,000-seat Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

"I think back then I rode to Fan Fair in my car with every piece of clothing I could bum off my college roommate. I didn't have any fancy clothes, but she did because she was in rodeo," McEntire said.

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