Besides Jewel, has there ever been a successful or semi-succesful band/artist from Alaska?

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'Cause I can't think of any. I'm sure ILM can come up with names.

― buck van morrison (Buck Van Smack), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Vivica Genaux is an opera singer from Alaska who is quite successful within her genre.

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

How many members of the band need to be from Alaska? And how are we counting success? Maktub's keyboardist grew up in Alaska...

― lyra (lyra), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Not necessarily band members from AK, but maybe the band itself from AK.

― buck van morrison (Buck Van Smack), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Rosie of Rosie and the Originals ("Angel Baby") was from Alaska.

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 00:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Pond (90s, Portland) were from Alaska and were on subpop, so semi-sorta-successful.

― jergins (jergins), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 02:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Who's there?
I dunno, Alaska.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 05:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The main guy from the Long Winters is originally from Alaska. Band name would appear to be inspired from it. Again, it stretches semi-succesful but I guess he was once playing with harvey danger and they were one hit wonders...

― jacobo rock, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, this is incredible. So far "Once played with Harvey Danger" is the best we can do.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Composer John Luther Adams. Not to be confused with etc.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i bet there's some "alaskan psych" comp out there somewhere. with band names like "the frozen north" and "tundra."

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.uaf.edu/music/akmusic/img/jm.jpg

― cindy williams permafrost (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

So Jewel moved to San Diego from Alaska then? I always remembered Jewel being "a homeless girl from San Diego". News to me.

Don't know any full bands from Alaska, but I'm surprised there aren't more moody electronic dudes/dudettes from Alaska.

I do know that Jason Talley, who was James Beltram's co-writer/bandmate in Seattle's Red Stars Theory, grew up in Anchorage.

Jason is in a new instrumental band involving strings that USED to be called Odessa but have since changed their name. I saw them do one show at an art gallery a year ago, and they were great. They're doing what a lot of bands today are FINALLY doing.. taking elements of Godspeed You Black Emperor but filtering out all the perpetuity, repetitive orchestration, and dynamics bombast. Just good solid 4-minute songs.

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, you'd be surprised how many Seattle artists originally lived in Anchorage or other parts of Alaska. It's not uncommon.

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

..especially given that many people from Alaska have to fly down to Seattle on a regular basis, because many people up there that require specialized medical needs have to go down to Seattle to get it, as the respective specialists don't exist up there. This usually involves taking family down there too.. so you get far more of an exchange between Alaska and Seattle than you do even Montana or Idaho.

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Take it from a former resident: Anchorage is one of the least promising places for music you could ask for. You're geographically isolated (there's no such thing as taking a road trip to Seattle to see a cool show), most of the people are truckstop shitkickers, there's no connection to anything worthwhile. I graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1987 and had never heard of the Ramones or P-Funk. No shit - I was considered bizarre for liking REM.

It's a miserable, useless hellhole, and no cultural good can or will ever come from it. Jewel being a perfect example.

The weed's good, though.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I found Anchorage pretty depressing when I was there.

I once walked into a record store in Homer, AK (Jewel's hometown, beautiful place) and they had the first Jurassic 5 EP blasting. This was in 2000. Not sure why I mention it, but it seemed odd at the time.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll agree that Anchorage itself was kinda boring when I was there in mid 2003, but there's a college there, right? So, there's a college station I assume? And it's not as if the internet doesn't exist up there. I would have assumed something more interesting than you described...

As for record stores, there is, or at least WAS, a decent dance record store there.. Decibel Records(?)

Mammoth Records sucks total moose testicles though. Dear lord.

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll also mention this.. I went to see Squarepusher's first ever Seattle show at Chop Suey (a rather small club for Squarepusher's crowd draw.) circa 2002 or so(?) The show sold out, of course, but I got a ticket early.

Anyway, I ran into a crew of 4 or so people who flew down from FAIRBANKS for this show! I'm sure they made more of the weekend than just this show, but still... damn.

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't been back since 92. I suppose that the interwebhighwaynet has probably improved matters.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Up in Fairbanks they call Anchorage "The City that Never Sleeps".

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

don't forget 36 Crazyfists

― Avi (Avi), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I was born in fairbanks but uh... not a successful artist. Just had to mention that. yeh.

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I had lunch at the Denny's in Fairbanks -- a sign said it was the nothernmost Denny's in the world and who was I to argue?

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Who's there?
I dunno, Alaska.

No, no, no, the first part of that is supposed to be "Juneau who?"

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, I ran into a crew of 4 or so people who flew down from FAIRBANKS for this show! I'm sure they made more of the weekend than just this show, but still... damn.
-- donut debonair

Funny you mention that, because at the Slint show I met a group of people who flew down from Anchorage just to see the show.

― buck van morrison (Buck Van Smack), Friday, 20 May 2005 02:48 (twenty-one years ago)

most commonly seen out-of-state license plates in Washington state... from most common on down...

1.Oregon
2.California
3.Alaska
4.British Columbia
5.Idaho

Alaskans are all around me!

― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 20 May 2005 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Last year when I was in AK, the most common non-AK plate I saw there was Washington.

― buck van morrison (Buck Van Smack), Friday, 20 May 2005 03:18 (twenty-one years ago)

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