I think the similarities between New Jersey and San Diego/Orange County in regards to music are quite striking. While located on different coastlines, both areas are burdened by the suburban sprawl. They are each close enough to see the musical and culutral happenings of their respective sister cities(nyc and la) yet far enough away not to be directly bothered or influenced by these scenes.
Don't get me wrong, New York City and Los Angeles are each hotbeds for culture and musical inspiration. The real talent, however, has always (with a few key exceptions) been created and molded just beyond "the bright city lights."
I guess it has been these underlying similarities which has always drawn me to musical artists from the Garden State. That or the simple fact that there are/have been so many damn good bands from NJ.
The Godfather, if you will, of NJ music is obviously Frank Sinatra. Born and raised in Hobokoen Sinatra was during his era, the epitomy of east coast cool. If Sinatra was the godfather, Bruce Springsteen was the king and the voice of the new generation. Bon Jovi,while not on the same level of musical genius(in my opinion), was always present and a stong enforcement behind Springsteen in the solidification of the jersey blue collar sound.
Growing up, these three artists where always on the radio and hanging around unconsciously in the background of my musical development.
For Example:
By the time I really started buying records and listening to music on my own, the early to mid 90's were in full force. The focus at the time was Seattle but I hated grunge and Nirvana with a passion. I was into the punk bands and therefore The new 3rd wave of punk infused ska had more interest for me. Our neighbor to the north, Orange County was the epicenter where most of those bands were born. One of these bands Less Than Jake, however, was from Florida. They would become the focal point and most of what I listened to during middle and high school. A few years on I came to learn that their drummer who didn't sing but wrote virtually all of the lyrics for the band, was born and raised in New Jersey.
Coincidental?Subliminal? Possibly
Except that around that same time my friends and I started listening to a lot of punk and later indie bands who just happened to be from Jersey. It wasn't something where we said "oh let's listen to punk bands from New Jersey." We listened to and keyed in on music that we liked. The Bouncing Souls were perhaps the first one of these bands. To my friends and I, it was like as if these bands were all lined up in a row and were awesome and they're all getting good, one as soon as the other has past its peak or interest. Bouncing Souls, then Saves The Day, then Thursday and The Early November and Armor For Sleep and so on and so on....And they all coincidently, subliminal, or not happened to be from New Jersey.
Lately it seems as if I'm being sucked back into the New Jersey sound. Ever since Chelsea has been living in New York I've been in and around the Garden State quite a bit. Not to say that I've really been anywhere besides around Newark and Hoboken, but you get the idea. Maybe its also just a result of being around a lot of people from Jersey and also knowing Lindsey and her Springsteen connection and stories. Whatever the case I have been gravitating back to the Jersey sound and have recently just discovered a new favorite band called The Gaslight Anthem.
Not sure where the rest of this train of thought is going but I just wanted to give some props to the Garden State and my 2cents on how their music scene is similar to ours...Oh and Garden State is one of my favorite movies.
