Americanos

One of my favorite parts of this year's World Cup has been watching visitors from around the world experience everyday America. Not the landmarks or the postcards, but the things most of us stopped noticing years ago. Sometimes it's a restaurant, sometimes it's the size of a grocery store, sometimes it's unlimited drink refills or discovering ranch dressing for the first time, and sometimes it's a place that somehow turned a gas station into a destination all by itself. Seeing those reactions has been a nice reminder that culture isn't just found in museums. A lot of it happens in the ordinary places we pass every day. This pick is really about perspective. Tomorrow's 4th of July seems like the perfect time to celebrate that. I have a feeling some of those visitors are going home with a different picture of America than the one they arrived with.

Americanos

01 Holly Johnson - Americanos

02 Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup - We No Speak Americano

03 10cc - Americana Panorama

04 Lady GaGa - Americano

05 David Bowie - I'm Afraid Of Americans

06 Halsey - New Americana

07 Lou Bega - You Wanna Be Americano

08 Laibach - Americana

09 The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Americano

10 Leningrad Cowboys - Americano

11 Alec R. Costandinos - Americana

12 Eight To The Bar - Young Americans

13 Soup Dragons - Americana Sweetmeat

14 Stanley Clarke - Campo Americano

15 Moe Bandy - Americana

16 Mana - Somos Más Americanos

17 Ray Davies - Americana

Dave Alvin family

Most people have no idea that I am originally from Los Angeles, California. Although I did not know Dave Alvin or his brother or any of these associated bands in this pick from encounters in that area, it's hard to not cheer for that whole scene. I had a couple of times when I got to meet Dave Alvin (none in Southern California.) I did get to drink moonshine with him and a couple of the guys from X in Austin. That was probably the most fun, The other times were interviews. Anyway, this is not all of his projects and side projects, but it's a good sampling. And it does get the bulk of his most popular songs, if not always the version that was the most well known. It gives you something to search for. I put this in my Rockabilly section at home, but it's that and Roots and Americana all at once.

Dave Alvin family

01 Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women - California's Burning

02 Dave Alvin - King Of California

03 Dave Alvin & Peter Case - Monday Morning Blues

04 Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Downey To Lubbock

05 Dave Alvin - Harlan County Line

06 Canned Heat with Dave Alvin - Blind Owl

07 Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin - All By Myself

08 Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin - World's In A Bad Condition

09 The Third Mind - Journey In Satchidananda

10 The Blasters - Dark Night

11 Knitters - The Call Of The Wreckin Ball

12 The Blasters - I'm Shakin'

13 Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women - Marie Marie

14 X - 4th Of July

15 The Blasters - So Long Baby Goodbye

16 Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men - Out In California

17 Los Lobos featuring Dave Alvin - Somewhere In Time

18 The Pleasure Barons - Take A Letter Maria

19 The Blasters - American Music