The Plain (band)

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The Plain were a rock band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee City in Tennessee, United States

Murfreesboro is a city in, and the county seat of, Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the 2010 census, up from 68,816 residents certified in 2000. In 2018, census estimates showed a population of 141,344. The city is home to both the center of population of Tennessee and the geographic center of Tennessee. Its location is 34 miles (55 km) southeast of downtown Nashville within the Nashville metropolitan area of Middle Tennessee. It is Tennessee's fastest growing major city and one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Murfreesboro is also home to Middle Tennessee State University, the second largest undergraduate university in the state of Tennessee, with 22,729 total students as of fall 2014.

History

The band formed in the early 1990s, sharing a mutual love of bluesy artists like The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers, and Led Zeppelin. Swan Burrus (rhythm guitar, vocals), Mac Burrus (lead guitar), and Justin Meyer (drums) had gigged around Nashville for years as "The Southern Delta Swans", playing at dive bars and pizzerias, talent shows, proms, masonic lodges, parks and house parties—anywhere they wouldn't get carded. [1]

The Black Crowes American rock band

The Black Crowes were an American rock band formed in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released its debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the following year. The follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, reached the top of the Billboard 200 in 1992. After a hiatus between 2002 and 2005, the band regrouped and toured for several years before releasing Warpaint in 2008, which hit number 5 on the Billboard chart. After the release of a greatest hits/acoustic double album Croweology in August 2010, the band started a 20th anniversary tour that was followed by a second hiatus. After a final tour in 2013, the band finally announced its break-up in 2015.

Led Zeppelin English rock band

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. Along with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, the band's heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the originators of heavy metal. Their style drew from a wide variety of influences, including blues, psychedelia and folk music.

With the addition of Rob Overbey on bass, the lineup was complete. They changed their name to "The Plain", and their sound was now in place, combining elements of southern rock, blues, power pop, and classic rock. By 1995, with Swan, Justin and Mac all enrolled at MTSU, the band began to gig tirelessly around Murfreesboro and Nashville, earning a reputation as one of the area's loudest and unironically hardest-rocking bands. [2]

Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals. Although the origin of the term Southern rock is unknown, "many people feel that these important contributors to the development of rock and roll have been minimized in rock's history."

Blues is a music genre and musical form which was originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1870s by African-Americans from roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, and spirituals. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll, is characterized by the call-and-response pattern, the blues scale and specific chord progressions, of which the twelve-bar blues is the most common. Blue notes, usually thirds, fifths or sevenths flattened in pitch are also an essential part of the sound. Blues shuffles or walking bass reinforce the trance-like rhythm and form a repetitive effect known as the groove.

Power pop is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It originated in the late 1960s as young music fans began to rebel against the emerging pretensions of rock music, and developed mainly among American musicians who came of age during the British Invasion. The genre typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and "happy"-sounding music underpinned by a sense of yearning, longing, or despair.

By 1997, after various lineup changes, the band was done. Mac Burrus went on to join local bands The Katies (Katies singer Jason Moore had been playing bass for the Plain) and Self, Justin Meyer went on to play with Fluid Ounces, and Rob Overbey left for California. Swan Burrus continued to play in various bands before eventually leaving Murfreesboro as well, and recorded a solo album called "Swan Songs" in 2003. Mac and Swan are also listed as co-writers of the song "Stay Home" which appeared in Shrek . [3]

The Katies

The Katies are a three-piece power rock band originating in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee

Self (band) band

Self is an American alternative pop/rock band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The band is led by Matt Mahaffey. The band currently consists of Chris James, Mac Burrus, and Jason Rawlings (Drums). Past members include Matt's brother, Mike Mahaffey and Timm Nobles. Mahaffey cites Electric Light Orchestra, Prince, and Pixies as some of his biggest musical influences.

Fluid Ounces

Fluid Ounces were a piano-based, power pop band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee that garnered a cult following for their critically acclaimed records, which featured a distinctive blend of hooks, varied musical styles, clever wordplay, and intricate, complex arrangements.

Stickers with the band's logo—a green and black decal featuring an outline of an airplane—can be found scattered around Murfreesboro to this day.

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References

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