Music Vermonters like.

There is perhaps nothing more telling about the "music" choices of Vermonters than the local alternative paper Seven Days's Top 10 feature. It highlights the diverging "tastes" of those who consume records here. It breaks down the top 10 records sold by various locations throughout the state and is all too telling of Vermont culture.

Here are the lists and a bit of commentary:

1. Pure Pop Record's Top 10 [Burlington VT].
This is a great record store and the best in Vermont by far. It has a great selection and is in a basement which adds to the atmosphere. I was there last week and was shocked to see they had the J. Dilla record in stock along with a Wax Tailor poster on the wall. I was impressed. Its also the college town where UVM is located so there's plenty of young people to consume records. Surprised to see Living Legends up there. And it goes downhill from here...

2. Vermont Book Shop's Top 10 [Middlebury VT].
Again another college town. But this town obviously has a Anais Mitchell (who?) fascination, not to mention these people love themselves some Folk music. One of the greatest choices on these top 10's shows up with Def Leppard mixed in amongst the Dixie Chicks and Emmylou Harris. Ohh and a Hawaiian jazz musician is No.1 eh?

3. Buch Spieler Music's Top 10 [Montpelier, VT]
Montpelier, my stopping grounds, the place where I roam the streets with poodles in tow. Nice to see Spearhead up there on top, its a great record. The aging record consuming populace shows up here by having Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon all in the top 10. For some reason it must have taken an extra 6 months for people in the capital to hear the hype around Gnarls.

4. Exile on Main Street's Top 10 [Barre, VT]
Montpelier's whipping boy. The blue collar town to Montpelier's yuppie-ville. There is nothing more amusing than reading Barre's top 10. I have certainly saved the best for last here. Like all Vermont record stores VT's own Grace Potter is up there, but more telling is the additions of Lamb of God (perhaps you know them by their old name Burn the Priest? its when they did their best work) and Stone Sour at 3 and 5 respectively. Both groups are described as menacing, nihilistic, and angst-ridden and really what else would a person want in their music? The inclusion of Shania Twain's Greatest Hits and Outkast's Idlewild just add to the curious nature that is Barre's record consuming habits.