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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen it comes to homegrown talent, Memphis has been one of the world\u2019s greatest musical hotbeds for the better part of a century. From all-time greats such as Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Isaac Hayes to cult heroes such as Big Star and Furry Lewis, there does indeed seem to be something in the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But while our rich history is always a reason to be thankful, you don\u2019t have to jump into a time machine to find world-class artists. At this particular point in time, Glorilla may be the biggest female star on earth not named Taylor or Beyonce, and artists such as IMAKEMADBEATS, Taliba Safiyah, Marcella Simmien, Southern Avenue, MonoNeon, Valerie June, and Pooh Sheisty have become nationally-recognized figures. That said, some of the city\u2019s greatest art has always been created quietly in the shadows, which remains true to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Radio Stations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this era of streaming, bluetooth, and other technological advancements that have made listening to music easier than ever, tuning in to terrestrial radio can often feel like a relic of a bygone era. In fact, for many places\u2013especially those who are lacking in community stations\u2013 the radio is basically obsolete (unless you just have an affinity for hearing the same 7 songs on repeat ad nauseum). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Memphis radio, however, is just built different. This is particularly true of community stations such as WEVL and WYXR who allow amateur DJs to share their own favorite tunes, disrupting the monotony of corporate radio and putting unique, strange, and local music back on the airwaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Museums <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studios, the Memphis Rock N Soul Museum, the Blues Hall of Fame, Graceland, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame\u2026the sheer number of music-focused museums in Memphis alone is staggering, but even more so when considering their quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seriously folks, people travel from all across the world to visit our cultural heritage sites, especially those that sit on hallowed ground, like Sun and Stax. If you\u2019ve never been\u2013or if it\u2019s been since that 6th grade field trip\u2013do yourself a favor and take a visit. We can guarantee that you won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Record Stores<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Memphis has lost several beloved record stores in the past couple of decades (RIP Cats, Spin Street, Pop Tunes, Audiomania, River Records, and all of our other fallen comrades), the city still boasts two of the nation\u2019s best in Shangri-La and Goner Records, each of which has been recognized by national publications such as Rolling Stone, NPR, Paste, and others. Add the new kid on the block River City Records to the list and Memphis truly has a wealth of music-buying options in quality if not quantity. Keep all three in mind this year as you begin your holiday shopping, because shopping local is always in vogue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Venues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of quality over quantity, Memphis\u2019 live music scene could undoubtedly use a few more live music venues, especially when considering our overabundance of great talent. This, however, is a piece about what we\u2019re thankful for, and that certainly applies to the many great venues that we do<\/em> have. Whether you prefer catching a headlining superstar at the FedEx Forum or an experimental show at the Lamplighter with 7 other lucky strangers, Memphis has a bit of something for everyone, you just have to be willing to put yourself out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Non-Profits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from a very lucky few, most musicians are not able to sustain themselves on creating music alone, at least not without a little help. Thankfully, Memphis has seen a plethora of excellent organizations spring up over the past few years whose mission is to help give our musicians the support and resources that they need. Chief amongst them are Music Export Memphis, the Memphis Slim Collaboratory, and the Soulsville Foundation, all of whom work tirelessly to ensure that Memphis remains a world-class music city. Like all non-profits, all of these organizations depend on the support of the community to continue their missions, so consider supporting them this holiday season if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recording Studios<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From iconic studios such as Royal, Ardent, and Sam Phillips to newer ventures such as High\/Low, Electraphonic, and Southern Grooves, Memphis has once again become a world-class studio town that attracts talent from both near and far. Although they often go unnoticed by the general public, studios are the life-blood of any vigorous music scene. So whether you are looking for a state-of-the-art modern facility or a charmingly dusty analog set-up, Memphis has got the goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Festivals and Series<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With all due respect to the Beale Street Music Festival, who we hope to see make a triumphant return in 2025, Memphis was sorely lacking in large-scale music festivals and similar events for decades. Thankfully, things are certainly trending in the right direction, thanks in large part to the emergence of Mempho, who have introduced both the Mempho Music Fest and Riverbeat in the past several years. They are certainly not alone in introducing or continuing great live music series, though. The Overton Park Shell\u2019s Orion Free Concert Series, the Botanic Garden\u2019s Live at the Garden series, Gonerfest, WYXR\u2019s Raised by Sound Fest, Tone\u2019s annual Juneteenth celebration, and Cooper-Young\u2019s Porch Fest are all beloved institutions that help bring excellent live music to Memphians throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Memphis Record Pressing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that Memphis is the home to the fastest-growing vinyl manufacturer in the United States and one of the largest producers of vinyl on earth? If not, then consider this something new to be thankful for. MRP, which is located on a sprawling complex in Bartlett, has taken advantage of the vinyl resurgence to become the go-to pressing plant for many of the world\u2019s biggest artists. In addition to the many new jobs that they\u2019ve added to the community, there is something undeniably special about pulling out your favorite records and seeing the words \u201cMemphis Record Pressing\u201d etched into the dead wax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Memphis Listening Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, we\u2019ve tried to keep this list pretty general, focusing on larger communities rather than individual entities. When it comes to the Memphis Listening Lab, however, that\u2019s just not possible, because there is nothing quite like it anywhere else on earth. A massive free music library boasting 12,000 LPs, 30,000 45s, 20,000 CDs, and upwards of a thousand music books, the MLL is one of the city\u2019s most distinctive spaces and an invaluable resource for music lovers. In addition to their vast library, the Lab also has a gorgeous, ultramodern sound room that regularly hosts album listening events, release parties, artist Q&As, and much more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Amidst the beautiful chaos of food, family, and friends, it can be easy to forget the unique place that Thanksgiving holds in our culture: an opportunity to slow down and take a moment to appreciate everything that is good and right with the world. In that spirit, we wanted to send some love to 10…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":28276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,38,1],"tags":[15,117,5368,5248],"class_list":["post-28271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-memphis-music","category-music","category-uncategorized","tag-featured","tag-memphis-music","tag-thanksgiving","tag-things-to-do"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wearememphis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/WYXR-1-1024x684.jpg\")
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