Best music scenes in the SEC

With kickoff two weeks away, and the constant repeat of off-season topics that continue to be recycled, I thought we'd hit on a subject that doesn't get discussed enough...best music towns in the SEC.

1. Nashville/Vandy - This is comparing apples to oranges, but clearly Nashville has the best music scene in the SEC. Next to Austin, it may be the best city to see music in America. Great bands from country and alt rock come through almost daily. Seeing Arcade Fire at the Ryman was a borderline religious experience. Events like Live on the Green and CMA Fest make the music scene that much better.

2. Athens/UGA - Athens is the Alabama Football of music. The city has had a great list of bands to reach international fame: WSP to REM to DBT and the B52s. 40 Watt Club & GA Theatre have up and coming acts play there on the reg, and generally the music tastes of the students are legit. It's a very eclectic city with a lot of different tastes, which creates some great options. Futurebirds are a band that recently came out of Athens that everyone should check out if you haven't already.

3. Oxford/Ole Miss - Oxford has a very underrated music scene. Proud Larry's and the Lyric are two of the better venues in the SEC. Occasionally you'll get a Wilco or The Black Crowes to come through, which for the size of the town is impressive. Fat Possum Records has recorded albums for The Black Keys, Youth Lagoon, and Modest Mouse. Famous blues juke joints are only a short drive away from town, which is a huge bonus.

4. Tuscaloosa/Bama - The new amphitheater is a gamechanger. Recent concerts like MMJ and Neil Young have suddenly jumped Tuscaloosa to be a good place to visit for a show. Not a great deal of bands have come out of T-Town, which is why they are not placed higher.

5. Baton Rouge/LSU - Baton Rouge is high on this list because the size of the city allows more access to bands than other college towns. Bayou Country Superfest is cool if you are into that sort of thing. Spanish Moon & The Varsity get decent bands from time to time. In the past month, Kendrick Lamar & the Japandroids have come through. BR is not too far from NOLA, so you will occasionally get some acts to stop and play there. Someone needs to tell the residents that Better than Ezra is a shitty band; they act like they are the second coming of the Beatles.

6-13. Doesn't matter...all shitty.

14. Knoxville/Tennessee - Any town that has produced Kenny Chesney and plays Rocky Top as much as they do deserves to be at the bottom of any list.

Discuss....