The OH-IO Mix

There is a man -- let's call him Deejay Graybosch -- who likes to send me links to news items of obese people cemented to lawn chairs or accidental deaths via sex toy with the express purpose of following up with "...and it happened in Ohio!"

California's my birth state and where I've lived for the past 6 years, but I spent my childhood and college years in the Buckeye State. Most people here, upon hearing that fact, assume that I'm adopted or wonder why I'm not wearing overalls. You ever have someone from Bakersfield try to clown on the city you're from? Unbelievable.

But aside from me, there are tons of extraordinary people from Ohio. Oscar winner Halle Berry, "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride" NBA star LeBron James, indie auteur Jim Jarmusch, Sarah Jessica Parker from that one show, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and a slew of other notables. And when it comes to music, we're not too shabby either.

Below is the best and brightest Ohio has to offer in terms of musicianship. For obvious reasons, I omitted 98 Degrees, Lil' BowWow, and with a heavy heart, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. BTW, it is an Ohio rite of passage to say you saw a member of Bone at your local Kroger grocery store. Ask any Ohioan. Well, any Ohioan of color.

1) The Pixies "Here Comes Your Man" -- Kim Deal, bassist, from Dayton, OH



Bonus: My boyfriend Joseph Gordon-Levitt singing "Here Comes Your Man" from 500 Days of Summer.



2) The Black Keys "She's Long Gone" -- from Akron, OH




3) The National "Blood Buzz Ohio" -- from Cincinnati, OH




4) The Pretenders "Creep" (Radiohead cover) -- Chrissie Hynde, lead singer, from Akron, OH




5) Macy Gray "Wake Up" (Arcade Fire cover) -- from Canton, OH




6) Kid Cudi "All Along" -- from Cleveland, OH




7) RJD2 "Smoke and Mirrors" -- from Columbus, OH




8) Soul Position "Keep it Hot for Daddy" -- RJD2 and Blueprint, from Columbus, OH




9) Adam WarRock "Angry Asian Man" -- Ohio State University alum




10) Hi-Tek "Breakin' Bread" -- from Cincinnati, OH




11) John Legend "Slow Dance" -- from Springfield, OH




12) Bobby Womack "Across 110th Street" -- from Cleveland, OH




13) Ohio Players "Summertime" -- from Dayton, OH




14) Nancy Wilson "Satin Doll" -- from Chillicothe, OH




15) The Isley Brothers (feat. Jimi Hendrix) "Looking for a Love" -- from Cincinnati, OH




16) The O'Jays "How Does It Feel" -- from Canton, OH




17) Kool and the Gang "Summer Madness" -- Robert and Ronald Bell, from Youngstown, OH




18) Bootsy Collins "Funk McLovin'" -- from Cincinnati, OH




19) Deee-Lite "Groove is in the Heart" -- Lady Miss Kier, lead singer, from Youngstown, OH




20) Zapp and Roger "I Wanna Be Your Man" -- from Dayton, OH