About 40 years ago, the British coined the term "brain drain" to describe the process of losing their best and brightest minds to post-war America where the opportunities were more promising.

Chattanooga may not be famous for meat pies or referring to beer as "bitter," but you should all be feeling sympathetic for the Brits of the swinging '60s right about now.

Whether you realize it or not, we're losing some of our brightest musical talents to cities like Nashville and Atlanta.

Former Tennessee Rounders Peewee Moore and Channing Wilson both plan on leaving -- for Austin, Texas, and Nashville, respectively. They'll join Leticia Wolf, Angel Snow and The Taxicab Racers on the list of those who have recently made good their escape.

This is nothing new. The loss of talent has been going on for decades, since Bessie Smith left as an adolescent, a trend Usher continued in the '90s.

On some level, it's understandable that artists who have established a following feel the need to pursue fame and fortune in larger, "better" markets. Chattanooga historically has been seen as a steppingstone to the next big thing, not an end point.

The question is: Now that the nature of the music industry has changed to be more independent friendly, is relocation still a necessity?

Digital distribution and social networking services have made major-label contracts both less necessary and harder to come by than ever. So why move to L.A. or Nashville to be just one more would-be star or starlet serving coffee, waiting for a big break that may never come, when you could live on the cheap in Chattanooga custom building an audience and touring circuit on the Internet?

Obviously, these bands have to look to their best interests, but it's always a shame to see talented artists leave the second they smell success.

They all say they'll come back and play all the time, and some obviously do. Still, it's hard not to feel spurned when an artist you supported abandons the heart of his fan base for somewhere "better."

It's enough to make one feel positively British.

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Essential Listening Project purchases for week 33 (Oct. 8): Van Morrison's "Moondance," The Clash's "The Clash," Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" and AC/DC's "High Voltage."

E-mail Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com.