Here is some of the music that struck me in 2009. In case you missed it, read the manifesto for this site. It might help you understand where I am coming from. If you didn’t see the Bird List, now might be a good time to check it out.
#20: Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women
S/T
Dave continues a great late-career run. Come to think of it, his “run” has never stopped, or really even slowed. Read a single review.
#19: Steve Earle
Townes
Reverent enough to know when to leave the song alone, but restless enough to know when to shake things up.
#18: Gary Floater
A Hero Never Learns
There is country music that is funny outside of “She Left Me For Jesus”. Most of it is here.
#17: Band of Heathens
One Foot In The Ether
Mining that Canadiana sound, BoH comes up with something fresh. Good songs and great voices. Read a single review.
#16: Guy Clark
Somedays the Song Writes You
This should probably be filed under “educational” rather than “country”. Read a single review.
#15: Corb Lund
Losin’ Lately Gambler
Wry humor and stripped down execution from the Great White North. Read a single review.
#14: Charlie Robison
Beautiful Day
A beautiful sounding record, with great songs to back it up. Possibly his most consistent. Read the original review.
#13: Buddy and Julie Miller
Written In Chalk
This sounds old, worn in, and gorgeous. I don’t think people are used to quality of this level anymore.
#12: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
S/T
His departure didn’t kill the Drive-By Truckers, but gave us double the output. DBT also put out a rarities record, and Isbell had the best song (“TVA”) on it. Read the original review.
#11: Robert Earl Keen
The Rose Hotel
One thing you can say about Robert Keen is that he always sounds like he is having fun. Read the original review.
Posted: December 30th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I recently spoke with Michael O’Connor, a singer/songwriter/guitarist who has played with the likes of Slaid Cleaves and Susan Gibson. He and Adam Carroll are about to release Hard Times, which I covered here. Five Records is an occasional feature of artists talking about the music that inspires them. Read more of these posts here.
Alice Cooper
School’s Out
“My older brother brought this album home when I was about eight or nine years old. “School’s Out” made me want to run away from home, get my hands on a Les Paul and burn down the whole damn town.“
Tom Waits
Mule Variations
“Tom Waits’ music has got me through some hard times in my life. I never tire of this album; it’s blues, rock, gospel, country, folk, and none of these at the same time. Tom is an original — folks either get him or they don’t, and I dig that.”
Mance Lipscomb
Vol. 5 – Texas Country Blues
“Mance was from Navasota, Texas and was a master songster and guitar player. He played slide guitar with a pocket knife. You can hear him say at the beginning of the song ‘Mance’s Blues,’ ‘Alright. We don’t care about no tape now. We got the blues.’”
Townes Van Zandt
High, Low, and In Between
“I wish I had written the title track: ‘…if a shadow don’t seem much company, well, who said it would be?‘ What more can I say about Townes? I saw him play about six months before he died; it was ragged and perfect. He was a treasure and a poet.“
Ted Russell Kamp
Poor Man’s Paradise
“From the blue-eyed soul side of Americana. This is a solid production from a great singer/songwriter and fantastic musician…Impeccable.”
Michael O’Connor – Bottle Down
Posted: December 18th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
1. Taking on a song by the Replacements and hoping to replicate any measure of Paul Westerberg’s world-weariness is a great task. Justin Townes Earle’s cover of “Can’t Hardly Wait”, from his most recent release Midnight at the Movies, steers clear of that, adding a clattering, homespun rhythm that mirrors the feeling of speeding towards home. Earle adds just enough grit to his baritone croon to let the listener know that the road-worn lyrics are personal to him as well.
2. Earle’s ability to distill Westerberg’s amplified original version works to great effect, with former sideman Cory Younts’ mandolin anchoring the iconic hook. Westerberg’s jagged imagery fits in well with Earle’s traveling barroom ethic, from the “lights that flash in the evening” to the “ashtray floors”. Though the narrator seems to have a million excuses for writing letters, nothing seems to connect him to home like simply shutting his eyes.
3. Though Justin Townes Earle bears the name of two country legends, his eagerness to explore other styles of music, both with this choice and the soul leanings of Midnight at the Movies. Set to release another album (his third in three years) at the end of 2010, his star continues to rise as both a writer and an interpreter.
Justin Townes Earle – Can’t Hardly Wait
Posted: December 1st, 2009 | 2 Comments »
