A round up of stuff I've seen in the last few months.

Let's start with my friend JD Love's album launch supported by 49 Goodbyes in November at the Rose, Erskineville. JD is a bona fide rock star mix of Mose Allison meets Hank Williams. He has a new record out now called Two Days, the LP version of which was pressed at Abbey Road.

Here is JD with up and comer out of Melbourne Georgia Fields (also happens to be his daughter) in a particularly twang moment:

Opening for JD were 49 Goodbyes, and they are just great. They describe themselves as Gram and Emmylou except with two girls (and a guy on guitar). One of the leads is Emma Swift who has the excellent "In the Pines" Americana show on FBI Radio in Sydney every Tuesday night (you can listen online nationally.)

More of them later.

The next thing I went to see was Joe Pug and the Wagons at the Vanguard. I don't mind the Wagons or anything but I also wouldn't go far out of my way, but for Joe Pug I would ... willingly experience some inconvenience. He was only opening so it was a short set but divine as he always is. He came out in the encore of the Wagons (they have quite a following it was pretty packed for them) to do "Long Black Veil" and "Lawyers, Guns and Money", both of which I got videos of. I also got a photo. ;-)

Then, I went to see the mysterious Frank Fairfield at the Basement. But first, to my surprise 49 Goodbyes was the support act. Win. This is them doing "Wrecking Ball" (Emmylou Harris via Neil Young). 49 Goodbyes has an EP out, all the tracks are listenable to here. (I believe that is Emma's own YouTube page so it's artist-approved streaming.)

I went to Frank Fairfield with a friend who didn't know him (I have his albums -- which are on the great, eclectic Tompkins Square label -- but never seen him live) and we ended up having a deep not really sober conversation about Authenticity. We both basically hate the concept, so that helped. For Frank Fairfield is a creation of another age (turn of century - 20s folk tunes) and for sure "acts" the part, the clothes, the stage manner and such. I have mixed feelings about performers who attempt to "faithfully recreate" another era, the revivalists. There are some well known ones that leave me cold. I admit a lot of that comes down in the grey area of the Very Subjective. I love old time music, as should be obvious if you read this blog, but I also don't listen to music to get a high school play type presentation of The Cartoonish Past. (And I also feel uncomfortable with lifting cultural forms out of their context when that act is a form of white privilege blithely appropriating the culture of black or other colonised people. That's a much bigger issue .... ) I don't know, as I say a lot is very subjective but too much affectation is not conducive to good music, in my experience.

However, I really like Frank Fairfield. I think there is something just so resolutely anti-commercial about every thing he does that it can't be a marketing ploy (not that I object to artists using marketing, but you don't get to have it both ways). It is so studied, intense and internalised it kind of transcends the trend of revivalist retro. I think he's just basically weird, in the good sense, in the old weird America sense. I didn't even bother trying to get a video since he sits so far back from the microphone even to sing, there would be no point. I like that he makes the audience WORK to get their quota of hipster approved depression-era jollies, dammit.

Here is a short (1:22) video about him

He did consent to allowing the new fangled iPhoto-O-Matic 2000 to imprint his and his Civil War Moustache's visage on its devilishy digital mercury.

Then I guess the next thing was Hanggai, who are a Mongolian/Chinese band who play traditional Mongolian music with a distinct punk edge. They were also at the Basement and they were super amazing. The Basement was rocking and sweaty that night (and, vastly less Anglo than usual). I can't find anything on YouTube to really recreate that, most of the videos are from polite world music festivals. This one from Woodford last month is OK. Woodford has always had good music but the overall vibe of it always made me fear I'd have to smother a hippy within 20 minutes of being there and inviting the really quite evil anti-vaccination loon Meryl Dorey to speak this year really just turned me off it forever.

Anyway, Hanggai:

Hanggai get two videos because they are awesome. This is "Xiger, Xiger" (pronounced "Shigga Shigga") which is more traditional that the above but it gets stuck in my brain for days. I dare you not to get enthralled. I mean, check out Batubagen who is throat singing and playing the morin-khuur (Mongolian horse-headed "cello" type instrument). He'd sing, then another person would sing and I'd look around the band to see who the new singer was but ... it was Batubagen and that whole throat singing thing. And of course Ilchi , the bare-chested front man who IMHO joins a very select group of genuine, charismatic top tier front men. Amazing and ROCKING.

Then I went and saw Cambodian Space Project at the Vanguard. They are a Cambodian/"Western" fusion in the manner of the much better known Dengue Fever ie dudes with guitars backing a Khmer female singer. CSP are based in Phonm Pehn, though. I enjoyed it although I thought that the guitars were mixed up WAY too high, drowning out the singer Srey Thy who is quite great. (I also thought some of the between song banter was a bit condescending towards her.) Her voice is more than worthy of singing those classic Ros Sereysothea songs.

I mean, what's the point? If this band was just the indie rock dudes, no one (no offence) would care, it is the Cambodian aspect that is the reason they have the gig. I can listen to dude guitars anywhere. Still, they had cute t-shirts for sale. Here is how they are meant to sound:

And that is that!

Direct link here. Only 13 songs so some major culling but it'll do.

And who'd have thought, after all
Something so simple as rock'n'roll would save us all?

Lucinda Williams - Blessed
This is not from the album, it's her song from the The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams project which I forgot to include on these lists anywhere else.

Dennis Coffey - self-titled FUNK. (super name dropping in this vid, but he's earned it)

The Decemberists -- The King is Dead

Middle Brother -- self-titled

Deer Tick -- Divine, Providence

Country Cajun Revival -- The Real Thing

And some of the rest that made life worth ploughing on.

Hayes Carll -- KMAG YOYO

Charles Bradley -- No Time for Dreaming Seeing him next March.

Tom Russell - Mesabi

Eddie Roberts & The Fire Eaters - Burn

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow Current Americana It duo.

Lindi Ortega - Little Red Boots

The Sheepdogs -- Learn and Burn ROCK

Robert Ellis - Photographs This is a curious album in that a couple of songs are tears in my beer country and others are more low fi-y straight ahead folky. All good.

Cash Box Kings -- Holler & Stomp Not to be confused with Hayes Carll's "Stomp & Holler."

Jimmie Dale Gilmore & The Wronglers - Heirloom Songs The Wronglers include Warren Hellman bazillionaire investment banker dude who bankrolled Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Fran, and who died recently. I hope he provided for it 'cos I've always dreamed of going one day.

I snuck another into here which makes my top ten a top twelve.

Bei Bei and Shawn Lee -- Into the Wind
Another "world fusion" offering that works, this time with guzheng (Chinese stringed thingy) and doofy doofy beats.

Buddy Miller -- The Majestic Silver Strings 'Surple" still makes me laugh.

Lydia Loveless -- Indestructible Machine She's 21 or something ridonkulous.

The Sweetback Sisters -- Looking For a Fight The Sweetback Sisters are quite hilarious, as well as lovely to listen to. My favourite song on the album is "Too Many Experts" because it basically sums up the entire Internet. (this video is not that)

Brennen Leigh -- The Box Just super good country music, we still like that round here.

Tedeschi Trucks Band -- Revelator Susan and Derek, bluesing it all up in you.

These are my top ten eleven in two instalments. Dave Alvin is pretty clearly number one. Rest much of a muchness. I'll do another post or two with the other music I enjoyed most this year.

Dave Alvin -- Eleven Eleven
This record is on the short road to being one of those where I can say I know every word to every song. Perfect balance of styles and a host of memorable characters, sketched in bluesy economy, brought to life by Dave's rumbling baritone and propelled by many a memorable lick. Here's one of my favourite songs, "Johnny Ace is Dead."

Gillian Welch -- The Harrow & The Harvest
Do I need to explain? No? Super.

JuJu -- In Trance
JuJu is Justin Adams and Judeh Camara who play the electric guitar and the Gambian ritti (one string violin) respectively. Their previous album made my Favourites list last year, and their albums will I suspect keep making the list as long as they do them. It is approaching banal these days to talk about the connections between western rock n roll via the blues and African genres, but just sticking the two traditions together is not guaranteed to produce anything interesting. These guys make it work perfectly.

The Bo-Keys -- Got to Get Back
Memphis funk super group (including the only survivor of the plane crash that took Otis Redding). Just what it says on the box.

Frank Turner -- England Keep My Bones
Well now. I had never heard of this bloke until someone included him on an early Best Of list back in November and now here we are. A punkier Billy Bragg? A more sarcastic Springsteen? Well, whatever I like every song on this album. I like the hookyness of every track, I like the acapella ditties about 1066, I like the atheist singalongs, I like the name checking of Johnny, Dylan, Jerry Lee and Dostoyevsky.

Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers -- Starlight Hotel
Do I need to talk about the attitude, the voice, the band and the lyrics? Or do I just need to say that it has a song on it called "If I Can't Trust You With a Quarter (How Can I Trust You With My Heart?)"

Tickets for Byron players' side shows have started going on sale, and so the Easter bottleneck shuffle has begun.

I haven't experienced any great angst with my schedule the last couple of years but in 2012 Lucinda Williams and John Hiatt are playing Sydney the same night, Tuesday 3rd April. What to Do!!!???

Actually the dilemma was not a big one in the end. My devotion to both is equal, really I can't split them. I've seen both live in the last couple of years and neither seem likely to give up touring or recording in the foreseeable future. So it comes then down to the venue, and that is, as the young folk say, "a no brainer." John is playing the Metro and Lucinda the State. The Metro: smallish, general admission where you can get up the front with a bit of rock and roll in the air versus the State where your only option is to sit and clap politely. Lucinda's ads say "One Show Only" so that is sad but man I am looking forward to "Walk On", "Slow Turning", "Tennessee Plates" etc etc in that venue.

Speaking of no-brainers Justin Townes Earle is at the Factory the night after. Never miss him live.

Steve Earle is going solo at the Factory the following week, through an early offer I got some front row seats and Steve solo is still a worthwhile proposition despite my mostly indifference to his last decade of output.

Also at the Factory in March is Charles Bradley, the latest retro soul revelation from Daptone.

I gather Trombone Shorty is also playing at the Metro but tickets aren't on sale yet. I'll also check out Bettye Lavette and Nick Lowe sideshows to see if I can fit them in.

Before all that in January I'll be seeing the Cambodian Space Project at the Vanguard and Hanggai at the Basement. Cambodian Space Project traverse the same general territory combining Khmer pop and western rock as the better known Dengue Fever. although CSP are actually based in Phnom Penh.

Hanggai play Mongolian folk music with electric guitars and a punk attitude. I find them quite enthralling.

Phew.

Neglectful as I've been, I've accumulated a lot of music worth mentioning. So, here they are from the first 4 months of 2011. I've done an accompanying 8tracks of selected tracks. I'll do some more ... later. (I started the draft of this on March 18th, gimme a break.) All of them I recommend - I wouldn't mention if I didn't - but if I had to pick a couple to particularly force on you it'd be Colin Gilmore, Buddy Miller and representing non-country/folk Justin Adams.

Billy Eli - Hell Yeah
Texas country-rock on the looser side of Steve Earle circa 1990 which is fine since I haven't dug much ol Steve's done since 1990 (the new record is OK but dull, I might have more to say once I've settled on that as my response). Got into them when I heard "Cheese Enchiladas" on Freight Train Boogie, that's a fun song.
Video of Tore Down in Texas

Colin Gilmore Goodnight Lane
Quote from Sylvie Simmons's four-star Mojo review quote on website:

I've described him before as a West Texan Nick Lowe for his songs structures and their instant sing-along quality (Circles In The Yard; Goodnight Lane; Hand Close To Mine). But deep Texan roots show here on the fine Llano, a mature piece of country songwriting.

I'd say the Texas roots show through it all but yeah.

Bit of a children of other people whose CDs I have theme to this list. Colin is Jimmie Dale's son.
Video of Running Circles in the Yard and Black Vines

Lukas Nelson Promise of the Real
This guy's dad is named Wiliie, you've probably heard of him. Heck, given the number of collaborations the Red Headed Stranger pumps out you've probably done a duet with him. Lukas, like Colin, is making his way playing in dad's band but also striking out with this own thing. His voice can be kind if startling, undeniably you can hear Willie in there but it's a funhouse mirror version or the slight differences that catch you out with a twin. But anyway, it's a very good album in its own right.
Here's a video of Four Letter Word but you know me, I love the ballads and I LOVE LOVE LOVE "Want Me Around" so here it is: Want Me Around.

Yvette Landry Should Have Known
Yvette Landry is part of the most excellent all-female Cajun outfit Bonsoir Caitin and this is her first solo album of excellent country, cajun influenced for sure but more straight ahead country singer songwriter sound. Her crisp voice has the ability to be both sweet and worldy, like an old friend but one you know will cut you down if you need it. The songs are all terrific, as is the accompaniment, as you'd expect since she's quite a hot player herself.

Very professionally shot "Can't See Me Without You" (so wish the sound was better), ditto Too Tired More upbeat is 120 Proof. This is kinda a dodgy video (people: use your iPhone HORIZONTALLY when videoing for Bob's sake) but I have to draw attention to it since it features not only Bil Kirchen but my favourite recent songs on his of the great, great "Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods" album of a few years ago.

Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara Tell No Lies
Another cross-cultural excursion that gets it right. Lots of good vids at the above link. I think what really hooked me was the righteous Bo Diddley beat snaking through the thing without sounding like a forced "hey I know! Let's put traditional African and African American music together, hey cool." It works on a higher level on from novelty, and has melodies you can't argue with.

Bei Bei and Shawn Lee Into the Wind
Another for the "world fusion" fans. Shawn Lee is a doof doof guy who did an album of christmas carol remixes which I like to pull out that time of the year. Bei Bei is "an internationally acclaimed Gu Zheng (Chinese Zither) performer." Its got that late night SBS movie soundtrack cool thing and like the combination. Video of "Into the Wind" and "The Master Room"

Buddy Miller Majestic Silver Strings
This was one of the Big League of Americana discs due out this year along with Steve, Emmylou and LUcinda (I like the latter two quite a lot) and it doesn't disappoint. It's sort of redundant with Buddy Miller and that line up to have to do much spruiking. The high point for me is the mesmeric "Dang Me" - I've become quite obsesed with the word "surple."

Georgette Jones Slightly Used Woman No prizes for guessing her father, Tammy Wynette is her mother. Even without the pedigree, being on Heart of Texas record label (Amber Digby, Justin Trevino) you'd know she was selling a solid traditional style of country. And so it is. All eyes will be on "You And Me And Time", a duet with dad and it is a poignant country confessional, and the rest is, well, solid traditional country.

Despite all the consternation changes at eMusic have caused over the past year, I can't quit. At least not while I keep finding treasure troves there like a bunch of CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) releases. I got The Best of Coloured Stone, Playing with Fire by Frank Yamma and Piranpa and the four volumes of CAAMA 25th Anniversary Collection.I'll certainly be back to get more, particularly want a Deadheart album or two. A treasure trove, as I say, in a wide variety of styles. Some big names like the above, the Warumpi Band, Warren H Williams and Roger Knox etc but far more these downloads have allowed me to hear for the first time. So here's an 8tracks of 10 songs, appropriately for Survival Day perhaps but I've been meaning to do it more months so its more slackness than symbolism.

I found a lot of great music perusing the various Best of 2010 lists, so much so that 2010 listening is going to bleed way, way into 2011. I also (followed a link from somewhere lost in the tubes of internet time now, apologies) found the Freight Train Boogie podcast a weekly survey of what's new in Americana, roots and country (does that cover everything?) It's hosted by Bill Frater who keeps the commentary personable and informative and still gets in a good 10-15 songs each hour long show and it's a good mix of well known or established artists and a bunch of folk I've never heard of (it even skews a little to the independent since all the tracks are played with permission and they're the most likely group to respond to a request), many of whom have become Must Acquires.

I've been listening religiously the last few weeks, starting with the end of 2010 and first couple for 2011 and going back to download everything in the iTunes archives. This guy is going to cost me some serious money. There's a related blog with each week's new releases. So yeah, can't say enough about it and you should check it out.

Bruce Springsteen, The Promise This is truly beautiful stuff. Also essential is watching the HBO documentary of the making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, with amazing footage of inside the studio and lots of real insights into the artistic process. Darkness was actually the first Springsteen album I owned so I've always had a soft spot for it, seeing the album or mores worth of great material from those sessions gives a better understanding of what the album is, on relistening, as well as adding 20 odd quality tracks to our collections. It is a case of what the album could have been but was not, by deliberate choice. And it's not often we really get that level of stickybeaking into creation. Even people not into Bruce would benefit from seeing the doco, it's a real close examination of the artistic process.

Bob Dylan, The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9) Well it's Bob and lots of good stuff but not as essential as the Bruce for the reasons above. Recently I have been obsessing over some gospel era live shows and those are my personal pick for Bootleg Series 10. I know that at least for April 20, 1980 Massey Hall Toronto gig there is an officially recorded by Sony audio and video record. Bob's ambivalence or otherwise about the era is unknowable of course, but I'd love to see something new added to the official record. Of course, the unofficial record has been ahead of the curve for decades, this article is worth reading for that, "the wisdom of bootleggers over gatekeepers"

Riley, Grandma's Roadhouse As this Nashville Scene article says "long lost country rock gem" featuring Gary Stewart.

Everything from Soundway To wit, The World Ends: Afro Rock and Psychadelia in 1970s Nigeria, Nigeria Special, Volume 2: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6 and The Sound of Siam : Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz and Molam from Thailand 1964 - 1975

Next Stop .... Soweto Volumes 2 and 3 series from Strut. Free tracks, info and sounds at the Volume 2 and Volume 3 microsites. I'll single out Vol. 3 Vol. 3: Giants, Ministers and Makers: Jazz in South Africa 1963-1978 since the rock, funk soul crate digging comps are a dime a dizen these days so I really loved hearing the jazz side of things.

Crazy Heart, The Soundtrack See here.

Kris Kristofferson, Please Don't tell Me How the Story Ends, The Publishing Demos 1868 - 1972

Keith Richards, Vintage Vinos - Tres cool collection of Keef's non-Stones work, solo and with the X-Pensive Winos.

A short (16 songs, just over an hour) selection of tracks:

And in no order the final list of the records covered in the previous six posts, which are all here.

Marshall Chapman, Big Lonesome
Buddy Guy, Living Proof
The Fabulous Ginn Sisters, You Can't Take a Bad Girl Home
Phosphorescent, Here's To Taking it Easy
Sharon Jones & the DapKings - I Learned the Hard Way
Aloe Blacc, Good Things
The Secret Sisters, The Secret Sisters
American Graveyard, Hallelujahland
Whitey Morgan and the 78s, Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels
Hellbound Glory, Scumbag Country
Joe Pug, Messenger
Chris Altmann, Que Paso
Mary Gauthier, The Foundling
Tom Jones, Praise & Blame
Marty Stuart, Ghost Train
Justin Townes Earle, Harlem River Blue
Shelby Lynne, Tears, Lies & Alibis
Cotton Jones, Tall Hours in the Glowstream
Ray Wiley Hubbard, A. Enlightenment, B. Endarkenment Hint There is no C
Lil Band O Gold, The Promised Land
Raul Malo, Saints & Sinners
Los Lobos, Tin Can Trust
The Tallest Man on Earth, the Wild Hunt
Chelsea Crowell, self-titled (honorary 2009 ring-in)
Huun-Huur-Tur, Ancestor's Call
Gregory Porter, Water
Lucky Peterson, You Can Always Turn Around
The Carter Family III, Past & Present
Elizabeth Cook, Welder
Mike Stinson, The Jukebox in Your Heart
Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, Creole Moon: Live at the Blue Moon Saloon

Mike Stinson, The Jukebox in Your Heart
Mike Stinson is sort of a John Prine meets Dwight Yoakam, with some Tom T. Hall and he is ace. This is one of my very, very favourites of the year. "Square with the World" is an instant choice for the songs you want at your funeral, "Walk Away" is a heartbreaking ode to big decisions and there area bunch of wry drinking songs besides. It rocks.

My only complaint really is making me listen repeatedly (as that is how I listen to The Jukebox in Your Heart) to a song called "Ashes II" with the line "still the same old nightmares come around." ;-(

Cedric Watson et Bijou Créole, Creole Moon: Live from the Blue Moon Saloon

Cedric Watson has been a rising star in cajun/zydeco for a few years now with some very fine records but I really like the energy a live set (deep in the heart of Arcadia in Lafayette) brings to it so I've it over the studio album he put out his year L'esprit Créole (but you should get that too if you like this sort of stuff.)

Ray Wylie Hubbard, A: Enlightenment B: Endarkenment (Hint: There Is No C)
I don't think I rate any of RWH's albums as anything less than excellent (though sadly I don't have any of his 70s albums, they're hard to get) and a new collection of his cosmic Texas grooves is a joyful addition to the world. Hard to pick a standout, all the songs are.

Elizabeth Cook, Welder
Nothing so breakout as "Balls" her previous album, but worthy album of country rockers, ballads, a leftfield cover of Faron Young's "Blackland Farmer" and a double helping of sass.

Huun-Huur-Tur, Ancestor's Call
Yes, I hear you say, this list has had lots of country and folk and some blues, some New Orleans and Texas sounds, some this and some that. But where? Is the Tuvan throat singing? Gotcha covered right here. Had Huun-Huur-Tur's previous album in my year end a couple of years ago and Ancestor's Call is in much the same vein so needs a spot to. Despite the reputation and undoubted strangeness to non-Steppes ears I find this music comforting for some reason. The clip clop of the horses seems to underpin the whole flow; see here for some insights into what they're actually singing.
There aren't really any live YouTubes that do it justice for mine so if you're interested track down the music as recorded.

Gregory Porter, Water
Time for some vocal jazz! Cool guy, hot voice - a voice very much in the traditional crooner mould (he's performed on Broadway & does a Nat King Cole tribute show which gives you an idea) but, while certainly colouring between the lines, the album has also an effortless modern touch and style. This is his first album, an up and comer. (Of course I can't say or think his name without adding "The only thing I knew about Gregory Porter was that his name wasn't Gregory Porter.")

Lucky Peterson, You Can Always Turn Around
I want to say "traditional blues" but there are enough other elements to not make that quite accurate, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" swings and the opening to "I'm New Here" is as fine folk-country picking as you'll hear, "Trampled Rose" is, i dunno, some gypsy-Arabic thing happening. But he pulls it off, complemented by the fine vocals of Tamara Peterson.

The Carter Family III, Past & Present
The Carter Family III is Dale Jett (A.P and Sarah Carter's grandson), John Carter Cash and his wife Sarah. and is "just" a really fine collection of old timey tracks in the (surprise) Carter Family style. Not much by way of video for this ... but here's John Carter and Dale Jett (autoharp) on a Carter track together, plus bonus Tom T Hall.

This is the fourth instalment in my 2010 retrospective. They are in no order, I just made a list then took the first five for the first post, next five or six for the next and so on. I might comment on some that they are a cut above the pack but otherwise there is no ranking at all.

Lil Band O Gold, The Promised Land
Wrote up the gig with videos here.

Raul Malo, Saints & Sinners
Raul's fourth album in five years, the others have made my year ending list too. Raul is not those who favour mumbling, ironic alt.country; they are soaring songs from an old fashioned school of pop craft. He's also had five record labels in ten years solo post-Mavericks so I hope at Fantasy he finds what he's looking for and we get more, please.

Chelsea Crowell, self-titled
ACTUALLY, this is a 2009 release (but November, c'mon) but I didn't realise that til I was googling links to write this, so it stays. All complaints should be directed to the Federal Minister for Arts. This is a very charming and catchy collection of folk-pop-country (I particularly like "Tremelo Trees", "Where the Hell is Robert E Lee" and "I Want My Seven years Back") which is worth listening to for itself and as a very promising debut so you can say you knew her way back when. You are welcome.
Plus her Twitter background is Robocop riding a unicorn. Case closed.

UM WHAT there are no videos ANYWHERE for her. But there are couple of songs on the above linked website. Give 'em a whirl.

Los Lobos, Tin Can Trust
Hard to go past Los Lobos for musical talent per square member, or consistency over a couple of decades. Tin Can Trust offers a familiar formula of thoughful Tex-Mex bar rock - um, OK that might not actually be it's own actual formula. But if it is, they invented it. I also today picked up La Pistola Y El Corozan from 1988, because what else would you follow up a gigantic smash hit number 1 ("La Bamba") with but an album of traditional Mexican folk songs?

The Tallest Man on Earth, the Wild Hunt
This dude is a Swedish dude and is quite the hot young thing in singer-songwriter world. For more than that I'm gonna link to Tim and James. (Hey, finding something to write about a million bloody albums every December is hard, walk a mile in my shoes.)

The vid is a cover of "Graceland" (NB: Not on the album)

Mary Gauthier, The Foundling
See here for my thoughts on the new record after Mary's tour out her earlier this year.
Instead of a musicy one (tho it DOES include a song), I'll post here her contribution to the It Gets Better campaign. In the couple of days since I found this and parked it in the draft of this post, I've watched it a dozen times. Mary is adorable and orsm, so warm and expansive in her nature and her music. Plus she wrote "I Drink" iwhich is legitimately one of the greatest pure country songs ever written. She was out her just this past weekend but I missed her Sydney gig due to already having tickets to something else which of course got rained out. Boo. But I'll be there next time for sure.

Tom Jones, Praise & Blame
Well hey now, expecting a few rolled eyes on this, Tom Jones does a record of blues and gospel songs. A cynicism about the trend of aging rockers rediscovering the roots with the help of a hipster celebrity producer (Ethan Johns in this case) is understandable although I've never shared in it. This formula has produced great, good and mediocre albums in the same proportion as any other theory the industry has pursued. A generous dose of opportunism isn't, it turns out, any barrier to producing enjoyable music. Sound Opinions is a podcast of Jim De Rogatis and Greg Kot, two long standing music critics, whose opinions I respect although there's not much overlap for me in their indie rock focus, but they're very knowledgeable on "my kind of music too." So anyway their attitude in this was "WTF the dude that sings Sex Bomb and gets ladies' panties tossed at him should not sing the blues" and gave it a "Trash It" on their (very useful) Buy It, Burn It, Trash It scale. I was rather taken aback with the vehemence of the insistence this record should not even be a thing that exists in the world. But to me even before I heard it I didn't dismiss it. I don't know much about Tom Jones' background really (though I listened to this BBC Desert Islands Discs chat which was interesting) but it didn't seem implausible to me that the atmosphere of the small town Welsh chapel of the 40s and 50s might actually share some sensibilities with Southern Gospel, and while he's a bit older than the Stones and Claptons etc but I didn't see any reason why an interest in this kind of music had to be completely manufactured. So prima facie, bring it on and I vowed to judge on its merits.

Since it is in this list it is probably redundant to say I actually really love it, and its in the top few in terms of albums I've listened most to this year. Naturally if you need to compare everything in music to everything else in music, Tom Jones doing "Didn't It Rain" may not be in the same category with Sister Rosetta Tharp or Mahalia Jackson but I don't see why it wouldn't compare to Little Richard. Some people aren't going to be able to put out of their mind it is Tom Jones which is fine, but if you're not hamstrung by that this is a completely enjoyable album by a guy who still has a great voice, a seeming genuine feel for the music and spot on back up musos and production.

The following vid is Burning Hell, but I'd hardly be fulfilling my sacred duty as a worker in the Dylan-Industrial Complex if I didn't also link to his cover of "What Good Am I?"

Marty Stuart, Ghost Train; The Studio B Sessions

Marty Stuart has a voice, man I would listen to him sing the proverbial phone book. Happily though he has not forced me to make good on that promise and just keeps releasing top notch albums of country fucking music. That is all that needs to be said about that.

(I know you'll probably not watch the second one - psychology y'all! - but he talks about J.R Cash shoving the Washington Monument up his nose so for that reason you might wanta. Sniff. )

Justin Townes Earle, Harlem River Blues
Justin, oh Justin. JTE is continuing his music journey, and while his first, raw album still packs the biggest punch for me I am loving watching him build his musical self from the ground up. He's ratcheded up the production values and sonic scope each album without losing the JTE favoured themes of rootlessness, country mythology and just out of reach possibilities of forgiveness. Plenty to love here in still the most exciting career in development.

Shelby Lynne, Tears, Lies & Alibis

Shelby is keeping the cool, cocktail hour end of country and soul alive. We like this. Not quite as explicitly as on her album last year of Dusty Springfield covers but after doing those old songs she's done a whole album of new ones in the same vein.

Cotton Jones, Tall Hours in the Glowstream

If you like the Phosphorescent sound I listed previously in the series, then Cotton Jones is a band you'll want to check out. There are some differences, CJ is more dreamily languorous lead singer Michael Nau's voice has a crustier (in a good way) edge. Good Sunday morning stuff.

This is "Man Climbs Out of the Winter" which is my fave off the record:

This is the second instalment in my 2010 retrospective. They are in no order, I just made a list then took the first five for the first post, next five or six for the next and so on. I might comment on some that they are a cut above the pack but otherwise there is no ranking at all.

The Secret Sisters, The Secret Sisters
The Secret Sisters are championed by Jack White and their debut is produced by T-Bone Burnett, so that's some serious clout out of the gate. Twitter description: Out of Alabama, Laura and Lydia Roger are a female Everly Brothers at their countriest (and then some), backed up with 50s/60s classic country sounds.

Just so:

My favourite one is "Tennessee Me"

American Graveyard, Hallelujahland
Hellbound Glory, Scumbag Country
Whitey Morgan and the 78s, Honky Tonk and Cheap Guitars

I'll group these together since they represent some solid hard core honky tonk and if you like that why keep you in suspense by dragging them out? I didn't get Hank III's record yet which explains its non-inclusion.

Joe Pug, Messenger
Chris Altmann, Que Paso

If I were ranking these two would be at the very top. Well I guess I raved enough about both of them here. But still I don't think you can listen to "Bury Me far From My Uniform" too often:

This is the first five records in my 2010 retrospective. They are in no order, I just made a list then took the first five for this first post, next five for the next and so on. I might comment on some that they are a cut above the pack but otherwise there is no ranking at all.

Marshall Chapman, Big Lonesome
Found via Fervor Coulee.
Marshall Chapman has an interesting and eclectic tale, one until recently I was in complete ignorance of. She seems to have flirted with some kind of breaking through in the 70s and 80s country/rock and has diversified in recent years into books and movies (she plays Gwyneth Paltrow's manager in the upcoming Country Strong, which looks very Crazy Heart-ish in which a boozy country singer goes on a character arc. Looks like some crunchy country soap so I'll definitely make a date one Cheap Tuesday after its released. And hey looking at that trailer it looks like Tim McGraw can act, which is more than we can say for Colin Farrell.) Big Lonesome is a low key but endearing collection of country-folk, with dashes of blues and swing.

Buddy Guy, Living Proof

Well, I don't think I need to sell this one other than saying Buddy is in top form, and if you are inclined to like Buddy Living Proof won't leave you thinking he should've given it up. No surprises in the fact the duet with Santana adds nothing, but OTOH is the duet with BB King, not that it's earth shattering but it's Buddy Guy and BB King.

The Fabulous Ginn Sisters, You Can't Take a Bad Girl Home

A very fun, melodic and sexy outing from The Ginn Sisters, who have previously worked back up for Fred Eaglesmith. "Hey, Doll" (in vid below) is the stand out in the "find yourself constantly singing the refrain throughout the day" test but the rest is infectious and with a good mix of styles (sometimes reminiscent of the earliest Dixie Chicks, sometimes more a soupy type of country-pop).

Phosphorescent, Here's To Taking it Easy
Tim Dunlop's spruik will suffice here, with the additional comment the songs he particularly disses are some of my faves.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
Sharon Jones has her thing and it shows no signs of being played out, I didn't see her Sydney show last week but reports are good. I thought although I loved their first album i might find I didn't need a new album of it every 18 months or so, particularly in the increasingly crowded retro soul marketplace. But they're still the best at it. Speaking of retro soul I'll also throw Aloe Blacc in here. His Good Things doesn't quite entrance me as much as the Daptone output but the single "I Need A Dollar" is killer and I've got a ticket to his Festival Bar show at the Sydney Festival.