Music Friday: "Ride to Robert's" & "Crimson and Clay"

Jason Isbell put out a new solo album this week. It's titled Foxes in the Snow. 

I've listened to it a number of times, and I'm warming to it because I'm getting used to just him singing just with his guitar. 

It works, but I always prefer his more rock-oriented work. 

Based on my first few listens, these two songs are the ones that stand out to me at present. 

Music Friday: "This Ain't It"

Weathervanes is one of Isbell's best albums. Back to rocking out. 

And here's one of the many fine tunes on that album--video and live from Des Moines. 

Music Friday: "Save the World"

The new album Weathervanes by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit has been on heavy rotation in my household this week. 

I'm really liking the new album. 

Here's a tune that caught my ear initially and has only grown in stature. 

Music Friday: "Never Gonna Change"

Mrs. Nasty is putting together a list of songs she can play when she's up in the press box for my son's travel baseball games. She usually runs the scoreboard at certain venues. 

I gave her all kinds of suggestions, but this song is my lone personal request. 

Music Friday: "Driver 8"

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will have an album of covers out in mid October. The album is a collection of Georgia-based songs from various bands since that state smartly elected two Democratic Senators and went in favor of Biden. 

The album's title is Georgia Blue. 

Here's a cover of R.E.M.'s "Driver 8." 

Music Friday: "Driver 8" & "Outfit"

One of my favorite R.E.M. songs from their earlier work is "Driver 8." 

The Drive-By Truckers shared this video via FB. I've also included "Outfit" from the same person recording the concert.  

Music Friday: "Sad But True"

Apparently there's a cover album of Metallica's Black album coming out. Isbell and his band did an interesting version of "Sad But True."

I'm sharing the cover and the original. 

Top Ten/Twenty Albums of 2020

 It's that time of the year again. And 2020 has been a shitshow of a year. 

Like I did in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, I'm providing my top choices of albums that came out this year. 

I didn't acquire as much new music as I have in past because I only purchased twenty new albums.   

I'm providing my top twenty albums with a few albums that came out in 2020 that I'm thinking about getting. If there are other albums you would recommend that came out in 2020, please let me know in the comments section. 

Regardless, in dishonor of what a crappy year it has been, you should also check out these articles in The Washington Post:

• "The Words To Describe 2020"
• "Dave Barry's Year in Review"

1. Drive-By Truckers - The New OK

This was the second album by DBT this year since The Unraveling came out, if I remember right, in January. I am sure there are some old DBT fans who are pushing back on the band's overtly political lyrics. There's all kinds of commentary about this on the InterWebs. I doubt Hood and Cooley give a damn. If there's an album that sums up this year, this one is it. 

Favorite songs: "Watching the Orange Clouds," "The New OK," "The Perilous Night," and "The Distance"

2. Nathaniel Rateliff - And It's Still Alright

I reckon it was a tough conversation that was had with The Night Sweats when the lead singer told them he wanted to record a solo album. But it makes sense. This album doesn't have the vibe of a Nathaniel Ratliff and the Night Sweats album. It's very much an introspective, intimate album about loss and learning. 

Favorite songs: "Rush On," "Expecting to Lose," "You Need Me," and "Mavis"

3. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

Getting this album made me want to get her previous album. I got introduced to this artist via a couple of late night shows and a fraternity brother via FB. I find her lyrics interesting--talk about fighting with undesirable people and how people's mindsets are nonsense. She does interesting work. 

Favorite songs: "Garden Song," "Chinese Satellite," "Savior Complex," and "Kyoto"

4. American Aquarium - Lamentations

This is another album of its time. The lead singer targets some obvious problems from a Southern point of view, especially his take on the 45th president in "Me + Mine (Lamentations)." This is another fine album from the band. 

Favorite songs: "Me + Mine (Lamentations)," "A Better South," "The Luckier You Get," and "Starts With You"

5. Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling

This album started the year. Interestingly enough, it's one fo the few albums by DBT that doesn't use the signature artwork their albums are known for. "Thoughts and Prayers" is one of my favorite songs of the year. 

Favorite songs: "Thoughts and Prayers," "Armageddon's Back in Town Again," "Grievance Merchants," and "Slow Ride Argument"

6. Pearl Jam - Gigaton

This is an album that I like initially on the first listen besides one song ("Buckle Up," which is one of my least favorite Pearl Jam songs), but it's an album I need to listen to more often. I just keep forgetting about it. When Lightning Bolt came out, I wore out that album. I find this one comparable. 

Favorite songs: "Quick Escape," "Never Destination," "Retrograde," and "Who Ever Said"

7. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions

 

I'll freely admit that Reunions is probably my least favorite Isbell album. I wanted to like it a lot, but it just doesn't grab me like the other albums. Regardless of my misgivings in regard to how this one fits into his catalog, It's a good album. Here's one of my favorite snippets of lyrics of 2020: "We're all struggling with the world on fire." 

Favorite songs: "Dreamsicle," "River," "St. Peter's Autograph," and "What've I've Done to Help"

8. Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You

The old rocker goes all introspective. It works. 

Favorite songs: "Last Man Standing," "Ghosts," "House of a Thousand Guitars," and "Burnin' Train" 

9. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

As you would surmise if you're following my Music Friday posts, I'm not a huge fan of hip-hop. But I like Run the Jewels. And the group provided this album for free this year. I also like free. "Look at these slave masters posing on your dollar." 

Favorite songs: "Ju$t," "Never Look Back," "A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Radiation)," and "Walking In The Snow"

10. Ray LaMontagne - MONOVISION

LaMontagne is one of those artists I like, but I seem to be hit and miss with his releases. I have a few, but I don't have anywhere close to all of them. Heck, I only have three of his albums. So 2020 was a hit year. It's a solid album that features his folky, soulful music. 

Favorite songs: "Misty Morning Rain," "Highway to the Sun," "We'll Make It Through," and "Strong Enough"

11. High on Stress - Hold Me In

As much as I like a good concept album, what I appreciate more is a straightforward rock and roll band. High on Stress is a band I discovered via Twitter (@Quintilan376) in 2020. They remind me of late era Replacements in some regard. 

Favorite songs: "Work Release," "Progress Is A Busted Line," "Wish This Moment Gone," and "Relax"

12. Jack Garrett - Love, Death, & Dancing

I absolutely enjoyed this bloke's previous album, and this one is solid too. He's such a talented dude. 

Favorite songs: "Time," "Circles," "Better," and "Old Enough"

13. Green Day - Father of All...

This is a decent collection of short post-punk rock and roll songs from a band that is already in the Hall of Fame, which I find a little strange. 

Favorite songs: "Fire, Ready, Aim," "I Was a Teenage Teenager," "Sugar Youth," and "Father of All..."

14. Sarah Jarosz - World on the Ground

The über-talented Jarosz produced another fine albums this year. I got to it late in the year, so I haven't given it as many spins as I should have because there is some fine work on this album, which has gotten some acclaim and awards.

Favorite songs: "What Do I Do," "I'll Be Gone," "Pay It No Mind," and "Johnny"

15. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1

While what the album provides is not new material from Simpson, it provides his "hits" of sorts in the form of bluegrass. He assembled a host of talented musicians to translate parts of his fine catalog to bluegrass. I haven't gotten volume 2 yet. 

Favorite songs: "Turtles All the Wall Down," "Living the Dream," "Just Let It Go," and "Breakers Roar"

16. Margo Price - That's How Rumors Get Started

Price is not afraid to call out people on their bullshit. This album has more of a rock vibe to it, which has garnered her some criticism. I don't think she gives a damn. 

Favorite songs: "I'd Die For You," "Gone To Stay," "Letting Me Down," and "Prisoner of the Highway"

17. The Third Mind - self-titled

I can't recall how I happened upon this album, but I found out about it somehow. I especially like the instrumental "East West." 

Favorite songs: "East West" and "Morning Dew"

18. Jayhawks - Xoxo

Here's another album I got to late from a band I first got introduced to in the 90s. It's what you would expect from the Jayhawks - straightforward alt-country. 

Favorite songs: "Society Pages," "Dogtown Days," "Bitter Pill," and "Homecoming"

19. G Love & Special Sauce - The Juice

I was at a friend's house a while back, and they were playing some G Love & Special Sauce. I took the plunge and got a couple of his albums. He's been around a while. I remember visiting Baton Rouge back in 1997, and he was playing there. He's still doing his schtick. 

Favorite songs: "Birmingham (featuring Robert Randolph and Keb Mo)," "Go Crazy," "Diggin' Roots," and "Fix Your Face" 

20. Bruce Hornsby - Non-Secure Connection

This ain't your radio-friendly Bruce Hornsby from the 90s. He's pushing boundaries, and I don't think some of his traditional fans are liking it. 

Favorite songs: "Non-Secure Connection," "Bright Star Cast," "Porn Hour," "Time, the Thief" 

Some albums that came out this year that I'm thinking about purchasing

Dawes - Good Luck with Whatever

Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Fleet Foxes - Shore

Stay Positive: Five Sad Songs

 I mentioned this in a recent Music Friday post, but after reading Ander Monson's "The Sadnesses of March" in his collection I Will Take the Answer, I thought about the two-person committee's selection of "Here Comes a Regular" from The Replacements. 

I noted another sad song from The Replacements that is an opus of sadness: "Answering Machine." 

I also like sad songs. They make us empathize with the precarious, pathos-laden nature of the human condition.  

So I'm featuring some other sad songs that the committee might want to check out if they ever revive the tournament with songs from different eras. I will note that most of them are about death in some way, so I'm thinking about doing another post of this ilk to focus on sad songs not necessarily related to death. 

"Elephant" by Jason Isbell 

Nothing like a song about cancer to make people cry when he performs this in concert. As is typical of Isbell's fine work, he's a master storyteller. The song's persona is the husband of a woman who has cancer. 

 

Lyrics of Note: "We burn these joints in effigy and cry about what we used to be/ and try to ignore the elephant somehow."

"Puttin' People on the Moon" by the Drive-By Truckers

I thought about a number of songs by DBT to put here, especially from their last few albums that are strongly political, but this is a classic DBT sad song that features healthy smidges of anger and despair. And I like this live version better than the one on The Dirty South.

. 

Lyrics of Note: "Another joker in the White House said a change is coming 'round./ But I'm still working at the Wal-Mart and Mary Alice in the ground." 

"Ballad of the Dying Man" by Father John Misty

Mr. Tillman is adept at social commentary. I wouldn't call this a traditional sad song, but it's one that makes us think about one's addiction to technology, which harnesses a certain kind of Black Mirror kind of sadness.

 

Lyrics of Note: "What he'd give for one more day to rate and analyze/ the world in his image as of yet/ to realize what a mess to leave behind." 

"Holiday" by James McMurtry

This song is so fitting for the holiday season. McMurtry is one of the finest lyricists alive right now. For me, this tune explicates a regret for people like me who no longer have their parents in this world. Some of my fondest memories are when my large family would get together for Xmas eve. Aside from my personal reaction, the lyrics expose the dread some people have for the holidays and presents images of loneliness.

 

Lyrics of Note: "Silent and shattered and numb to the core,/ they count themselves lucky/ they got through one more holiday." 

 

"Speed Trap Town" by Jason Isbell

Here we go with Isbell again. Like "Elephant," it's a tightly constructed narrative about visiting a father for the last time in an ICU and the persona's decision to leave.

Lyrics of Note: "Drank a cup of coffee by an Indian mound/ a thousand miles away from that speed trap town" 

The reference to the Indian mound reminds of the University of Alabama's Moundville Archeological Park. 

My Top Twenty Jason Isbell Songs Prior to Reunions

In anticipation of Isbell's Reunions dropping on Friday, I've seen a number of articles that rank his top twenty songs. 

Of course, musical tastes vary, so the lists have some sleepers, but they also tend to favor slower odes that are introspective. I like those. They are powerful, no doubt. 

I, however, tend to lean toward more rock-oriented songs, so I will just get that bias out of the way. 

Here are my top twenty Isbell songs, and I am not including any songs from Reunions. 

20. "Different Days"

Isbell is a master at presenting narratives of characters we might not focus on. The persona looks back at himself while considering how he would have interacted with a stripper. 





19. "24 Frames"

One of my favorite lyrics is "You thought God was an architect./ Now you know/ he's something like a pipe bomb/ ready to blow./ And everything you built that's all for show/ goes up in flames/ in twenty-four frames." 





18. "Cover Me Up"

The opening tune of Southeastern is a favorite of many Isbell fans if you go by the lists that travel about the InterWebs. It's about recovery and beautifully arranged. It's a solid song. 





17. "Stockholm"

A song about a Swedish city. But it's really about missing a girl. 




16. "Grown"

This song off his first album is sorely under appreciated. It's a tight narrative about a young boy having feelings for an older woman. "Are you still dancing to 'Purple Rain'?" "You taught me how to lust." 




15. "Dress Blues"

This tune was a staple of his early shows, and I suspect he still plays it. As most people know, it was written for his friend who died overseas, which he relates at the start of this video. 





14. "The Life You Chose"

This is a great song about coming back and realizing things are different and regret. In two stanzas he references "Jack and Coke" and The Bell Jar. The man is obviously well read. 





13. "Alabama Pines" 

The jangly guitar riff sets the tone well, and Shires' fiddle works as a backdrop on this tune. To me, it's a song about loneliness. It's a pleasant ear worm. 




12. "Outfit"

I had to get this tune in the top twenty. I debated between this song and "TVA," but this is one of my favorites. This song features good advice from Dad. 




11. "Songs She Sang in the Shower"

This is another underrated song in his catalog that showcases his wry wit. He incorporates Monty Python's "Bring Out Your Dead," for God's sake. 




10. "Never Gonna Change"

This is one of the stronger songs on one of the best ever Southern rock albums: The Dirty South. 





9. "Streetlights" 

This tune has always captured me: a guy sitting at a bar, closing it down, wondering what happened to a lass he wants, and then stumbling back to where he's gonna crash. I guess I can relate. 





8. "Elephant"

I remember when he tweeted about writing this song. As he's stated before, you know it's a powerful song when people cry when hearing it in concert. "We burn these joints in effigy/ and cry about what we used to be./ Try to ignore the elephant somehow./ Somehow..." 





7. "White Man's World" 

A fitting and poignant rumination on white privilege. 





6. "Soldiers Get Strange" 

Of the trio of songs about veterans, this is my favorite. As he stated when I saw him in concert years ago, it's a song about PTSD. 




5. "Stopping By" 

It's a great song about something many people deal with: an absent parent. "I think the best of me is still standing in the doorway." 





4. "Speed Trap Town"

This tune weaves a tightly knit story about loss. At the end when the persona wakes up next to Indian mound, I always think about Moundville, AL. 




3. "Goddamn Lonely Love" (Live from Alabama version)

This is one of his songs that will be played at my funeral. "The sun's a desperate star that burns like every single one before." 





2. "Relatively Easy"

In times like these, you got put things into perspective. 





1. "Hope the High Road"

Whether you agree with statements in the song or not, it's a hell of a tune. 

Music Friday: "Grown"

Jason Isbell deservedly gets a lot of attention for his more recent albums, but one of my favorite songs of his comes from his first solo album. 

I identify with it because I remember the feeling of lusting after an older girl when I was a young boy. I secretly pined for the older girl who lived across the street from me. I would sit in a pin oak tree (I was a tree climber as a boy) and fantasize about her. 

As the lyrics (full lyrics below) state, "I learned how to lust."




"Grown"

Last night I heard the sirens' song,
and I followed it in the ditch.
Oh baby, I'm just carrying on, 
far be it for me to bitch.

Last night I heard the distant hum
of another damn hurricane.
Oh, Sunnie tell me where you've gone.
Are you still dancing to 'Purple rain'?

You took my little hand.
You took me to your room.
You taught me how to want something.
I learned how to move.

Oh, oh, you made me feel so grown.

Last year I heard your momma had
a little trouble with the thin red line.
I always knew that you could
understand and not undermine.

You took me to your room.
I let my eyes adjust.
You taught me how to want something.
I learned how to lust. 

Oh, oh, you made me feel so grown.

Oh, oh, you made me feel so grown.

All them years ago
you took a nervous little kid,
and you taught me how to slow it down just a little bit

Oh, oh, you made me feel so grown.
Oh, oh, you made me feel so grown.
Oh, oh, oh, oh you made me feel so grown.
Oh, oh, oh you made me feel so grown.

Music Friday: "White Man's World"

For people who don't actively listen to lyrics, they might think the title of the song intimates some kind of pro-white stance. 

That's not the case at all. 

Top Twentysomething Albums of 2017

It's that time of the year again.

Like I did in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, I'm providing my top choices of albums that came out this year. 

If there are other albums you would recommend that came out in 2017, please let me know in the comments section.

1. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Nashville Sound

Not a big surprise here. Isbell put out another fine album this year. Unlike the previous album, this one showcased more rockers, which I thoroughly enjoy. Isbell and his comrades need to plug in the electric guitars more often and turn it up to eleven. "Hope the High Road" is one of my favorite songs of this year, and it effectively sums up my sentiments about the shit show that was the election and this past year. "White Man's World" is provocative exploration of white privilege. 

I am a bit flummoxed by the title of the album, however. Perhaps it was a juke move to get on the ballot of the CMT awards? I doubt it. Regardless, he has the poetic license to name the album whatever he wants, but I have these candidates for a better album title: Fire in Her Eyes, One Great Burden, One Fate, or Hope the High Road.

Favorite Songs: "Hope the High Road," "White Man's World," "Something to Love," and "Anxiety"

2. Benjamin Booker, Witness

This year I discovered Benjamin Booker. I'm late to the party. I like his mix of rock, R&B, and punk sensibilities. I need to get his debut album. 

Favorite Songs: "Motivation," "Truth is Heavy," "Overtime," and "All Was Well"

3. Father John Misty, Pure Comedy

I really got into this dude's music this year. The video of "Pure Comedy" has to be one of the highlights of the musical year. It reminds me of Twain's Letters from the Earth, and that's a huge compliment from me. That's one of my favorite Twain books. At times the album seems like Mr. Misty pontificating to musical tracks, but I like his pontificating. It's an album that when you sit down to or have on in the car on a road trip, it gets you trippy. In a good way. 

"Where did they find these goons elected to rule them? What makes these clowns they idolize so remarkable? These mammals are hell-bent on fashioning new Gods."

"I hate to say it, but each other's all we got." 

Favorite Songs: "Pure Comedy," "Total Entertainment Forever," "When the God of Love Returns There'll Be Hell to Pay," and "In Twenty Years or So"

4. Queens of the Stone Age, Villains

Man, Sirius XM's The Spectrum played the Hell out of "The Way You Used to Do" this year. I know it's a good song and all, but there are many other solid songs on the new Queens... album. If you like guitar-driven rock, this is worth your time. 

Favorite Songs: "The Evil Has Landed," "Feet Don't Fail Me Now," "Head Like a Haunted House," and "Domesticated Animals"

5. The War on Drugs, A Deeper Understanding

I had read critical praise for this band here and there over the years, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Then I took the dive and bought the band's new album. I got hooked. There's a hypnotic quality to the band's songs. They just suck you in.  

Favorite Songs: "Nothing to Find," "Holding On, "Up All Night," and "In Chains" 

6. JD McPherson, Undivided Heart and Soul

Now that's a great album cover if anyone cares about album art anymore. McPherson has a old-time rock-n-roll vibe to his work. What a great voice. What was missing from this album were the horns. His previous album featured horns in a good way. Regardless, this is a strong album that I happily listen to. 

Favorite Songs: "Let's Get Out of Here While We're Young," "Under the Spell of City Lights," "Style (Is a Losing Game)," and "Desperate Love"

7. Deer Tick, Vol. 2

Deer Tick came out with two albums this year. Vol. 2 is the more rock-oriented offering, the mustard of the two. This band is one of the more underrated groups playing right now. You need to buy their albums. Depending on the day, I could easily flip Vol. 1 for Vol. 2 in the rankings. 

Favorite Songs: "Jumpstarting," "Sloppy," "Tiny Fortunes," and "S.M.F."

8. North Mississippi Allstars, Prayer for Peace

After World Boogie is Coming, I didn't know what to expect from NMAS. This is another solid offering from the guys who provide healthy doses of rock/blues. Like Benjamin Booker's "Witness," "Prayer for Peace" weighs in on race relations. 

Favorite Songs: "Red Rooster," "Prayer for Peace," "You Got to Move," and "long Haired Doney"

9. Deer Tick, Vol. 1

Vol. 2 is the more folk-oriented offering of the two albums. 

Favorite Songs: "Doomed from the Start," "Hope Is Big," "Cocktail," and "Sea of Clouds" 

10. Son Volt, Notes of Blue

I think I have unrealistic expectations for Son Volt, aka Jay Farrar and other dudes he plays with. I found Honky Tonk disappointing, and considering the greatness of the band's earlier albums such as Trace and Swing Wide Tremelo, I cast a hypercritical eye on the new releases. 

I bought this album when it came out, listened to it a few times, and then didn't revisit until I drove up to Iowa to visit my dad. I decided to give it a second chance and realized it's a good album.

Favorite Songs: "Back Against the Wall," "Sinking Down," "Lost Souls," and "Cherokee St." 

11. Eric Bibb, Migration Blues

In a time in which a narcissistic, fact-challenged, pathological liar claims that he's going to build a wall to stop the illegal immigration that has actually declined, Migration Blues was a needed tonic. This is traditional blues fare we should be thankful for. 

Favorite Songs: "Delta Getaway," "Diego's Blues," "Masters of War," and "Postcard from Booker"

12. Matthew Ryan, Hustle Up Starlings

I dig this artist's scratchy voice and singer-songwriter bent. I had never heard of this guy before I read on some blog post that he had a new album out. The album is a mix of acoustic numbers and straightforward rock-n-roll. 

Favorite Songs: "It's a Delicate Waltz," "Battle-Born," "Close Your Eyes," and "Summer Never Ends" 

13. Trombone Shorty, Parking Lot Symphony

You know the deal. Trombone Shorty melds jazz, R&B, and rock to please your ears. I don't think it's the strongest of his albums, but it's enjoyable. 

Favorite Songs: "Tripped Out Slim," "Where It At?," "Laveau Dirge No. 1," and "Here Come the Girls" 

14. Turnpike Troubadours, A Long Way from Your Heart

This band keeps putting out strong after strong albums. I don't know if top 40 country stations play this band's songs because, in general, top 40 country sucks. The current "Nashville sound" is crap. Feces. Fertilizer. Merde. Unimaginative Shit.

Favorite Songs: "Oklahoma Stars," "The Housefire," "The Hard Way," and "Something to Hold on To"

15. Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Backlash

I like this guy's work. His songs often get selected when my iPod is doing its shuffle. He and his mates mix rock with horns. This album seems to be more guitar-oriented. 

Favorite Songs: "Global," "PTP," "Shadow People," and "Prison"

16. Foo Fighters, Concrete and Gold

I really enjoyed the band's previous album and the HBO series that corresponded with it. If you like hard rock, check out this new offering. 

Favorite Songs: "La Dee Da," "Run," "The Sky is Neighborhood," and "Make It Right"

17. Blitzen Trapper, Wild and Reckless

The band billed this as a dystopian album of sorts. I need to listen to the lyrics more carefully to suss that out. From what I recall, darkness lurks. 

Favorite Songs: "When I'm Dying," "Dance with Me," "Joanna," and "Baby Won't You Turn Me 

On" 

18. Margo Price, All American Made

This Illinois native is one of the few country musicians to speak out against MoscowDon. Good for her. 

Even better is that she has crafted a strong album that is worth your time. 

The title song and "Pay Gap" are great. 

Favorite Songs: "All American Made," "Pay Gap," "A Little Pain," and "Wild Women"

19. Prophets of Rage, self-titled

It's good to hear Chuck D doing his thing again. 

These songs could be political. 

Favorite Songs: "Living on the 110," "Hands Up," "Unfuck the World," and "Radical Eyes"

20. Weezer, Pacific Daydream

That was quick. This band that made its name in the 90s just had an album out last year. How productive. If you like Weezer, you'll like this album. 

I like Weezer. 

Favorite Songs: "Feels Like Summer," "Weekend Woman," "Any Friend of Diane's," and "Happy Hour"

Honorable Mentions

Bash & Pop, Anything Could Happen

Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice

Fleet Foxes, Crack-Up

Josh Ritter, Gathering

Justin Townes Earle, Kids in the Street

The Secret Sisters, You Don't Own Me Anymore

Supersonic Blues Machine, Californiasoul