Music Friday: "Flyover Halftime"

I'm late. I had a hectic Friday and just forgot about it. 

I did pick up the new album, The Price of Progress, by The Hold Steady this week. 

After a first listen, I'm digging it, especially the final track on the album. 

Music Friday: "Unpleasant Breakfast"

Another album I picked up recently is Open Door Policy by The Hold Steady. 

Here's a song that's a pleasant ear worm of renown. 

I'm late with this post. I just forgot about it. A large part of Friday was spent doing a campus visit for my daughter, and then we went to a hometown Friday night high school football game here in east central Illinois. 

Cheers.

Random Notes from a Crank

 I'm looking forward to some new albums coming out this year. I know The Hold Steady is set to drop a new album this year. And I've already acquired new albums form Lucero and Langhorne Slim. 

The fact that many of the GOP Senators will not acquit the 45th president for inciting a riot is ridiculous but not surprising. No spines or ethics. The Republican Party is being held hostage by a crazy person and white supremacist nonsense. 

As much as I like the term Latinx term, I read an article in Harper's recently that noted that over two-thirds or three quarters of Latinos don't care for or use the term. It's a coinage used by academics and well-meaning liberals, not one created by the people themselves. So they're not really using it. 

Regardless, Latinos and Black are not monolithic voting blocks. They never have been. In fact, they tend to be more centrist than left wing. 

Then again, as Jennifer Rubin write about in "Shrinking the GOP, One State at a Time," there are significant amounts of voters who are no longer registered as Republicans in important states like Colorado, North Caroline, Arizona, and Pennsylvania after the attack on the Capitol. 

And D.C. and Puerto Rico should be given statehood.

Music Friday: "Southtown Girls"

 This week I listened to a number of albums by The Hold Steady, a great old-fashioned rock-n-roll band. 

This tune is the final song on Boys and Girls in America. 

And yes, I'm late with this one. 

Music Friday: "Stay Positive"

I have Stay Positive posts, but I don't think I ever featured the song that created the namesake of those posts. 

So here's "Stay Positive" from the The Hold Steady. 

Top Ten/Twenty Albums of 2019

It's that time of the year again.

Like I did in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, 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 years, so if there are other albums you would recommend that came out in 2019, please let me know in the comments section. 

I'm providing my top ten albums with a handful of honorable mentions. 

1. Sturgill Simpson, SOUND & FURY

If people thought Simpson's last album was an experiment because of the inclusion of horns, I wonder what they think about this one. This album was a total surprise to me. I enjoy his whole discography, but this opus delivers wildly different goods than what we're accustomed to from a singer-songwriter of the Americana ilk. The pulsing beats and experimental melodies are wonderful. Do yourself a favor and watch the film on Netflix. It's a trip. 

Favorite Songs: "Make Art Not Friends," "Best Clockmaker on Mars," "Mercury in Retrograde," and "Sing Along"

2. Gary Clark Jr, This Land

Like Isbell's song from last year, "Hope the High Road," Clark's leadoff song on this fine album, "This Land," is a political punch in the gut. That song, for me, is the 2019 Song of the Year. The album is a mix of traditional blues, rock-n-roll, and soulful tunes. Mr. Clark has turned himself into one of those artists who puts out consistent, well plotted albums. I look forward to more and more of them. 

Favorite Songs: "This Land," "Dirty Dishes Blues," "Gotta Get Into Something," and "Feed the Babies"

3. Black Pumas, self-titled

This duo is apparently nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. I suspect they might win unless Maggie Rogers (see below) wins the award. I suspect you've heard their single, "Colors," sometime along the line this year. Their music reminds me of the great R&B/Soul records of the 60s and 70s, especially the work of Bill Withers, who was phenomenal. I don't know much about these guys besides the fact they're based out of Austin, which is a musical hothouse. 

Favorite Songs: "Touch the Sky," "Fire," "Colors," and "Know You Better" 

4. Michael Kiwanuka, KIWANUKA

Over the years I've heard Kiwanuka's tunes and enjoyed them, but I never took the plunge and actually bought one of his albums. I rewarded myself and acquired his 2019 release. I guess he's considered an alternative artist, but it sounds like good old fashioned R&B to me. "Final Days" is one of my favorite songs of the year. 

Favorite Songs: "Final Days," "Hero," "Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)," and "Solid Ground"

5. Jon Batiste, Chronology of a Dream

Mr. Batiste and his backing band Stay Human are known for their work on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and a week or so back the band played one of the songs from this album on the show. I loved the song. So I bought the album. Batiste has two albums out this year that are live at the Village Vanguard. I prefer this one over the other one, which is featured in the honorable mention section. I might be purchasing more jazz albums this coming year. Batiste and his mates have reaffirmed my interest in traditional jazz. 

Favorite Songs: "PRINCE," "PWWR," "KENNER," and "BIRTHE" 

6. Maggie Rogers, Heard It In A Past Life

I got interested in her work after hearing the single "Light On" via the Sirius XM Spectrum channel. I guess one way you might describe her music is alternative pop. This album fulfills my need when I have to listen to some pop-like tunes. 

Favorite Songs: "Fallingwater," "Past Life," "Burning," and "Light On"

7. The Hold Steady, Thrashing Thru the Passion

I almost missed that one of my favorite rock bands pushed out a new album this year. It doesn't disappoint. The drum beat and menacingly fun guitar riffs on "You Did Good Kid" are addictive as hell. As usual, Finn pens fine lyrics that tell interesting stories. 

Favorite Songs: "You Did Good Kid," "T-Shirt Tux," "Entitlement Crew," and "Traditional Village"  

8. Tedeschi Trucks Band, Signs

This massively sized band put out another good album this year. Like all their other albums, it's a heady mix of blues and rock with horns thrown in. 

Favorite Songs: "They Don't Shine," "Shame," "Still Your Mind," and "Signs, Hard Times" 

9. Justin Townes Earle, The Saint of Lost Causes

I think one could argue that this album is JTE's best effort since Harlem River Blues. But my evaluation is colored by my bias for uptempo songs, which this album features. 

Favorite Songs: "Ain't Got No Money," "Mornings in Memphis," "Flint City Shake It," "Appalachia Nightmare"

10. Son Volt, Union

Considering the times, Jay Farrar returned to political songs. I can't say I'm surprised. I still hanker for rock-forward tunes of the earlier years (think Swing Wide Tremelo). 

Favorite Songs: "The Symbol," "The 99," "When Rome Burns," and "Devil May Care" 

Honorable Mentions

Todd Snider, Cash Cabin Sessions No. 3

Bob Mould, Sunshine Rock

Craig Finn, I Need a New War

Joe Pug, The Flood in Color

Chemical Brothers, No Geography

Jon Batiste, Anatomy of Angels

Music Friday: "You Did Good Kid"

This week I discovered The Hold Steady, one of my favorite rock bands, put out a new album last month. 

No one told me about it. 

Here's a cut from the new album. 

Music Friday: "Almost Everything"

Here's a deep cut from the fine band The Hold Steady. 

Music Friday: "Sequestered in Memphis" & "Constructive Summer"

As I was driving to pick up my son from school, "Stuck Between Stations" came on via song shuffle on my iPod, which reminded me what a great band The Hold Steady is.

I wonder when the band's next album is coming out? 

Until then I'll keep listening to their old ones. 

Here's "Sequestered in Memphis" and "Constructive Summer."

Music Friday: "Wait a While" & "Big Cig"

Here's a tune from the latest album from The Hold Steady. In the comments of my Top Twentysomething Albums of 2014 post, Fozzie said "Wait a While" was one of his favorite songs on the album. One of my favorites is "Big Cig." 

Top Twentysomething Albums of 2014

It's that time of the year again.

Like I did in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, I'm providing my top twenty albums that came out this year. After the top twenty, there's a list of albums that deserve honorable mention. 

As for the year in music, from my perspective, this year didn't produce the quality of albums that I have gotten accustomed to from the past few years. Maybe it's just my personal music tastes, but the previous four years seem stronger in quality and quantity. 

That's not to say these twensomething albums aren't good. They are. However, there weren't many albums that really blew my doors off. 

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

1. Drive-By Truckers, English Oceans

DBT is somewhat cursed by their past success. While The Big To-Do and Go-Go Boots have a number of solid songs on them, Truckers fans are prone to think about the glories of Pizza Deliverance, Southern Rock Opera, The Dirty South (which I would argue is the band's best album), and Decoration Day. Fortunately, this year saw a DBT album that offers a roughly equal number of Cooley and Hood songs. I like that change because I've always felt Cooley has been under-appreciated as a lyricist. 

When I first made a draft of the top albums, I had this album further down the list. Then I listened to it a bit more and moved it up to 1. "When Walter Went Crazy," "The Part of Him," and "Pauline Hawkins" have become three tunes to add to my favorite Patterson Hood songs. "Grand Canyon," written for one of their friends who passed away, is majestic. Cooley's "Primer Coat" is a sober recognition of the passage of time. 

Favorite songs: "Seeing Jimmy Loud," "Primer Coat," "When He's Gone," "Grand Canyon," "The Part of Him," and "When Walter Went Crazy"

2. The Hold Steady, Teeth Dreams

It was good to see this band come out with a solid album this year. I liked Craig Finn's solo effort, but I prefer the more raw, straightforward rock-n-roll of THS with Finn's narrative-based lyrics. "Big Cig" is one of my favorite songs of this year. Some of the songs aren't as brawny as what I consider some of the band's classics like "Stuck Between Stations," "Chips Ahoy!," "Constructive Summer," "Sequestered in Memphis," and "The Sweet Part of the City." However, the band provides a strong offering here, a well rounded album. 

Favorite songs: "Runner's High," "Oaks," "On With the Business," "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You," and "Big Cig"

3. Centro-matic, Take Pride in Your Long Odds

I am a big fan of the band's previous album, Candidate Waltz. But this one has really stuck with me. It's been a go-to listen since I picked it up. It's just a solid album of Centro-matic doing their Centro-matic things. I rarely can figure out what the heck Will Johnson is singing about, but the arrangements and melodies are addictive and hypnotic. 

Favorite songs: "Through the Fog, Then Down," "Salty Disciple," "Academy of Lunkers," and "Cynthia Glass"

4. Hard Working Americans, self-titled

So Todd Snider, Dave Schools (bassist of Widespread Panic), Neal Casel (guitarist of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Chad Staehly (keyboardist of Great American Taxi), and Duane Trucks (drummer) got together and created an fine album of covers. Check it out. Support these hard working Americans. 

Favorite songs: "Stomp and Holler," "Straight to Hell," "The Mountain Song," "Welfare Music," and "Run a Mile"

5. Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways

I got sucked into this album because I started watching their HBO show that showcased them recording the songs at famous recording studios. As the show makes us want to believe, they would go to a certain city, talk to influential people there, lay down the tunes, and then Grohl would pen lyrics based on the time spent in the location. I don't know how accurate that method is, but I don't see why they would lie. They might fudge the truth a bit, but Sonic Highways is strong hard rock album with songs that become pleasant ear worms. 

Favorite songs: "Something from Nothing" (about Chicago), "I Am a River" (about New York City), "Outside" (about Joshua Tree, CA), and "Feast and The Famine" (about D.C.)

6. Tom Petty, Hypnotic Eye

The past couple of years I've gotten back into Tom Petty and his fine Heartbreakers. Hypnotic Eye is a solid rock album. It didn't generate the hits like his old albums did, but now is a very different music industry/environment. "Forgotten Man" is reminiscent of a Bo-Diddley riff. "American Dream Plan B" provides some social commentary. And "Fault Lines" reminds me that I'm a  middle-aged man.

Favorite songs: "Forgotten Man," "All You Can Carry," "Fault Lines," and "American Dream Plan B"

7. Various Artists, Dead Man's Town

Yep, that's right. A tribute album to Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. Younger artists take on these iconic songs and make them their own. Joe Pug's rendition of "Downbound Train" is excellent. Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires start off the album with a justly somber and haunting "Born in the U.S.A." Blitzen Trapper has fun on "Working on the Highway." And a band I didn't know about before I got this album, the Quaker City Night Hawks, provides a fabulous cover of "Darlington County."

Favorite songs: Ones mentioned above plus "I'm Going Down" by Trampled by Turtles" and "I'm on Fire" by Low. 

8. Nickel Creek, A Dotted Line

The band got back together and put out A Dotted Line this year. As for Thile's outfits, I prefer the Punch Brothers over Nickel Creek. If you like their work from the early aughts, you'll enjoy this one. It's a return to form although "Hayloft" seems a bit experimental. 

Favorite songs: "Elephant in the Corn," "21st of May," "Elsie," "Hayloft," and "Destination" 

9. John Mellencamp, Performs Trouble Now More at Town Hall

If you like Trouble No More, and I really do, then you'll really like the live album of the songs performed in 2003. There are also revised versions of "Paper in Fire," "Teardrops Will Fall," "Small Town," and "Pink Houses." 

Favorite songs: "Stones in My Passway," "Paper in Fire," "To Washington," and "Down in the Bottom"

10. Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes

Since Mellencamp came in at 9, I might as well follow it up for another aged rock star. Apparently, the skinny on this album is they recorded a bunch of songs that he and the E Street Band usually play live. It has a live vibe that makes me disappointed that I've never seen Springsteen in concert. Tom Morello was part of the recording of this album and he also was part of the tour. So the album presents a significant revision of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" since Rage Against the Machine revised it. 

Favorite songs: "High Hopes," "American Skin (41 Shots)," "Just Like Fire Would," "Hunter of Invisible Game," "The Ghost of Tom Joad" 

11. John Fullbright, Songs

Fullbright's debut album, From the Ground Up, is so outstanding that it was going to be difficult to live up to those lofty expectations. Songs is a slower moving affair than the first album, with only a few songs with drums on them. I prefer his more uptempo tunes. However, there are solid, introspective tracks on this album. 

Favorite songs: "When You're Here," "Never Cry Again," "Going Home," and "The One That Lives Too Far"

12. The Bad Plus, The Rite of Spring

I was between either putting up this album or the band's other one, Inevitable Western, that came out this year. One of the best jazz trios out there takes on Stravinsky's famous work, an opus that people consider to one of the most influential pieces of music in the 20th century. The Bad Plus is considered to be experimental by some jazz purists, so it makes sense they reinterpreted this classic work that was seen as experimental in its day. Well done.

Favorite parts: "The Augurs of Spring," "First Part: Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds," and "Second Part: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance" 

13. St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Half the City

If you're looking for some good old fashioned soul music, you need to get this album. These fellows from Birmingham (AL) do it right. The lead singer's voice reminds me of Otis Redding, and Redding is easily my favorite R&B/soul singer. Fun arrangements and soul butter slappin' you upside the head. 

Favorite songs: "It's Midnight," "Half the City," "Like a Mighty River," and "Call Me"  

14. Justin Townes Earle, Single Mothers

For me, because Harlem River Blues is such a strong album, it's difficult for subsequent JTE albums to impress me. I like this one better than the last, and I look forward to the follow up to Single Mothers, which is titled Absent Fathers. This album is standard JTE and worthy of the top twenty of 2014. 

Favorite songs: "Time Shows Fools," "Wanna Be a Stranger," "My Baby Drives," and "Single Mothers"

15. Keb' Mo', Bluesamericana

I hadn't bought a Keb Mo album in a good while. This year's album got good reviews, so I picked it up. Though it's a bit too polished for my taste at times, he offers a strong set of songs on this album. If you're hankering for some blues, this was a good option this year. On some songs, such as "Old Me Better," there are ragtime influences. 

Favorite songs: "Old Me Better," "The Worst Is Yet to Come," "Do It Right," and "Move"

16. The Secret Sisters, Put Your Needle Down

Their debut album was widely lauded by critics. I think their sophomore album is even stronger. In contrast to the old timey feel of the first album, these songs sound more original and a bit more dark. Nice work, ladies.

Favorite songs: "Black and Blue," "Rattle My Bones," "Let There Be Lonely," and "I Cannot Find a Way"

17. Trampled by Turtles, Wild Animals

The bluegrass dudes from Duluth scored another fine album this year. In comparison to other releases, Wild Animals is, in general, a slower paced affair. But it's good. 

Favorite songs: "Western World," "Are You Behind the Shining Star?," "Repetition," and "Winners"

18. Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

I don't have Simpson's first album, but this album is a definite breath of fresh air for country music. It contrasts, thankfully, to the bro-country offerings of schmucks like Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan, et al. This is country music that's old school, and that's a very good thing. 

Favorite songs: "Life of Sin," "Turtles All the Way Down," "It Ain't All Flowers," and "Living the Dream"

19. Counting Crows, Somewhere Under Wonderland

Yes, these guys are still around. I hadn't bought one of the band's albums since Hard Candy (2002). I doubt any of these songs were big hits on the charts like how the band captured the music industry's attention with August and Everything After, but if you yearn for good poppy rock music, this album is worth your time. 

Favorite songs: "John Appleseed's Lament," "Scarecrow," "Dislocation," and "Palisades Park"

20. The Barr Brothers, Sleeping Operator

If you missed their first album, you should start with that one. Sleeping Operator is a good second offering, but I think I could sum up this album in one word: atmospheric. It's a good listen if you're in the mood for that kind of music. 

Favorite songs: "Valhallas," "Even the Darkness Has Arms," "Wolves," and "Static Orphans"


Honorable Mentions

The Bad Plus, Inevitable Western

Delta Spirit, Into the Wild

The Afghan Wigs, Do To the Beast

Rod Picott, Hang Your Hopes on a Crooked Nail

Shovels and Rope, Swimmin' Time