Dig That Bap: A Bap Kennedy Sampler

I still remember getting the Irish singer Bap Kennedy's cd Lonely Street in 2000. I really liked his first two releases (Domestic Blues and Hillbilly Shakespeare), but I must confess to a bit skepticism in reading the liner notes as it seemed like a not so great concept album about Hank Williams and Elvis Presley. Well, let's just say it's a good thing I'm a skeptic rather than a cynic since Lonely Street soon became one of my all time favorite cds (if the term desert island discs still meant anything, I'd say it was one of mine). Really, it's hard to imagine a more perfect album from start to finish - every song is a gem, the sequencing is spot-on, and he makes the not quite a concept album concept work brilliantly.

Now his two albums (The Big Picture and Howl On) since then haven't quite matched up, but there are several splendid tracks and really, how could they compare? All of his releases are still available with the exception of Hillbilly Shakespeare (you can also get his solo releases as well as a lot of his stuff with 90s band Energy Orchard - at emusic.com)

According to his website, he's just completing a new cd, so to hold you over, here's a little sampler including several Energy Orchard tracks.

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Lost Highway Bap Kennedy

My Money Bap Kennedy

Wasted Energy Orchard

Fireworks Bap Kennedy

Elvis Hank and Me Bap Kennedy

Dirty Old Town Bap Kennedy

Tell Your Mother Energy Orchard

Irish Moon Bap Kennedy

Hey Joe Bap Kennedy

Born To Lose Bap Kennedy

I'm No Angel Energy Orchard

Sailortown Energy Orchard

My Sweet Love Aint Around Bap Kennedy

The Beautiful Country Bap Kennedy

Hanks Last Waltz Bap Kennedy

On the Right Side of 2016

   I'd rather not focus on the non-musical events of 2016 for this post since, strictly judging the year based on the musical releases, 2016 was a pretty good year.  With the exceptions of the dearly departed Leonard Cohen and Sharon Jones, I only included acts who hadn't appeared on my best of 2014 and 2015 compilations.  This was kinda tough as I had to leave out Angel Olsen's My Woman, but one must abide by some rules.  In the spirit of honoring those who died during the year, I've also re-upped the Bowie tributes, the Leonard Cohen-Patsy Cline-Cat Power compilations, and the Sharon Jones-Detroit Cobras compilation.

   Update: So only 24 hours after posting this, I found out that Bap Kennedy died in early November.  I'll just say he was an underappreciated singer-songwriter from Dublin and let my post on him from five years ago provide a little more depth about him.  RIP Bap.


Disc One

You Want It Darker Leonard Cohen Thousand Mile Night Jonah Tolchin The Soul Of A Man Tom Waits Fast Fuse Blues Paul Burch Two Kids Laura Gibson Snowflake Carl Broemel Days Spent Floating (In The Halfbetween) Okkervil River Dusty Trails (Demo) Lucius Faint Mystery Trixie Whitley Red Moon Whitney Royalty Capes De La Soul Trouble in Here The Frightnrs Put Me Thru  Anderson .Paak Chicken Picken Circuit Des Yeux O Mistress Mine (Clown's Song From Twelfth Night) Paul Kelly Stanley Park Aoife O'Donovan Desperate and Depressed Margo Price Fickle Sun (iii) I'm Set Free Brian Eno

Disc Two

22 Bon Iver Dyin' Bed Maker Kacy & Clayton Light in the House The Cave Singers Temptation M. Ward Okoroba Family Atlantica Firmeza (feat. Rodrigo Campos) Elza Soares I'm Still Here Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Roadside Memorial Allah-Las My Darling, Blue Skies John Doe Georgia Stars case/lang/veirs Lullaby Dori Freeman Number One with a Bullet Freakwater Let Me Get There Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions Squash Squash Blood Orange Clementine Jam Orchestra Baobab Good to Be Back Home Charles Bradley One Way to Pray Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop Tea, Milk & Honey Oh Pep!

There's a Heartbreak Somewhere: A Compendium of Country Soul - Disc 3 & 4

As promised last month, here are the next two volumes of country-soul.  And if you haven't had enough, I'd especially recommend the following albums: James Carr "A Man Needs a Woman", Candi Staton "Candi Staton", O.V. Wright "8 Men and 4 Women", The War and Treaty "Healing Tide", Cat Power "The Greatest", Arthur Alexander "Lonely Just Like Me", Bettye Swann "Bettye Swann", and Ted Hawkins "The Next Hundred Years".  

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  Disc 3

The Greatest	Cat Power
Gentle On My Mind	Tony Borders
Search Your Heart	Rudolph Taylor
Everybody Loves A Winner	William Bell
Lonely Street	Bap Kennedy
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart	Al Green
Blue Eyed Soul	Wilco
Pity a Fool	Barbara & The Browns
Steal Away	Billy Joe Royal
If You're Not Back In Love By Monday	Millie Jackson
Help Me Make It Through The Night	Joe Simon
Go Home Girl	Arthur Alexander
Willie & Laura Mae Jones	Dusty Springfield
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye	Bettye Swann
I Can't Be Satisfied	Spence Wiggins
A Sad Sad Song	Charles Crawford
There's a Heartbreak Somewhere	Roscoe Shelton
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man	Etta James
Disc 4
Strange Conversation	Ted Hawkins
Whispering Pines	Kelly Hogan & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
You Left The Water Running	Maurice & Mac
If I Had a Hammer	Willie Hightower
Suspicious Minds	Elvis Presley
Lover Don't Go	Nick Lowe
A Satisfied Mind	Bobby Hebb
Don't Let Her Know	Ray Charles
In The Same Motel	Dicky Williams
Starving for Your Love	Ella Washington
Something About What Happens When We Talk	Lucinda Williams
Funny How Time Slips Away	Joe Hinton
A Woman Left Lonely	Charlie Rich
The Dark End of the Street	Dan Penn
Why Not Tonight	Jimmy Hughes
Tennessee Waltz	Otis Redding
My Baby's Gone	The Wallace Brothers
Sudden Stop	Percy Sledge

On the Right Side of 2012

     It's my annual "best of" (actually I prefer "my favorites") compilation  and I must confess I always feel a little self-conscious about this one in a way that I rarely do about my other compilations.  Not so much about how it will be received, but more along the lines, "so this is the kind of music I listen to....Are my tastes too stereotypically 40something? Am I in a bit of rut in terms of expanding my palette? But I'm over it now. :) I should also mention that there were a few artists I left off because they had appeared on the best of 2010 or best of 2011 comps.  Anyway, happy listening and a Happy New Year to all!


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Hang Loose	Alabama Shakes
3 Pears	Dwight Yoakam
Please Return To Jesus	Bap Kennedy
Slip and Roll	Aimee Mann
Leonard	Sharon Van Etten
Magic Summertime	Eleni Mandell
Blackwind	Patrick Watson
Tell Me A Tale	Michael Kiwanuka
Who	David Byrne & St. Vincent
Dirty Money	Antibalas
All Your Gold	Bat For Lashes
Sweet Life	Frank Ocean
Montauk	Rufus Wainwright
The Kingdom Has Already Come	Iris Dement
Adam and Eve	Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
Yet Again	Grizzly Bear
Splitter	Calexico
Human Being	Cat Power
I Like To Keep Myself In Pain	Kelly Hogan
Deep River	Bobby Womack

A Trip Back to Alternative Country

I realize the 2010s are almost upon us and at some point I may make a best of 2009 compilation, but tonight's post is devoted to alternative country from the 1990s - specifically, the alt-country artists and bands from the 90s that didn't receive the attention of Wilco, Whiskeytown, Old 97s, etc.

Disc One

Long Time A Comin' Bap Kennedy

The Calm Comes After Kate Jacobs

A Little Bluer Than That Irene Kelley

On The Streets Rico Bell

Monterey Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub

Blue Stranger Paul Kelly & the Messengers

Love Is Not Blind Lonesome Bob

Lie, Memory, Lie Dallas Wayne

Pictures Of China Tandy

Cycle Of Days The Schramms

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Dale Ann Bradley

Weight Of The World Christy McWilson

Big Time Broken Heart Terry Anderson

Jealous of the River Pat Haney

Songs Bottles Are Broken To Forever Goldrush

Link Of Chain Chris Smither

Try It Again Royann Calvin

Hands Off Courtney & Western

Highway Junkie Chris Knight

Can't Let Go Randy Weeks

Disc Two

County Fair Phil Alvin
Red, Red Wine And Cheatin' Songs Marty Stuart

Red Headed Woman Deke Dickerson & The Eccofonics

It's a Mystery to Me Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys

Kansas City Kitty Dave Stuckey & The Rhythm Gang

Oh Lonesome Me Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel

Wake Up Screaming Jim Lauderdale

Must've Been High Supersuckers

George's Bad Day Biller & Wakefield

Big Black Cadillac Sonny Burgess

Fool on a Stool Bill Kirchen

King of the Blues Dick Curless

Gastonia The Starroom Boys

Bustin' Up Jim Campilongo and the 10 Gallon Cats

She's A Nail In My Heart Jeff Bright & The Sunshine Boys

Lester Leaps In Ray Condo & His Ricochets

Blue Moon Blue Neil Mooney

Little M Flat Duo Jets

I Don't Do Floors Jann Browne

Your Old Used To Be Souvenirs