On the Right Side of 2010

I haven't come up with any new year's resolutions yet, but I am proud of myself for putting together my best of 2010 compilation before year's end. :) (And like last year, all the mp3s are tagged with the name of the album they come from.) Happy 2011 to everyone!

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The Game Gets Old Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Iwo Ko La Dami Tunji Oyelana and The Benders

When The Sun Don't Shine Best Coast

Everyone But You The Young Veins

Barstool Night Driving in Small Towns

Radio Gal Paul Burch

El Dorado Jim Lauderdale

Bring It On The Gaslight Anthem

The Lady And The Rose Los Lobos

Cirandar Seu Jorge and Almaz

Chicas Kamikaze Matorralman

Bang Bang Bang Mark Ronson & The Business Intl

Come Alive [War Of The Roses] Janelle Monae

Unbroken, Unshaven The Budos Band

Zebra Beach House

Small Craft On A Milk Sea Brian Eno

The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart) Ryan Bingham

The Reason Why My Heart's in Misery Lay Low

See You Tonight Volebeats

Nothing Was Stolen (Love Me Foolishly) Phosphorescent

The Talk of the Townes - Disc Two

As promised, here's a second batch of Townes Van Zandt cover tunes.

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If I Needed You Christina Kulukundis

Delta Momma Blues Steve Earle

Heavenly Houseboat Blues Christian Kjellvander

Flyin' Shoes Lyle Lovett

Pancho and Lefty Gillian Welch

Sanitarium Blues Garry Heffern & The Walkabouts

Cowboy Junkies Lament Cowboy Junkies

Tecumseh Valley Nanci Griffith

Loretta John Prine

White Freight Liner Blues J.D. Crowe

Buckskin Stallion Blues Mudhoney/Jimmy Dale Gilmore

To Live Is to Fly Thomas Denver Jonsson

Why She's Acting This Way Phosphorescent

Catfish Song Richard Buckner

The Talk of the Townes

Since I did a Tom Waits tribute last year (here and here), I figured I'd spotlight another great songwriter this year. This time, it's the Texas troubador, Townes Van Zandt. Now, Townes songs may not lend themselves to quite the stylistic variations that Waits' do, but they're still some pretty dandy songs. I should point out that there are some pretty good Townes compilations already out there (There's a Hole in Heaven Where Some Sin Gets Through, Introducing the Townes Van Zandt via The Great Unknown, Poet, as well a nice homemade mixtape at the website whenyouawake.com, all of which I took a couple of tracks from.) So it's hardly an original idea, but I hope folks still like it. I'll post Disc Two next week.

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Snake Song Emmylou Harris

Our Mother the Mountain Great Lake Swimmers

For the Sake of the Song Azure Ray

Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold Robert Earl Keen

Rex's Blues Carrie Rodriguez

I'll Be Here In The Morning Jerry Jeff Walker

Que Te Vaya Bien, Miss Carrusel Nacho Vegas

Snowing on Raton Rosalie Sorrels

No Place To Fall Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan

Rake Rhonda Harris

Colorado Girl Devendra Banhart

Snake Mountain Blues Hero Horns

Waiting Around To Die The Be Good Tanyas

My Proud Mountains John T. Van Zandt

Billie Holiday and Elis Regina - Diva a Deux

While I don't necessarily worship at the altar of Billie Holiday and Elis Regina, I do like 'em both quite a bit. And I was inspired to put 'em together by Arthur Phillips novel The Song is You where there are fairly lengthy disquisitions on both of them (and a particular version of Billie Holiday's I Cover the Waterfront is of great importance to the novel's protagonist). Of course, then, I had to start the mix with I Cover the Waterfront.

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I Cover The Waterfront Billie Holiday

Nova Estação Elis Regina

Aviso aos Navegantes Elis Regina

Too Marvelous For Words Billie Holiday

Vida de Bailarina Elis Regina

You Go To My Head Billie Holiday

Me, Myself And I Billie Holiday

Triste Elis Regina

Speak Low Billie Holiday

Aquarela do Brasil Elis Regina

I Wished On The Moon Billie Holiday

Atrás Da Porta Elis Regina

Pois E Elis Regina

Tenderly Billie Holiday

Tatuagem (Tattoo) Elis Regina

You've Changed Billie Holiday

Alô, Alô, Marciano, Marciano Elis Regina

They Can't Take That Away From Me Billie Holiday

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm Billie Holiday

�guas De Marco Elis Regina

Lonesome Bob - Things Fall Apart

Looking back, it's a little hard to believe there was such a thing as an alt-country bandwagon in the mid to late 90s. And it's even harder to believe that certain artists and bands were criticized for jumping on said bandwagon. :) Now, to be sure, there was some alt-country dross back in those salad days, as there is with any genre. But I do hope that folks appreciate that there was a lot of good stuff. Prominent among the really "good stuff" is Lonesome Bob's 1997 debut album, Things Fall Apart. (His second album, Things Change, is almost as good.) Unconscionably, it's now out of print, so I thought I'd post it tonight.

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Love Is Not Blind

Do You Think About Me?

Point Of No Return

Waltzing On The Titanic

Different Shades Of Gray

What Went Wrong

My Mother's Husband

Heaven's Gate

Too Much Time

Someone Watching Over Me

The Plans We Made

Call My Name

Sleepless Nites