On the Right Side of 2019

    I don't know if it's a sign of age, but the fact that a decade is soon to end hasn't really entered my consciousness.  And even though it's only 4 days away, I still don't really have any thoughts, let alone deep thoughts, on the subject.  Anyway, here's my favorite tracks from 2019 with the usual disclaimer that I don't include any artist who appeared on the best of compilations from the previous two years.   And since it's the end of a decade, I've re-upped all my previous best of compilations 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).  


Download all three discs 

Disc 1

Lark	Angel Olsen
Glorious	Sudan Archives
Spider Web, Pt. 1	The Budos Band
You'll Need A New Backseat Driver	The New Pornographers
Please Don't Call Me Crazy	The Cactus Blossoms
Andromeda	Mekons
Mariners Apartment Complex	Lana Del Rey
South Fourth Street	Ransom Pier
Human	Molly Sarle
All My Happiness is Gone	Purple Mountains
Black Light	The Dream Syndicate
Song For Winners	Nick Waterhouse
Stay Flo	Solange
Flor do Real	Sessa
Courtyard	Mercury Rev (w/Beth Orton)
Ride Out In The Country	Yola
Duchess	Erin Rae
1988	Swimming Bell
Disc 2
Jupiter 4	Sharon Van Etten
Empty Locket	Eleni Mandell
Prazer Em Te Conhecer	Allah-Las
Warranty	Meat Puppets
David Buxkemper	Dale Watson
Big Bear in the Sky	Chuck Mead
Lost Faith	Bob Mould
Passaic 1975	The Mountain Goats
Wrong About The Rain	Sandro Perri
Sabana de luz	Helado Negro
Stay High	Brittany Howard
Secret Medicine	Vagabon
Where Are You Sonny?	The Delines
Chemical	Beck
Hot Summer	Cool Ghouls
Get Set Go Kid	SOAK
Bogeyman	Kim Lenz
Crowded Table	The Highwomen
Disc 3
Spinning Song	Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love)	Michael Kiwanuka
ZORA	Jamila Woods
Goyita	Kaleta & Super Yamba Band
Something To Do	Vivian Girls
Follow Me	Fabienne Delsol
Letter	Juan Wauters
Moving On	Leonard Cohen
Lonely Ain't Hardly Alive	Robbie Fulks
Everybody's Crying Mercy	Bonnie Raitt
Train Train	Jimmy "Duck" Holmes
Vagabond	Steve Gunn
Anyhow	Kelsey Waldon
Sing Along	Sturgill Simpson
Tell Me When It's Over	The Three O'Clock
iMi	Bon Iver
When The Family Flies In	Julia Jacklin
Belongs to God	Raphael Saadiq

On the Right Side of Christmas 2019

There's only about four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year so I'm posting my yearly Christmas compilation a little early.  I've also re-upped all the previous Xmas compilations so have at 'em.




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Silent Night	Brother Joe May
Lonely This Christmas (Mud)	Lucky Soul
Cutty Wren	Richard Thompson
Walking In The Air	The Eastern Sea
We Three Kings of Orient Are	The Swingle Singers
Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit	The Christmas Jug Band/Dan Hicks
Santa, Please Bring Him Home	Jenny Don't And The Spurs
Christmas, It's Not a Biggie	Say Sue Me
Twistin' Bells	Santo And Johnny
Santa Claus' Daughter	Charlie Rich
Christmas Bells	Bobby Nunn
Christmas Time in Bossier City	Shinyribs
Just a Sad Xmas	The Soul Duo
Peppermints and Mistletoe	Chelsea Williams
First Snowfall	The Coctails
Frosty the Snowman	Freddy Fender & Flaco Jimenez
Mary's Boy Child	Esso Trinidad Steel Band
Rudolph's Ruin	The Wildebeests
Holiday Baby	Fat Daddy
It's Christmas Time	Smokey Robinson
Peace & Love (Little Drummer Boy)	Sonny Bradshaw
Please Come Home for Christmas	The Insight
New Year's Eve	Amy Allison
Auld Lang Syne	Sufjan Stevens

Can't Shake These Blues: A Chris Smither Retrospective

      I'm not sure exactly why Chris Smither has flown under the radar for so long, but his three Hightone releases from the 1990's (Live as I'll Ever Be, Small Revelations, and Up on the Lowdown) still stand up really well and he's one of the few solo performers I've seen that can really hold a stage for 90 minutes (Ted Hawkins is another one that comes to mind).  He started out in the 1970s, overcame his alcoholism, and has been recording and touring since the early 1990s.   So here's a nice retrospective to celebrate his career.

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Strolling Down The Highway

Frankie & Albert

Have You Seen My Baby

Hundred Dollar Valentine

Crocodile Man

Cave Man

Nobody Home

Time Stands Still

Friend Of The Devil

Lonesome Georgia Brown

It Ain't Easy

The Devil's Real (Live)

Can't Shake These Blues

Seems So Real

No Love Today

Smiths and Elliott Smith Covers

         It occurs to me that The Smiths/Elliott Smith dueling tribute compilations may be too cute by half (or even more than that), but please don't let that deter from you listening to these compilations.  Even when the artists aren't doing anything particularly original, the affection for the material and the quality of the songs make for a worthwhile listen.



Shoplifters of the Smiths Catalog Unite

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me	Grant-Lee Phillips
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want	The Dream Academy
Rubber Ring	Girl in a Coma
Oscillate Wildly	Badly Drawn Boy
Estuvo Bien	Mexrrissey
You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby	Kirsty MacColl
The Headmaster Ritual	Radiohead
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out	Dum Dum Girls
Everyday Is Like Sunday	Pretenders
Shoplifters of the World Unite	Tanya Donelly, Dylan in the Movies
Well I Wonder	Janice Whaley
Back to the Old House Live	Everything But The Girl
Let Me Kiss You	Carla Morrison
I Won't Share You	Morning Benders
I Know It's Over	Jeff Buckley

Can't Keep His Songs Out of My Mind: An Elliott Smith Tribute

Between The Bars	Emily Mure
Pitseleh	Marissa Nadler
Needle in the Hay	Juliana Hatfield
Ballad of Big Nothing	The Thermals
Waltz #2 (XO)	Minnie Driver
Easy Way Out	Vitamin String Quartet
Angeles	Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield
Satellite	Petra Haden and Bill Frisell
A Fond Farewell	The Gazettiers
Miss Misery	Tomo Nakayama
Taking a Fall	Portland Cello Project
Division Day	We Are Telephone
Twilight	Lily Pryor
Kings Crossing	Kevin Devine
Clementine	Beck

Saluting 70's Singer-Songwriters - Volume 6

          Other than to say that I continue to be impressed by the breadth and depth of 70's artists, I think I've run out of things to say about the music of the '70s.  So I'll just say that this is likely the last volume of 70's singer-songwriter compilations (at least for a while).  But I have re-upped all the previous volumes along with all the Sucking in the 70s compilations.

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Here He Comes	Brian Eno
On Some Faraway Beach	Brian Eno
Bless The Weather	John Martyn
Solid Air	John Martyn
You Don't Know Me	Caetano Veloso
Da maior importância	Caetano Veloso
Perfect Day	Lou Reed
Coney Island Baby	Lou Reed
Thank You Master (For My Soul)	Donny Hathaway
Come Little Children	Donny Hathaway
Mary C Brown and the Hollywood Sign	Dory Previn
Atlantis	Dory Previn
Old Man	Neil Young
Long May You Run	Neil Young
Brass Buttons	Gram Parsons
How Much I've Lied	Gram Parsons
My Tennessee Mountain Home	Dolly Parton
It's All Wrong, But It's All Right	Dolly Parton

Sweetheart cds

     I was going to wax nostalgic about the days when Starbucks used to sell cds at their stores and even had their own record label Hear Music (not sure exactly how that worked, but I digress), but it's not like I regularly bought cds there.  Plus, the ways they marketed the cds placed an inordinate emphasis on lifestyle, imho.  However, I will forever defend their Sweetheart compilations - at least the two I have that are now out of print.  

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My Funny Valentine	Rufus Wainwright
Let My Love Open The Door	M. Ward
Buckets Of Rain	Neko Case
Love Will Tear Us Apart	Calexico
She's Got Everything	Old 97's
How Can I Tell You	Gary Jules
Give Your Moma One Smile	Madeleine Peyroux
The More I See You	Sondre Lerche
I Only Have Eyes For You	Martina Topley-Bird
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out	Joseph Arthur
Your Sweet Voice	Milton Mapes
Use Me	Jim White
Forever	Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham
Inutil Paisagem	Vinicius Cantuaria
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square	Mindy Smith
Download Sweetheart: Love Songs
It's All In The Game	Nick Lowe
What The World Needs Now	Aimee Mann
Until You Came Into My Life	Joe Henry
A Face In The Crowd	Kathleen Edwards
I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire	Clem Snide
Au Fond Du Reve Dore	Nada Surf
Love	Rosie Thomas
Moonlight Becomes You	Ron Sexsmith
Tonight You Belong To Me	Josh Ritter With Blake Hazard
Home Soon (The Cherry Song)	Sarah Harmer
Ab's Song	Iron & Wine
Crazy For You	Miho Hatori
Your Tender Loving Care	Jon Hyde

The Texas Legends Series - Volume Three: Shaver, Dale Watson, and Ray Wylie Hubbard

   Back in 2012, I posted a compilation featuring three great Texas artists: James Hand, Justin Trevino, and Don Walser and then last year, I posted a second volume of Texas legends - The Gourds, Doug Sahm, and Spoon.  I decided not to wait another six years so here's another volume in the Texas Legend Series featuring Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.   I won't discuss their careers except to mention that Billy Joe Shaver was supposedly the inspiration for the Jeff Bridges character in the movie Crazy Heart.  Also, I must issue a mea culpa - I haven't been keeping up with Dale Watson's recordings over the last 5-6 years, but was very pleasantly surprised (well, not really surprised) at how good his latest, Call Me Lucky, is.  Additionally, if I had to recommend just one album from each of the featured artists, I'd go with Shaver's Tramp on Your Street, Dale Watson's I Hate These Songs, and Ray Wylie Hubbard's Loco Gringo's Lament.

     I've also re-upped a bunch of other Texas artists:
The Damnations' Where it Lands
The 3 named singer-songwriter compilation
The Robert Earl Keen - Lyle Lovett compilation
A Trip Back to Alternative Country - Volume 4 compilation

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(Up Against The Wall) Redneck Mother Ray Wylie Hubbard Highway Of Life Shaver Sweet Jessie Brown Dale Watson Nashville Rash Dale Watson When She Sang Amazing Grace Ray Wylie Hubbard Restless Wind Shaver ...Loose Nut Behind The Wheel Dale Watson She Can Dance Shaver Love Never Dies Ray Wylie Hubbard Coricidin Bottle Ray Wylie Hubbard Hey Driver Dale Watson This River Runs Red Ray Wylie Hubbard Ragged Old Truck Billy Joe Shaver I Hate These Songs Dale Watson Bottom Dollar Billy Joe Shaver Blue Eyes Dale Watson The Ballad Of The Crimson Kings Ray Wylie Hubbard Live Forever Shaver

The Case for Calexico

   I really only got into them in the last 3-4 years, but I'm increasingly convinced that Calexico is pretty much the platonic ideal of an indie rock band.  They're musically adventurous without seeming like they're just doing it to seem adventurous, record with a lot of different folks, have great taste in covers, and, perhaps most impressively, they're still releasing really good music.  Indeed, I think their last two albums, 2015's Edge of the Sun and 2018's The Thread That Keeps Us are their two best (and definitely get the deluxe versions if you can).

      While I'm sure Calexico still has a lot of great music left in them, I believe it's still high time for a two volume compilation.  Truly, there's no better musical accompaniment for a hot and humid summer afternoon than a couple of hours of Calexico.

Download both discs

Frank's Tavern

Ghostwriter

Sundown, Sundown

Frontera

Crystal Frontier

Roll Tango

Esa Banda En Dub

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Humano

He Lays In The Reins

Dance of Death

Tulsa Telephone Book

Curse of the Ride

What's a Little Wait

Casey's Last Ride

Bisbee Blue

Unsatisfied

Side B

Stinging Nettle

Wave

Fortune Teller

Quattro

Writer's Minor Holiday

Sonic Wind

Guns of Brixton

6 White Horses

Cracklin' Water

Firestorm Of Impossible Odds

Walls Came Down

All The Pretty Horses

In the Light

Ocean of Noise

Lunada Lando

El Picador

Corona

Darling, It's Wonderful: Music From The 1950's - Volume Six

The last volume of the 50's comp is finally here.  And though I would guess a high percentage of people who frequent this blog have probably heard Miles Davis' "So What" and Elvis Presley's "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" many times already in their lives, I still thought they were apropos to, respectively, open and close this volume.   It's a little late so I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts, but they just seem like perfect choices to capture the 50's music aesthetic.  At any rate, hope people like the less well known cuts, too.  I also confess that I'm already thinking of doing some additional volumes at some point down the line so I'm open to any suggestions people might have.

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So What	Miles Davis
It Don't Cost Very Much	Mahalia Jackson
Zoo Lake	Dorothy Masuka
Lust	Bas Sheva
The Wayward Wind	Tex Ritter
Go Go Go	Roy Orbison
Bird Dog	The Everly Brothers
Ooh Poo Pah Doo  Pt. 1	Jessie Hill
Yes, Sir	The Cues
Bweebida Bobbida	Gerry Mulligan
El Cayuco	Tito Puente & His Orchestra
Rocket 88	Jackie Brenston & his Delta Cats
Gimme A Pigfoot	Bobby Short
Fatback, Louisiana, USA	Tennessee Ernie Ford
La folle complainte	Charles Trenet
I Don't Want You To Go	The Casanovas
I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know	The Davis Sisters
The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise	Mary Ford
Blinuet	Zoot Sims
Blossom's Blues	Blossom Dearie
Sixty Minute Man	The Dominos
I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone	Elvis Presley

Darling, It's Wonderful: Music From the Fifties - Volumes Four and Five

  I was almost done with putting these 50's collections together when I remembered how ubiquitous those advertisements for 50's box sets were on late night tv in the 1980's and 1990's.  I hope my collections are more diverse than those collections (kind of defeats the purpose of making them), but I realized kind of late into making it that Volume Four seems to be significantly heavier on the well known acts than the other volumes.  Anyway, hope the choices aren't too obvious.  Also, in case you were wondering, the artists on the pictures above are Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant (Volume Four) and The Famous Ward Singers (Volume Five)

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Volume Four

Jeep's Blues Duke Ellington & his Orchestra Aguiti Lord Invader Jericho Sister Rosetta Tharpe Jammin' With Jimmy Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant Feelin' Low Ernie Chaffin Pork Chop Stomp Grady Martin Mean Mean Man Wanda Jackson All Day, All Night Bill Parker featuring Jesse Palmer En Guantánamo Abelardo Barroso & Orquesta Sensación Prayer Changes Things The Gate City Singers Luyah! The Glorious Step Cecil Taylor Try Me James Brown & The Famous Flames Stars Fell On Alabama Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong I'll Never Deceive You Jimmy Scott Weary Blues From Waitin' Hank Williams There I've Said It Again Big Maybelle Smokestack Lightnin' Howlin' Wolf Wishful Thinking Wynn Stewart London Is the Place for Me Edmundo Ros Slim's Thing Memphis Slim,Willie Dixon For All We Know Billie Holiday Drown In My Own Tears Ray Charles

Volume Five

Since I Met You Baby	Ivory Joe Hunter
Je Cherche Un Homme	Eartha Kitt
Where Shall I Go	Irving Fields Trio
I'm An Old, Old Man (Tryin' To Live While I Can)	Lefty Frizzell
I Can't See Them Now	Edna Gallmon Cooke
Mood Indigo	Nina Simone
Hey Hey Hey Hey	Little Richard
Mambo Caliente	Bebo Valdes
Crazy Rythm	Django Reinhardt
Wild Child	Donnie Elbert
Good Googa Mooga	The Magic Tones
W.O.M.A.N.	Etta James
I Love You	John Coltrane
Ten Long Fingers	Groovey Joe Poovey
West Indian Drums	Russ Henderson
I'm So Glad	The Famous Ward Singers
I'm Sittin' On Top Of The World	Bill Monroe
Act Like a Married Man	Jean Shepard
Mystery Train	Little Junior's Blue Flames
Are You Real	Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
The Walkin' Blues	Jessie Powell Orchestra
It's A Great Life (If You Don't Weaken)	Faron Young

Darling, It's Wonderful: Music From The Fifties - Volume Three

       In putting together these 50's compilations, I relied fairly heavily on a number of formal releases.  One of my favorites is the "London is the Place for Me" cds put out by Honest Jon's Records.  Tonight's Volume Three features the wonderful Zoo Lake by Dorothy Masuka from London is the Place for Me 4. I also highly recommend the three volume "Screaming Gospel Holy Roller on Vee Tone Records.  The Kelly Brother's "He's the Same Today" is from Screaming Gospel Holly Rollers, Vol 1, btw.

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Touch The Hem Of His Garment	Sam Cooke
Jeannie	The Unique Teens
I Ain't Got Nobody	Mae Barnes
Drugstore Rock and Roll	Janis Martin
Kansas City Kitty	Dave Carey Jazz Band
He's The Same Today	The Kelly Bros
Whirlwind	Charlie Rich
Come Runnin To Me Baby	Little Eddie Love
Louisiana	Percy Mayfield
One O'Clock Jump	Joe Williams
Playboy's Theme	Cy Coleman
Cheiro de saudade	Ana Lucia
Why Don't We Do This More Often	Doris Day
Cryin' Blues	Charles Mingus
The Thrill Is Gone	Roy Hawkins
Row Bullies Row	Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd
Foggy Mountain Special	Flatt & Scruggs
Hoy Hoy	The Collins Kids
Vitalogy	Duke of Iron
Tell Me Mama	Little Walter
Ida Red Likes the Boogie	Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
Milord	Edith Piaf

Darling, It's Wonderful: Music From The 1950's

     As I age, I've started to become wary of nostalgia - or, more accurately, over-indulging in nostalgia.  I'm not always as vigilant as I probably should be, but I try to remember that past eras are never as wonderful as we remember (or imagine them to have been).  Still, about a year ago, I watched the 1982 movie Diner for the first time in at least a decade.  It features an ensemble cast of male twentysomething friends and it's set in Baltimore during the last week of 1959.  It still holds up really well, and despite my aforementioned wariness about nostalgia, it kinda sent me off on a 50's nostalgia trip - well, at least musically speaking.  

      Since I've been listening to a lot of 50's music and since it's been ten years since I started this blog, I figured I should put together a really big compilation of 50's music.  It's got a lot of artists that are probably familiar to most people, but hopefully there are enough artists and songs that people haven't heard to keep it interesting.  Hope you like Volumes One and Two (with volumes 3-6 to follow over the next three months).

(Also, as long as I'm indulging my nostalgia jones,  I've re-upped my homages to early 1960s music)


Download Both Volumes

Volume One

Moanin' Lambert, Hendricks & Ross The Chill Is On Joe Turner Farther Up The Road Bobby "Blue" Bland Crazy Arms Ray Price Juke Joint Johnny Red Sovine Give Me a Pinto Pal Elton Britt Iku Koni Payin West African Rhythm Brothers Will Call  Joe Jones Wagon Stan Kenton Basin Street Blues Julie London My Prayer The Platters Yesterdays Cal Tjader Chega de Saudade Joao Gilberto Let's Get Lost Chet Baker Rabbits Don't Ever Get Married Hank Penny Red-Headed Woman Sonny Burgess Bad Penny Blues Humphrey Lyttelton Something's Got A Hold Of Me The Soul Singers Guitar Boogie Woogie T. Texas Tyler Too Much Monkey Business Chuck Berry Lost Mind Mose Allison Angel Of Love The Schoolboys Volume Two Pledging My Love Johnny Ace Just Walking in the Rain The Prisonaires Jumpin' The Blues Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann  Birth of Ghana Lord Kitchener Gopher Mambo Yma Sumac Car Hoppin' Mama Hawkshaw Hawkins Train Of Love Johnny Cash Clickety Click Clack The Turbans Soon I'll Be Done with the Troubles of the World Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi Junco Partner James Wayne Eisenhower Blues J.B. Lenoir Finders Keepers The Miller Sisters Let Her Go, God Bless Her The Louvin Brothers Rave On Buddy Holly Rawhide Link Wray & The Wraymen Right Now! Jackie Wilson Tomorow Is The Question Ornette Coleman Take Out Some Insurance Jimmy Reed Nem As Paredes Confesso (I Don't Confess It, Even to the Walls) Amalia Rodrigues Darling, It's Wonderful The Lovers My Rifle, My Pony And Me Dean Martin Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray Patsy Cline