Top 10 CDs of 2015 - #2 & #1

You have landed on the final installment of one singer/songwriter's list of the Top 10 Albums of 2015. What makes my list more important than someone else's? Nothing. Just some ramblings from me to you. Me giving praise to CDs that got me through the year. CDs that inspired me. CDs that I think you should consider for your own collection because I am obviously egocentric and think you should like what I like.

For those just jumping in. If you want to know what's come before, you can read the full blog HERE.

#2 Jeffrey Foucault – Salt as Wolves: My obsession with Foucault is well documented. The first time I heard Stripping Cane, I was moved in ways I didn’t think possible. He is the consummate poet. With each song he pulls back the curtains and allows his listeners to watch a new vignette unfold before them. While previous recordings have been acoustic forward, Salt as Wolves comes from the dirt, gritty guitars, driving drums, and open space. Foucault offers a respite from the drive with tunes like, “I Love You (and You are a Fool)” which feature a nice down tempo and a clean Tele telling part of the tale. “Blues for Jessie Mae” is another down tempo number with a thick slide for accent and subtle guitar riffs played in the distance while Foucault’s voice sits up front, inviting you to bear witness to the moment. Tremolo is used liberally throughout the recording, but I never tire of it. Salt as Wolves was cut live to tape in three days at a studio in rural Minnesota. The energy and precision that it takes to accomplish a task of that magnitude can be heard in the details. This is another recording where I cannot solidify the standouts. The disc works as a whole, each song supporting the totality of the movement. Foucault’s voice always sounds incredible, and this recording is no different, each tune features the thick, rich, sound of a father’s baritone, and while he is two years my junior, I would happily sit at his feet and let him teach me about life.   

#1 the Oh Hellos – Dear Wormwood: Brother and sister harmonies backed by an insanely large touring band complete with two drummers, three (sometimes four) guitarists, fiddle, banjo, keys, bass, and whatever else they want to bring to the show…what’s not to love? Right now, I need you to forget everything else you have read on my Top 10 of 2015 because this CD transcends all of that. This recording is about an emotion that is often foreign to me, joy. That’s not to say I am not happy. I am. I have a great life, a life I am grateful to have, but I don’t often stop long enough to appreciate it. However, when I put on this CD, everything disappears and I am overcome with this sense of exaltation. It is not just the words or the music. It is the energy that the combination creates. The album moves from moments of calm to sheer an unbridled exuberance, “Dear Wormwood” taking you through both in 5 minutes and 16 seconds. This often happens on my Top 10 lists, I seem to have the least to say about the #1. It’s because my reasoning isn’t explainable. It is an emotion that I have in response to music, and I am hopeful that you will have the same response when you listen to this CD. 

   

Top CDs of 2015 - #4 & #3

You have landed on one singer/songwriter's list of the Top 10 Albums of 2015. What makes my list more important than someone else's? Nothing. Just some ramblings from me to you. Me giving praise to CDs that got me through the year. CDs that inspired me. CDs that I think you should consider for your own collection because I am obviously egocentric and think you should like what I like.

I am releasing two CDs a day in new blog posts until I get to all ten, so you do not have to bother yourself with scrolling to get to the new information. For those jumping in mid-list. If you want to know what's come before, you can read the full blog HERE.

#4 Alabama Shakes –Sound & Color: Well, you should know that the placement of this album at #4 has placed me in the doghouse with my wife. If Amanda was writing this list, Sound & Color would get the top honors, but she’s not, and I need to remain authentic. I love this recording and am continually impressed with each listen. They are spreading the fabric of soul, refusing to be locked into patterns and instrumentation. When incredible singers, such as Adele, are listing you as a favorite:

As a band I love their vibe, the way they look and interact – all with their own little character going on, but I'm obsessed with (lead singer) Brittany Howard. There's something about Brittany that puts fire in my soul. She reminds me of Etta James, Ann Peebles – she's so fucking full of soul, overflowing, dripping, that I almost can't handle it.

You’ve officially earned your badassery. Everything Adele says is true, as is every reason my wife has for Sound & Color being higher on the list, but the wall I run into is connection. At my core, I am a writer, as a result I am drawn to strong lyrics, lines like this Tom Waits gem, “And the sky turned the color of Pepto Bismol.” I want to peel back the layers. I want to hear phrases that paint pictures for me when I close my eyes. I want the details, what the room smelled like, how your skin felt, what you were wearing, who else was there. I want to be in the moment with every one of my senses. And while this album gives me all the feels, for the most part, my mind is blank when listening with shutters drawn. Sometimes music transcends lyrics. I appreciate that concept, which is why I placed it in the Top 5. If you are a music first devotee, feel free to drop me some hate in the comments. I can take it. I’ll read them while sleeping on the couch – jokes, I am too warm for my wife to kick me out of bed J

#3 City and Colour – If I Should Go Before You: Dallas Green is back and he dropped a CD that makes me weep. Of the CDs on the list, this is the one I would be most likely to have recorded, if I had an incredible falsetto. Sonically it sits between Alt-Country and Indie Rock with ample amounts of pedal steel and atmospheric delays. If I should… was a love at first listen CD. Often, when an artist I am obsessed with releases new material it takes me a while to warm to it, as I am still clinging to the love of the previous recordings, but “Woman” smacked me in the face, held me tightly, and let me know I was loved. The 11 tracks range from sultry to contemplative. Green provides a range of emotions for his listeners to experience. Like, The Hurry and the Harm, he refuses to shy away from discussion on the finality of this existence, something a lot of us 40 somethings are tackling this New Year. Standout tracks: “Woman,” “If I should go before you,” “Friends,” and “Blood.” The recording has a nice flow allowing an easy front to back listen and it spent days on repeat in my car.    

Top 10 CDs of 2015 - #6 & #5

You have landed on one singer/songwriter's list of the Top 10 Albums of 2015. What makes my list more important than someone else's? Nothing. Just some ramblings from me to you. Me giving praise to CDs that got me through the year. CDs that inspired me. CDs that I think you should consider for your own collection because I am obviously egocentric and think you should like what I like.

I am releasing two CDs a day in new blog posts until I get to all ten, so you do not have to bother yourself with scrolling to get to the new information. For those jumping in mid-list. If you want to know what's come before, you can read the full blog HERE.

#6 Jason Isbell – Something More than Free: Those that know me and follow my daily drops of music on Facebook, probably thought by name alone this was going to be #1. There was a period of time when I assumed it would be too. There is no question that I think Jason Isbell is one of the best, if not the best, singer/songwriters, and not of this generation, but of all generations. For years, Nighthawks at the Diner by Tom Waits was my all-time favorite CD, and then Southeastern happened; it assumed the #1 position. During his recording process, I remember reading Tweets from Isbell indicating that he believed Something More than Free was gonna be better than Southeastern, and maybe it is, maybe its genius is above me or maybe I am such a glutton for sadness that the vibe on Free just doesn’t hit me like Southeastern did. That is not to say it is not a great CD; obviously it is. I mean, it’s on the Top 10 of the year. Isbell continues to write songs that I wish had come from my pen. He paints pictures so vivid that I can see them unfold before me like 8mm shorts. “Speed Trap Town,” “Something More than Free,” “To a Band that I Loved,” and “Hudson Commodore” were standouts for me. I think what placed this mid-pack wasn’t the songwriting but the production. I am infatuated with the starkness of Southeastern, the woody sound of Isbell’s Martin, the way that it makes me feel like he is sitting in my room singing to me. I realize it isn’t fair of me to expect an artist to duplicate the sound of previous recordings, to stay in their foxhole for another 12 songs, but life ain’t fair and I love what I love. While Something More than Free reinforces the strength of Isbell’s storytelling and word choice, the distance of the recording prevented me from becoming fully obsessed.  Knowing how calculated he is, I am sure that there is a metaphor here, maybe the distance in sound represents the distance from his demons, and for that he deserves applause.

 #5 Chris Stapleton –Traveller: I am a fucking lemming. I’ll admit it, I had never even heard of Christ Stapleton before the CMAs and his breakout performance. And even then I didn’t immediately buy the disc, but after seeing it pop-up on some respected end-of-year lists, I followed the masses, and I am glad I did. This dude is brilliant. Sincere. Eloquent. Weathered. Earnest. And he sings with the soul of an old church pastor who has caught the spirit. I thought I was gonna get a disc with a bunch of throwaways, trite modern country ditties with weak metaphors and obvious pop-culture references, but Traveller is the exact opposite. It is timeless. I could listen to “Tennessee Whiskey” on repeat and never grow tired. “Sometimes I Cry” has me coming back for more with Stapleton’s husky voice at full growl and single coils screaming into a dirty amp, but “Whiskey and You” captures the starkness that I love so much, just a woody guitar, an incredible voice, and a story that plays on the strings of emotions coursing through my body.

One’s the devil, one keeps driving me insane

At times I wonder if they ain’t both the same

But one’s a liar that helps to hide me from my pain

And one’s the long gone bitter truth

That’s the difference between whiskey and you

Top 10 CDs of 2015 - #8 & #7

You have landed on one singer/songwriter's list of the Top 10 Albums of 2015. What makes my list more important than someone else's? Nothing. Just some ramblings from me to you. My attempt at giving praise to CDs that got me through the year. CDs that inspired me. CDs that I think you should consider for your own collection because I am obviously egocentric and think you should like what I like.

I am releasing two CDs a day in new blog posts until I get to all ten, so you do not have to bother yourself with scrolling to get to the new information. For those jumping in mid-list. If you want to know what's come before, you can read the full blog HERE.

As always, comments are appreciated, especially if you have a list of your own for me to read.

#8 Samantha Crain – Under Brand & Thorn & Tree: Samantha Crain has probably appeared on my Top Ten lists more than any other artist. She is prolific and continues to grow CD after CD. Her songwriting gets stronger, and she continues to sonically advance her music, making creative choices that prove she cannot be tamed. Under Brand & Thorn & Tree opens with “Killer,” lyrically earnest but musically whimsical, offering a synth part that tries to distract the listener for the subject at hand, “The killer of girls, the killer of self; turned the Garden of Eden into a fiery hell.” Her voice is as distinct as I have ever heard, and I have seen her pull it off live for years whether backed by full band or just her and her trusty Martin. The album is full of gems. Standouts for me: “Outside the Pale,” “You or Mystery,” “Moving Day,” and “Cold Hands.”

#7 Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi: I cannot pronounce it, but I sure do love to listen to it. I hate to say it, but a sad Benjamin Gibbard is better than a happy one. He was too content when he was married to Zoey, as evidence on Codes and Keys and his solo recording, both decent recordings, but Kintsugi is Gibbard at his best, scorned and passively letting us know it. Okay. I cannot prove any of that, but in my mythical land of star relationships this was a contributing factor to the brilliance of this recording. Of course, Chris Walla is also at his best on Kintsugi, and we are all still mourning his departure from the band, but the tapestry of sounds he has created is inspiring. I cannot stand this disc because every time I think I’ve solidified four or five standouts, I listen to the next song, and I am equally enamored. Lyrically, Gibbard is up there with Waits, Foucault, Isbell, and Farrar. He tells universal stories, and he makes them accessible to all while applying every poetic device available. Kintsugi deserves an hour of your time with headphones and no distractions. You’ll emerge better from the experience. 

Top 10 CDs of 2015 - #10 & #9

You have landed on one singer/songwriter's list of the Top 10 Albums of 2015. What makes my list more important than someone else's? Nothing. Just some ramblings from me to you.

After some consultation with my blog advisor, aka my wife, I've decided to release each addition in a separate post so you do not have to bother yourself with scrolling to get to the new information. For those jumping in mid-list. If you want to know what's come before, you can read the full blog HERE.

#10 James Bay - Chaos and the Calm: I am not even sure how I learned about James Bay. I think I was just chasing links on YouTube, and I saw this young cat with an old Epiphone Century. As a guitar nerd there was immediate respect, so I clicked, and then...then there was the voice, whispy yet so full of soul. Like Ed Sheeran and other young singer/songwriters, James is able to merge modern beats and rhythms while paying homage to the great soul music that came before. It is often challenging for an early release to remain on the list, as new releases push it to the back of the rotation until it becomes lost, but Chaos and the Calm was able to stay relevant. It is a great windows down CD, something to drive to, something to play in an attempt to escape the pressures of the day. Stand out tracks for me, "Let it Go," "Move Together," "Hold Back the River," and "Collide." There is a little something for everyone on this disk, a fair amount of sad bastard tunes (my personal favorite), some anthemic songs designed to lift your spirits, and a good selection of ass shakers.

#9 Glen Hansard – Didn’t He Ramble: Until yesterday I wasn’t sure what CD would end up in the 9 spot, and I think the determining factor was an absolutely incredible performance put on at the Pageant by Hansard. I’ve seen him several times, even based a roadtrip around catching him in Chicago one year, so I knew what to expect, but this show was something different. There seemed to be more joy, less need for acceptance and more acceptance of his genius, like he has finally settled into the fact that he is amazing. Didn’t He Ramble is more of a brooder, something you really need to sit down and listen too. Previous recordings with the Swell Season and even Rhythm and Repose were more immediately emotional. He gets there, on tracks like“My Little Ruin,” offering that crescendo that allows us to feel what he is saying, but the majority of the disc is heady, it sits in a numb-zone where there are fewer feelings and more thoughts. His voice is still the blanket that we all want to snuggle up with, and his sincerity continues to offer respite in a world of false profits.

Top 10 CDs 2015

It is that time again, time to consolidate a year's worth of music into a few posts, some personal assessments, a few flowery words, a YouTube or two, and a ranking of talent which is completely subjective.

As in years past, to make the list, I had to have purchased the CD this year. I had to give my hard earned coins to the artist as a token of appreciation for the gift they gave to me, not just free rolled it on Spotify or some such service.

In all honesty, an album has a better chance of making the list if I have had a chance to see the artist do it live, and if it is a second or third or fourth album, it helps to be better than what came before it. I know both seem to present certain conflict with the theme of the list, but that's how I roll. If you cannot do it live, I don't care what you can do in the studio, and if you dropped an album that I fell in love with, it is hard for me to escape that, so follow-ups need to go further, make me hear something new. As you'll see neither will prevent a CD from making the list, but placement on the list is often impacted.

What's different about this year's list is I find myself with more time on my hands, so I will be progressively releasing it. I'll be doing two a day, which will hopefully give you more time to digest and appreciate the list, maybe even purchase some of the music (if you haven't already) to enjoy for yourself.

Up first are two CDs that didn't actually make the list because they didn't present new music, so I didn't know what to do with them. They were both live CDs and both blew me away for different reasons. I have been enamored with live releases since I came across Nighthawks at the Diner in my mom's record collection. Then I found the Allman Brother's Band Live at Fillmore East a CD by which all others would soon be judged. These two are worthy.

Ryan Adams - Live at Carnegie Hall: This CD goes straight to the core of what I love about music. Despite all the amazing times I've had playing in bands, at the end of the day,it starts with one instrument, one voice, and some words. So hearing Adams strip it down and perform all my favorites is everything I could ask for. His voice is resounding and true. His exchanges with the audience are witty and offer insight into the humanity of an artist that often appears larger than life. Although the double disc offers some duplication, there are subtle variances that make me not care. For fans of Adams, it is a must own. For fans of singer/songwriters that are not familiar with his work, it will make you a fan of his.

Amos Lee - Live at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony: In contrast to the stripped down sets of Ryan Adams, Amos Lee paired up with the Colorado Symphony and filled the space between Earth and heaven. Without question, this is the most beautiful CD I have ever heard. Again, it is filled with fan favorites of Lee, but having the backing of the Colorado Symphony made it something incredibly special, something that could not be re-produced, something that we are lucky they captured so we could all live in the splendor of this recording. Lee has long been a favorite of mine; his storytelling and voice strike a chord with me; and, when backed by the Colorado Symphony in this majestic setting, he creates something other worldly. For those that have not bathed in the textures of this recording, stop reading this and go purchase a copy. You will not be disappointed.

Before I begin revealing the list, I feel compelled to share some of the artists that did not make it. In total I purchased 33 CDs this year, and probably previewed 100 or so more. If I did an annual Top 25, these albums would definitely be on it: Samantha Fish, Wildheart; Patty Griffin, Servant of Love; Alex Preston, Alex Preston; Adele, 25; Silversun Pickups, Better Nature; TheDecemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World; Dawes, All YourFavorite Bands.

And here is my Top 10 of 2015:

#10 James Bay - Chaos and the Calm: I am not even sure how I learned about James Bay. I think I was just chasing links on YouTube, and I saw this young cat with an old Epiphone Century. As a guitar nerd there was immediate respect, so I clicked, and then...then there was the voice, whispy yet so full of soul. Like Ed Sheeran and other young singer/songwriters, James is able to merge modern beats and rhythms while paying homage to the great soul music that came before. It is often challenging for an early release to remain on the list, as new releases push it to the back of the rotation until it becomes lost, but Chaos and the Calm was able to stay relevant. It is a great windows down CD, something to drive to, something to play in an attempt to escape the pressures of the day. Stand out tracks for me, "Let it Go," "Move Together," "Hold Back the River," and "Collide." There is a little something for everyone on this disk, a fair amount of sad bastard tunes (my personal favorite), some anthemic songs designed to lift your spirits, and a good selection of ass shakers.

#9 Glen Hansard – Didn’t He Ramble: Until yesterday I wasn’t sure what CD would end up in the 9 spot, and I think the determining factor was an absolutely incredible performance put on at the Pageant by Hansard. I’ve seen him several times, even based a roadtrip around catching him in Chicago one year, so I knew what to expect, but this show was something different. There seemed to be more joy, less need for acceptance and more acceptance of his genius, like he has finally settled into the fact that he is amazing. Didn’t He Ramble is more of a brooder, something you really need to sit down and listen too. Previous recordings with the Swell Season and even Rhythm and Repose were more immediately emotional. He gets there, on tracks like“My Little Ruin,” offering that crescendo that allows us to feel what he is saying, but the majority of the disc is heady, it sits in a numb-zone where there are fewer feelings and more thoughts. His voice is still the blanket that we all want to snuggle up with, and his sincerity continues to offer respite in a world of false profits.

#8 Samantha Crain – Under Brand & Thorn & Tree: Samantha Crain has probably appeared on my Top Ten lists more than any other artist. She is prolific and continues to grow CD after CD. Her songwriting gets stronger, and she continues to sonically advance her music, making creative choices that prove she cannot be tamed. Under Brand & Thorn & Tree opens with “Killer,” lyrically earnest but musically whimsical, offering a synth part that tries to distract the listener from the subject at hand, “The killer of girls, the killer of self; turned the Garden of Eden into a fiery hell.” Her voice is as distinct as I have ever heard, and I have seen her pull it off live for years whether backed by full band or just her and her trusty Martin. The album is full of gems. Standouts for me: “Outside the Pale,” “You or Mystery,” “Moving Day,” and “Cold Hands.”

#7 Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi: I cannot pronounce it, but I sure do love to listen to it. I hate to say it, but a sad Benjamin Gibbard is better than a happy one. He was too content when he was married to Zoey, as evidence on Codes and Keys and his solo recording, both decent recordings, but Kintsugi is Gibbard at his best, scorned and passively letting us know it. Okay. I cannot prove any of that, but in my mythical land of star relationships this was a contributing factor to the brilliance of this recording. Of course, Chris Walla is also at his best on Kintsugi, and we are all still mourning his departure from the band, but the tapestry of sounds he has created is inspiring. I cannot stand this disc because every time I think I’ve solidified four or five standouts, I listen to the next song, and I am equally enamored. Lyrically, Gibbard is up there with Waits, Foucault, Isbell, and Farrar. He tells universal stories, and he makes them accessible to all while applying every poetic device available. Kintsugi deserves an hour of your time with headphones and no distractions. You’ll emerge better from the experience. 

#6 Jason Isbell – Something More than Free: Those that know me and follow my daily drops of music on Facebook, probably thought by name alone this was going to be #1. There was a period of time when I assumed it would be too. There is no question that I think Jason Isbell is one of the best, if not the best, singer/songwriters, and not of this generation, but of all generations. For years, Nighthawks at the Diner by Tom Waits was my all-time favorite CD, and then Southeastern happened; it assumed the #1 position. During his recording process, I remember reading Tweets from Isbell indicating that he believed Something More than Free was gonna be better than Southeastern, and maybe it is, maybe its genius is above me or maybe I am such a glutton for sadness that the vibe on Free just doesn’t hit me like Southeastern did. That is not to say it is not a great CD; obviously it is. I mean, it’s on the Top 10 of the year. Isbell continues to write songs that I wish had come from my pen. He paints pictures so vivid that I can see them unfold before me like 8mm shorts. “Speed Trap Town,” “Something More than Free,” “To a Band that I Loved,” and “Hudson Commodore” were standouts for me. I think what placed this mid-pack wasn’t the songwriting but the production. I am infatuated with the starkness of Southeastern, the woody sound of Isbell’s Martin, the way that it makes me feel like he is sitting in my room singing to me. I realize it isn’t fair of me to expect an artist to duplicate the sound of previous recordings, to stay in their foxhole for another 12 songs, but life ain’t fair and I love what I love. While Something More than Free reinforces the strength of Isbell’s storytelling and word choice, the distance of the recording prevented me from becoming fully obsessed.  Knowing how calculated he is, I am sure that there is a metaphor here, maybe the distance in sound represents the distance from his demons, and for that he deserves applause.

 #5 Chris Stapleton –Traveller: I am a fucking lemming. I’ll admit it, I had never even heard of Chris Stapleton before the CMAs and his breakout performance. And even then I didn’t immediately buy the disc, but after seeing it pop-up on some respected end-of-year lists, I followed the masses, and I am glad I did. This dude is brilliant. Sincere. Eloquent. Weathered. Earnest. And he sings with the soul of an old church pastor who has caught the spirit. I thought I was gonna get a disc with a bunch of throwaways, trite modern country ditties with weak metaphors and obvious pop-culture references, but Traveller is the exact opposite. It is timeless. I could listen to “Tennessee Whiskey” on repeat and never grow tired. “Sometimes I Cry” has me coming back for more with Stapleton’s husky voice at full growl and single coils screaming into a dirty amp, but “Whiskey and You” captures the starkness that I love so much, just a woody guitar, an incredible voice, and a story that plays on the strings of emotions coursing through my body.

One’s the devil, one keeps driving me insane
At times I wonder if they ain’t both the same
But one’s a liar that helps to hide me from my pain
And one’s the long gone bitter truth
That’s the difference between whiskey and you

#4 Alabama Shakes –Sound & Color: Well, you should know that the placement of this album at #4 has placed me in the doghouse with my wife. If Amanda was writing this list, Sound & Color would get the top honors, but she’s not, and I need to remain authentic. I love this recording and am continually impressed with each listen. They are spreading the fabric of soul, refusing to be locked into patterns and instrumentation. When incredible singers, such as Adele, are listing you as a favorite:

As a band I love their vibe, the way they look and interact – all with their own little character going on, but I'm obsessed with (lead singer) Brittany Howard. There's something about Brittany that puts fire in my soul. She reminds me of Etta James, Ann Peebles – she's so fucking full of soul, overflowing, dripping, that I almost can't handle it.

You’ve officially earned your badassery. Everything Adele said is true, as is every reason my wife has for Sound & Color being higher on the list, but the wall I run into is connection. At my core, I am a writer, as a result I am drawn to strong lyrics, lines like this Tom Waits gem, “And the sky turned the color of Pepto Bismol.” I want to peel back the layers. I want to hear phrases that paint pictures for me when I close my eyes. I want the details, what the room smelled like, how your skin felt, what you were wearing, who else was there. I want to be in the moment with every one of my senses. And while this album gives me all the feels, for the most part, my mind is blank when listening with shutters drawn. Sometimes music transcends lyrics. I appreciate that concept, which is why I placed it in the Top 5. If you are a music first devotee, feel free to drop me some hate in the comments. I can take it. I’ll read them while sleeping on the couch – jokes, I am too warm for my wife to kick me out of bed.

#3 City and Colour – If I Should Go Before You: Dallas Green is back and he dropped a CD that makes me weep. Of the CDs on the list, this is the one I would be most likely to have recorded, if I had an incredible falsetto. Sonically it sits between Alt-Country and Indie Rock with ample amounts of pedal steel and atmospheric delays. If I should… was a love at first listen CD. Often, when an artist I am obsessed with releases new material it takes me a while to warm to it, as I am still clinging to the love of the previous recordings, but “Woman” smacked me in the face, held me tightly, and let me know I was loved. The 11 tracks range from sultry to contemplative. Green provides a range of emotions for his listeners to experience. Like, The Hurry and the Harm, he refuses to shy away from discussion on the finality of this existence, something a lot of us 40 somethings are tackling this New Year. Standout tracks: “Woman,” “If I should go before you,” “Friends,” and “Blood.” The recording has a nice flow allowing an easy front to back listen and it spent days on repeat in my car.   

#2 Jeffrey Foucault – Salt as Wolves: My obsession with Foucault is well documented. The first time I heard Stripping Cane, I was moved in ways I didn’t think possible. He is the consummate poet. With each song he pulls back the curtains and allows his listeners to watch a new vignette unfold before them. While previous recordings have been acoustic forward, Salt as Wolves comes from the dirt, gritty guitars, driving drums, and open space. Foucault offers a respite from the drive with tunes like, “I Love You (and You are a Fool)” which feature a nice down tempo and a clean Tele telling part of the tale. “Blues for Jessie Mae” is another down tempo number with a thick slide for accent and subtle guitar riffs played in the distance while Foucault’s voice sits up front, inviting you to bear witness to the moment. Tremolo is used liberally throughout the recording, but I never tire of it. Salt as Wolves was cut live to tape in three days at a studio in rural Minnesota. The energy and precision that it takes to accomplish a task of that magnitude can be heard in the details. This is another recording where I cannot solidify the standouts. The disc works as a whole, each song supporting the totality of the movement. Foucault’s voice always sounds incredible, and this recording is no different, each tune features the thick, rich, sound of a father’s baritone, and while he is two years my junior, I would happily sit at his feet and let him teach me about life.   

#1 the Oh Hellos – Dear Wormwood: Brother and sister harmonies backed by an insanely large touring band complete with two drummers, three (sometimes four) guitarists, fiddle, banjo, keys, bass, and whatever else they want to bring to the show…what’s not to love? Right now, I need you to forget everything else you have read on my Top 10 of 2015 because this CD transcends all of that. This recording is about an emotion that is often foreign to me, joy. That’s not to say I am not happy. I am. I have a great life, a life I am grateful to have, but I don’t often stop long enough to appreciate it. However, when I put on this CD, everything disappears and I am overcome with this sense of exaltation. It is not just the words or the music. It is the energy that the combination creates. The album moves from moments of calm to sheer an unbridled exuberance, “Dear Wormwood” taking you through both in 5 minutes and 16 seconds. This often happens on my Top 10 lists, I seem to have the least to say about the #1. It’s because my reasoning isn’t explainable. It is an emotion that I have in response to music, and I am hopeful that you will have the same response when you listen to this CD. 

   

Mission Impossible: Top 10 for 2015

Fifty-three days past the midway point, and I am already overwhelmed by the music I've purchased this year. Seriously. How am I ever going to whittle this list down to 10 CDs in four months. It seems as though every singer/songwriter and band that I really love picked 2015 to drop new music. It is a good problem to have, but it is a problem.

Here are my current 2015 purchases:

Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Amos Lee, Live at Red Rocks
Beth Bombara; Beth Bombara
City and Colour, If I Should Go Before You - Pre-Ordered
Dawes, All Your Favorite Bands
Death Cab for Cutie, Kintsugi
Dustin Kensrue, Cary the Fire
Fallout Boy, American Beauty / American Psycho
Glen Hansard, Didn't He Ramble - Pre-Ordered
Indigo Girls, One Lost Day
James Bay, Chaos and the Calm
Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free
Jeffery Foucault, Salt as Wolves
Mumford & Sons, Wilder Mind
Patty Griffin, Servant of Love - Pre-Ordered
Ryan Adams, Live at Carnegie Hall
Samantha Crain, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree
Samantha Fish, Wildheart
Silversun Pickups, Better Nature - Pre-Ordered
Stevie Harris, Kind of Broken Hearts
The Damnwells, The Damnwells
The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
The Frames, Longitude
The Kins, EP
The Oh Hellos, Dear Wormwood - Pre-Ordered
Wilco, Star Wars

I am pretty confident that American Beauty/American Psycho will not make the list, nor will One Lost Day, and I am fairly certain that the final Top 10 for 2015 will include Sound & Color, Something More Than Free, and What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, but everything else is TBD.

Oh, I did decide that the live CDs from Ryan Adams and Amos Lee will get honorable mentions but not be on the official Top 10, since they do not present new music but are absolutely amazing. Other than that, everything is TBD.

Wish me well over the coming months, and if you can think of CDs that are not on this list but should be, please drop me a comment.

I'll leave you with a little Amos Lee.

A Big Boy's Guide to an Unscheduled Staycation

It is a rarity that I have time off that is not scheduled down to the minute. We are either seeing family in other states or on some great adventure chasing a band that refused to come to St. Louis. But, since I am in the "use it or lose it" club with my vacation, when Death Cab for Cutie and the Damnwells decided to grace St. Louis with their presence (both concerts were amazing, by the way), I opted to use some time, as to not force this 40 year old body to greet the pillow at 1 am only to depart its comfort four hours later. So, I took Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. What to do...What. To. Do?

EAT! Of course.

This was not intended; it was unplanned, unscheduled, if you will, but I made a post on Wednesday that forced me into three mornings of diner deliciousness. I was just heading back from letting a friend borrow a guitar for a recording session, and I realized I'd be passing by Tiffany's Diner, which I had always wanted to check out. So, I did. 

I have had an obsession with diners as long as I can remember, particularly counter tops. As a listener, I love bellying up to a counter and just opening my ears. Inevitably the blue collar guy will bitch about the economy, as the older flirt will hit on the waitress, and the regulars will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about how much it sucks to get old. Each place that I went had similar characters, all were wonderful and crazy. They were human, and I loved them for it, but let's get to the food. 

Tiffay's is what I would call serviceable. There was nothing inspiring about the food, nothing that made me want to tell everyone to check it out, but that is not to say it was bad. It was what it was, diner food on the cheap. I ordered up a bacon omelette with some hash browns and a small order of biscuits and gravy. The biscuits emerged from a container with no treatment done before being sliced and covered in gravy. The gravy was decent, but my wife has spoiled me. Yes, my vegan wife makes the best damn biscuits and gravy. Sure they are vegan, but taste is taste, and they taste amazing, so I say thank you may I have another. The eggs at Tiffany's were good, thinly spread across the griddle, yet the cook managed to keep them somewhat loose, allowing the omelette to have moistness which my toast appreciated. The hash browns were tasty, nice texture with enough browning. Where they lost me was the American Cheese. I know there is probably some hipster nostalgia associated with American Cheese, but I hate that shit. I ate it A LOT as a kid, and if I never have to eat it again, I'll be okay with that. Unfortunately, everything just seemed to lack seasoning, but it was nothing that a good splash of hot sauce couldn't fix. 

Next up was Burkemper's Family Restaurant probably a mile from my house, yet I had never been there. I am an idiot. Without reservation, Burkemper's is the place I would recommend the most. Why? Seasoning. It all tasted SO GOOD. I could not put my fork down. I went with the Country Fried Steak, something I almost never order, but I heard they are known for their broasted chicken, so I thought some of that magic may spill over into the Country Fried Steak. I was correct. It was thin and beautifully seasoned. The bite was easy and the breading offered a nice crunch to it. The over hard eggs were fine. I wasn't a fan of using the ring mold to cook them. I prefer mine to be a bit thinner, so the edges crisp, but that could be a lingo thing. Maybe if I had ordered fried they would have come out that way. I can't think of anything that stood out about the hash browns, but I didn't have any complaints. While my wife's biscuits are still better (yes I said it, and I know where your mind went...those too), I did like theirs, and I LOVED their gravy. I believe they used sausage and bacon, and that made all the different. It was the perfect consistency and tasted like being spoon fed heaven from the angels. 

Friday's diner experience came at the recommendation of THE IronStef. She's doing a series called Overbites, all about the options in Overland, so she sent me to George's Diner, and I am glad I went. George's was all ambience, a weathered L shaped counter with a very sassy cook taking orders and slinging hash. White board walls with menu items written on them, and a sign instructing us to never trust a thin cook. I ordered up Sandy's Stack, a monstrosity of biscuits, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and eggs to order - mine were over medium. The bacon was perfectly cooked; the eggs were on the verge of over easy, but they were thick enough in parts to give me the bite I was looking for; biscuits were treated on the griddle before beginning the stack, which definitely improved the overall flavor of the dish; the sausage patties had good consistency, but weren't very flavorful - maybe I'm just used to vegan sausage now :-/; and the hash browns were my favorite of the three diners. They had a really unique texture. I think they may have been shorter shreds, so they were a bit softer which worked in the Stack. The gravy? Well, it was thick and was too starchy for me to love it. Not bad, but I left some on my plate. I damn near licked my plate at Burkermper's to make sure I got it all. Still, the combination was incredible, and I'll be back for sure. 

While I cannot recommend any of these locations as a daily eatery, for fear all of you will die of heart attacks. I will say, if you are looking for a counter to belly up to on that random day off, make it a point to visit a local mom-n-pop diner. I doubt you'll be disappointed with the experience or the food. 

Top 10 CDs 2014

Spoon– They Want My Soul

The miraculous happened in 2014. Not only did Spoon release a new CD, some four years after their last release, but I got to see them do it live, and not just a YouTube video or a rerun of their Austin City Limits performance, but I physically sat/stood in front of them at the Pageant as they tore through everything I have ever wanted to hear them do live. They were one of the bands still on the will-travel-for list because I had never seen them before. They did not disappoint. While this is a Top Ten CD list, those that have been reading my yearly list, know that a band’s ability to pull it off live factors into my rankings. This live performance probably pushed Spoon into the 10^th spot. 2014 was ripe with great releases. There were so many albums that spent time on this list, but when I sat down to decide on the final 10, the infectious grooves of “Inside Out,” “Knock Knock Knock,” and “Outlier” paired with the haunting atmospherics hidden throughout They Want My Soul and the strength of their live show edged out the others.  

Coldplay – Ghost Stories

When I review past Top 10s and this one, I am a bit surprised by how many "big" bands made it on my 2014 list. Not that I shy away from loving popular music, but it doesn’t always appeal to me. Whatever it is that makes it palatable for the masses tends to turn me off, but Coldplay has managed to defy that. With the exception of X&Y and Viva La Vida, they have always hit me where it counts. I supposed that is the strength of sincere music. From the first notes of Ghost Stories I was smitten: nice down beats that keep the body as interested as the ears; a renewed exploration of synthesizers; and the same calming vocals that have had us swooning for years. Of the CDs on the list, Ghost Stories probably got played more than any other CD when the lights got turned off. It just provides the perfect tapestry from which to hang your dreams.   

Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy

This list was all but finalized when my world was rocked. Damien Rice was dropping new music. DAMIEN. RICE. Eight years after 9. Eight long, sad years. And there he was. As soon as I heard the news, I knew someone was getting bumped (apologies to Warpaint). I cannot help it. I love him. While I cling to my Italian heritage like a joey clings to his mother, there is a quadrant of Irish in me that comes out when I open my mouth to sing and draws me to the likes of Damien Rice and Glen Hansard. I feel the words they sing, and that means everything to me. My Favourite Faded Fantasy features everything we’ve come to love from Rice: explosive and unexpected instrumentation, powerful vocals, accessible lyrics, and an instant connection, like he is speaking to every listener, directly. Of the eight songs, only one is under 5 minutes; one is 9:33, one is 8:09, and two are over 6 minutes. As a singer/songwriter on the other side of incessant reviews complaining about the length of my songs, I fully respect that he stuck it out and snubbed radio. Yep, not going to get a lot of the airplay that is reserved for A.D.D. stories clocking in at 210 seconds, but he doesn’t give a shit, and neither do I. 

Ed Sheeran – X

I am as surprised as anyone to see this on here. I mean this dude is UBER popular. He is probably responsible for every Prom mistake made in 2014 and will no doubt cause 67% of all virginities lost, but I cannot stop listening to his music. While juvenile on the surface with tales of drinking and smoking out, there is a soul there that is pure and wants to be protected…a soul that wants to fall in love. There are some throwaways on this disc, the bumpy dance numbers that reek of club perfume and spilt lemon drops, but there are also some gems: “One,” “I’m a Mess,” “Photograph,” “Tenerife Sea,” “Thinking Out Loud,” and “Even My Dad Does Sometimes” are worth the price of the full length. Of the CDs on the list, X got the most play in my car. It’s just a great feel-good disc, tons of grooves to jam out to and plenty of earnest lyrics to get your brain spinning and your heart hurting. 

Amy Ray – Goodnight Tender

There are a few things that come with being a singer/songwriter, particularly one that performs solo and acoustic: 1) If you are anywhere near a tenor, you will be compared to Tracy Chapman, and they don’t give a fuck that she is a girl. 2) People will tell you that you sound like James Taylor, even though your smoky howl sounds nothing like the pristine perfect pitch that James offers. 3) You will learn to love the Indigo Girls because they are the best at doing what it is that you want to do. Amy Ray, the husky-voiced half of the duo dropped the best damn country album that Nashville will never play because they have completely lost touch with what country really is, favoring rap with a pedal steel or some other bastardization of the genre. Goodnight Tender is good from start to finish. It has the best pedal steel phrases; features a host of guest musicians; offers fantastic harmonies; and is filled with great stories.  

                                                  

Counting Crows – Somewhere Under Waterland

Probably the most underrated album on the list. It was released with minimal fanfare. If I wasn’t following the Counting Crows on social media, I may have never known it was released, but good God is it good. In my opinion, it is their best work since This Desert Life. The instrumentation highlights the strength of their ensemble. The guitar tones are some of the best I have heard recorded. David, David, and Dan are as legit as any guitarists out there, but they don’t look for the spotlight. They understand the power of the unit. They are a band, and while media will always point to Adam as the face, they should not be separated; Adam needs Charlie as much as Charlie needs Adam, etc. In addition to the music, Somewhere Under Waterland is strengthened by some of Adam’s best storytelling. He is turning great phrases and painting pictures for the world to see behind eyelid shutters. “Palisades Park,” the opening track, is my probably my favorite, but I don’t think there are any throwaways. Every track is solid.   

You+Me– Rose Ave.

 When two powerhouses merge it’s either going to be a clusterfuck or its going to be amazing. You+Me falls on the amazing end of the spectrum. While I would have liked for the disc to be less rushed, for Alecia and Dallas to really flush out some of the lyrics, to expand on the sound, the atmosphere created underneath the words, and replace Alecia’s trills with something more thoughtful, the harmonies cannot be denied and make me forget my want list. Despite the kind of shallow appeal of a few of the tunes, there are some incredibly strong songs on Rose Ave. “You and Me” is a complete song, something that feels fully vetted, and I love that they carried the harmonies throughout the track. “Gently” also resonates with me, and “Break the Cycle” has the anthemic, self-help appeal to it. But the strongest track, “Open Door,” spent days on rotation in my bed room, in my car, and at my office. As someone that hasn’t lived near his parents for the majority of his life, it hit home.

Sarah Jaffe – Don’t Disconnect

We might as well forgo 2 and 3 and replace them with 2.5 and 2.5. I love both discs for the same reasons, and they feature my two favorite songs of the year. “Don’t Disconnect” is stark and haunting. Sarah creates this space that leaves you feeling alone, just as the lyrics cry out, “Do you still feel me.” When you journey through her catalog, you remember that this is a singer/songwriter, a girl and her guitar, but she has been pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to be a singer/songwriter in the electro-pop era. “Slow Pour” is another track that gets under your skin and forces your body to sway, as if you were holding an invisible lover. Don’t Disconnect provides a nice balance of up and down-tempo. It is thoughtful and explorative. 

Priscilla Ahn – This is Where We Are

Same tune different name. Much like Jaffe, Ahn is a girl and her guitar that has been pushing the boundaries of electro-pop with strong lyrical content and the musical sensibilities of a solo musician. She is able to feed the listener tiny bites of music filled with space and still leaves them feeling satiated, but on This is Where We Are she shows she can serve up a very detailed landscape of musical textures sending her listeners away feeling Thanksgiving-full. She embraces dynamics and not just volume swells; she understands how to build a composition. In contrast to the majority of This is Where We Are “Remember When I Broke Your Heart” is nothing but a droning guitar, piano, harmonies – luscious, luscious, harmonies – and the best lyrics of the year:

It was a gray sky on a Monday
There was nothing more I could say
So I called you from Ohio in a parking lot of a motel
I remember how you greeted me
Like you knew we were not meant to be
On this phone call after two years of the fighting of the mad tears

After all that we've been through all the damages I bestowed on you
All the jealousies you engraved in me
The end was near it had to be
So I called you from Ohio in a parking lot of a motel
To say nothing and yet everything I remember I was trembling

Now I'm drinking to forget you spend your money get a tattoo
Stayed a week end up in Oregon bought a plane ride to an island
But I stopped first in Toronto met a man who almost let me go
Four years later he married me I am happier than I dreamed I'd be
So you see I had to let you go in a phone call from Ohio
Filled with silence and apologies still I loved you as you loved me

Water Liars – Water Liars

Having the Water Liars at #1 was a pretty simple decision because this was the album that I would want to make. I love the three piece sensibility, allowing each instrument to breathe, to have a distinct voice, to not clutter the middle with fifteen different versions of the same line of music. Justin continues to drop golden lyrics that have me wishing I had written them, such as “on the dirty brown river of heroin shivers” from “Sawnnanoa” or "When I left her house, it was snowin’ out and her taste was in my mouth, but who cares” and his guitar tone is the stuff of my dreams. I wish every drummer would listen to the Water Liars, so they would understand how powerful minimalism can be. Andrew Bryant is the perfect drummer. While I am definitely a fan of their first two duo releases, I have to admit I like what GR Robinson adds to the recording. It’s nice to have that solid bass line to keep things tightly tied together.  I won’t give you a favorite track because they are all good.

The review is over; now, go buy some music and thank me later.