I don't think there's such thing as a "bad year for music" anymore. There is so much good stuff out there waiting to be found. Of the albums I got a chance to listen to, here are my favorites of 2013.
16) Jason Boland and the Stragglers - Dark and Dirty Mile
Veteran Oklahoma band keeps the country music coming, with great lyrics and a hell of a lead singer in Boland.
15) Mandolin Orange - This Side of Jordan
This Carrboro, North Carolina duo has stellar harmonies and a great country-folk sound.
14) Hog Bucket - Old Mustard
An album of great American music with a sense of humor a mile long and a few resonant moments along the way. (My full review HERE.)
13) Steve Martin and Edie Brickell - Love Has Come For You
Martin's sturdy, non-showy banjo picking and Brickell's strong, unique vocals make for one of the most downright pleasurable listens of the year. Hopefully the beginning of a beautiful partnership.
12) The Proctors - Everlasting Light
Somehow I stumbled on this album and it took me by complete surprise. The absolute definition of beautiful, jangly guitar pop.
11) Steep Canyon Rangers - Tell the Ones I Love
Top notch picking, singing, and songwriting from one of the best bands in bluegrass, not to mention hooks and melodies galore.
10) The Avett Brothers - Magpie and the Dandelion
Despite one or two missteps, the Brothers deliver some of their finest songs in years. (My full [kind of] review HERE.)
9) Widower - Fool Moon
One of the most lyrically rich albums of the year. A pleasure to listen to. (My full review HERE.)
8) Rhye - Woman
Mixes elements of R & B and electronic-pop to deliver hands down the sexiest album of the year. (Sorry, Matt Berninger, I know that's what you were going for.)
7) Guy Clark - My Favorite Picture of You
This album made me view Clark in the same vein as John Prine. They both make songwriting look easy; it is not. I can't wait to go back and listen through Clark's back catalog.
6) The National - Trouble Will Find Me
The album that made me a fan of The National. Great vocals, great musicianship, great songs. Amazing drumming.
5) Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
It's still baffling that an album released on a major country label sounds this vital and good. With artists like this getting airplay, maybe in the near future country radio will start having something worthwhile to say again. (My full review HERE.)
4) Ashley Monroe - Like A Rose
Unapologetic traditional country music. There's fun, heartbreak, weed, and vocal appearances by co-producer Vince Gill and the boy 'round here himself, Blake Shelton (it's worth mentioning that the Shelton duet is nothing like what he shells out to the masses).
3) Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience (part one)
This seventy-minute epic finds Timberlake experimenting with different styles and getting a little bit old school. Each song is about seven minutes long, each one changing into something different about halfway through. I love it all, from the opening funk-soul of "Pusher Love Girl" to the song about a romantic getaway in a spaceship ("Spaceship Coupe").
2) Daniel Romano - Come Cry With Me
By just looking at the album cover, you don't know whether Romano wants to be taken seriously. However, one listen of the album makes it clear that he does. Exquisitely produced with an old school touch and with songs that sound like they were written in another era, this is the best country album of the year and one of my favorite new discoveries. And Romano's album cover get-up is pretty stellar.
1) Futurebirds - Baba Yaga
Having seen this album on only one "best of" list, I will go on record as calling it the most underrated album of 2013. Truly an album for any season, any mood, and any medium, from headphones to open windows. It's psychedelic indie country-rock with an exorbitant amount of pedal steel, which every could use a little more of if you ask me. It's an exciting and wonderful album to get lost in. (My full review HERE.)
Other albums I thoroughly enjoyed but that didn't make the list for one reason or another, most likely because I didn't get a chance to listen to them as much.
NPR began streaming the new Avett Brothers album Magpie and the Dandelion last night. So, of course, I listened to it and decided to jot down some first impressions. Some...ahem....ramblings, if you will. (Warning: The Avetts are one of those bands I have been emotionally attached to/connected with for quite some time. They are one of my favorite bands; I'm talking about all times. Therefore, I am biased. It is sometimes hard for me to be critical of them, especially regarding a new album that I am expecting to be awesome [as I anticipate all of their new material to be]. I just wanted to make that clear up front.) Enjoy the ramblings.
Open Ended Life
Album starts much differently than the acoustic stylings of The Carpenter's first track. Uptempo. Banjo, piano, even a little harmonica. And yes, DRUMS, for all the haters (OMG a folk rock band added DRUMS! Blasphemy!) Central lyric: "I was taught to keep an open ended life, and never trap myself in nothin'." Nice little hoedown about midway through. I am completely digging this. Sounded like a fiddle solo at the end there. What a fantastic way to start things off.
Morning Song
Very warm vocal here from Scott. The damn harmonies on this song are beautiful, as are the lyrics. I don't particularly like the absence of banjo, but I am also a mature adult and will get over it. I dig the understated gospel-choir-esque vocals at the end. Do I like the YouTube version they did with Esquire more? Sure. But this song is still one of the best they've written.
Never Been Alive
I'm getting a Pink Floyd vibe at the start. Back in the days when I smoked weed I definitely would have been listening to this song and getting all existential.
Another Is Waiting
Quick transition into the album's lead single. I completely dig this song and wish it would blow up. I read where someone compared it to Green Day with a banjo, as if that was supposed to be a disparaging comment. I don't necessarily agree, but I wonder if that person realizes Green Day has some amazingly hooky and good pop-punk songs in their catalog. If you think that the Avetts crafty catchy pop hooks is them selling out, you, sir, need to go back and listen to "At the Beach," "Will You Return," "Jenny and the Summer Day," "Matrimony," etc etc etc.
Bring Your Love To Me
"Bring your love to me, I will hold it like a newborn child." Seth takes lead. Old-schoolers will be happy to hear some sweet banjo flourishes. Excellent acoustic guitar work as well. Totally chill and laid back tune. "Bring your love to me, I will hold it like a dandelion, one I want to save, one I want to keep from the breeze that follows me and no one else." This might be an early favorite. Good To You
Piano introduction, Scott takes lead. Very simple song; mostly just piano and Joe Kwon's cello. AWESOME: Bob Crawford takes a verse, quite powerful in light of his daughter's recent battle with cancer. (Bob sings one of my favorite Avett songs, "40 East," from Four Thieves Gone.)
Apart From Me
"I was scared but couldn't admit it." Somewhat cold and resigned yet intimate vocal from Scott. Very personal song it sounds like (aren't they all?). Certainly would not feel out of place on a Gleam album. Contains some excellent acoustic picking, from Seth I assume. "The banker lived, the artist died." Believe this might be another early favorite.
Skin and Bones
I've purposefully avoided the versions of this song that have been circulating on the interwebs for a few years. I knew it'd hit an album at some point. Midtempo, heavy dosage of banjo. Scott and Seth trade off vocals. "I built the fence, I hung the sign, blood red letters sayin' 'Keep in mind where we've been, so don't come in.' But how long can we live in shame, and drop a life long curse on our own last name." Well. Shit.
Souls Like the Wheels
I've been wondering whether this would be the same version from The Second Gleam. It is not. It is a live version. It is still an amazing song. Seth sounds young as hell here. Interested to find out what year this was recorded. Also the crowd sounds very sparse. Would bet that this was quite a few years ago. I am, however, most definitely probably wrong...and the large, loud applause at the end corroborates that.. I don't have a problem with its inclusion,but I wonder what the reasoning was behind putting it on Magpie. Maybe Seth's not younger here and it was just an emotional night/performance, because there's certainly an element of frailty to his singing on this.
Vanity
Awesome almost-scream from Seth on "I've got love pouring out of my veins." Some major dissonance about midway through that leads into some distorted electric guitar soloing. Pretty badass. If you saw their performance of this on Fallon (with Chris Cornell), you know they will go insane on this one live. The Clearness Is Gone
I've heard this song exactly one time. I believe it was included as a bonus vinyl single or b-side with the pre-order packages for The Carpenter. So glad they included because it's great. Sweet, sweet bass line running through. "I will seek the approval of no one but you." Has sort of a 70s classic rock vibe to it. Ends abruptly without much "resolution," thus ending the album the same. Great way to end what for the most part is a very somber and low key album.
In a nutshell:
Simply more of the good, heartfelt stuff folks have come to expect from The Avett Brothers. If there's one consistent theme woven within the Avetts catalog lyrically, it's: the want, the need, the hope to be a better man. They always express that desire honestly, though, never shying away from the darkness, failure, even self-detestation that can accompany that striving. The same can be said for Magpie, perhaps even more so than some previous albums; it contains some dark truths. But, of course, there are those glimmers, sometimes rays, of idealistic hope. The album has some truly outstanding tracks, and I can't wait to listen again with lyrics in front of me (will also be interesting to hear the demos of a few songs that are included on the special edition). Musically, the brothers really seem to have come into their own with Rubin as producer. It contains a bit more musical understatement. Do I wish there was more banjo? Sure. (Still, there's banjo on at least half these tracks.) As stated before, I don't mind the drums at all (hell, I used to be a drummer myself), but do I wish their drummer would do something a little more creative than simply keep the basic beat in the background? Sure. To me, these are minor quibbles; to others, they are dealbreakers. At this point it doesn't matter, for those arguments are outdated. In an interview a couple months ago, Scott alluded to the fact that the band might be getting bored. I'm not sure what to make of that in light of Magpie, because they certainly do not sound bored on this album (however, these songs were recorded during The Carpenter sessions, while the interview was just this past summer, so something could have transpired; who knows?). Do I hope they work with a different producer than Rick Rubin for their next album? Yes. Let the bearded musical Buddha live the rest of his years high on his couch while Kanye and Jay-Z make albums in his studio. If this is indeed the Avetts' last go 'round with Rubin, Magpie and the Dandelion is a hell of an album to go out on.
To close, enjoy Scott Avett singing the classic folk tune "Froggy Went A-Courtin'"
If you do a Google search for "the avett brothers new album," many
hits are popular music and entertainment websites discussing their album
released in September of last year, The Carpenter, will pop up. Except for one. The brothers did an interview (read it here in full)
with radio.com where they discuss, among other things, Kanye West, Rage
Against The Machine, the festival scene, boredom, and a new album--a
new album to be released this Fall. I am a little surprised no
(or not many) other websites have picked up on this seemingly large
tidbit of information. (And I know some of you folks frequent--and I
mean frequent--Abundant Ramblings for the truly hard hitting and
breaking news in the world of music.) Maybe the fact that Scott mentions
that it will indeed include a few songs from the Carpenter sessions
doesn't quite fit the "big new release only a year after previous album
coming from popular americana act" headline that many may have been
hoping for. But it seems this isn't exactly a collection of b-sides and
rarities. I don't know exactly what kind of album it's going to be.
Perhaps neither does Scott Avett:
We should be releasing an album in September, maybe October. The Carpenter was
the first installment and this is the other part. We initially thought
of this as part two…but we realize it’s its own thing. It’s a very
interesting occurrence we didn’t intend. It’s a nice surprise.
So originally the album was thought of as The Carpenter Part II, but it turned into something a little different. There are still unanswered questions: Was a Carpenter Part II
always in the plans and, amazingly and with excellent tact, kept on the
down low? What in the heck does "it's its own thing" and "interesting
occurrence" mean? Were all of these songs written during the Carpenter
sessions? Wait. Nevermind. He answers that:
Some of them are in the works for years — seven, eight years. Others, a
year ago. It was all very different. We have a lot of places where songs
are hiding within our homes, in our bus,
in our bags, in our pockets they just end up here [points to his head].
They’re everywhere and we never know when they’ll come out of the
shadows.
Folks familiar with the ingenuity
that is The Avett Brothers Songwriting Process On Some Of Their Songs
Which They Take Forever To Record But Have Been Playing Live Slash
Tweaking For Ages will be unsurprised that some songs have been
festering for years. So we know that, we know that some songs were
recorded (written?) during the Carpenter sessions, and we know that some
songs were written a year ago, which would be June of 2012, at which
time I would have to assume most if not all of the songs included on The Carpenter
had been chosen (they released lead single "Live and Die" to stream on
NPR almost exactly one year ago), and it was in the twilight stages of
mastering, mixing, engineering, and finalizing. Therefore, I will assume
that a few of the songs for the new album were recorded after the Carpenter sessions. ("He sure is assuming a lot. I want nothing but the cold hard facts. This dude SUCKS.")
By
now it should be obvious that the band has been working with Rick Rubin
again, producer (some would say destroyer of bands; just ask a small
legion of original Avett fans or The Band Perry) of The Carpenter and its predecessor I and Love and You.
They obviously enjoy working with him and appreciate what he has
brought out of them and their music. Take it away again, Mr. Avett
(Scott that is. He wouldn't let Seth talk):
After we worked with him we were inventorying our songs much
differently, much quicker. When we brought them to him this time, there
was a lot less to go through. A lot less. The songs weren’t distracted.
They weren’t as jumbled up, if that makes sense. So the editing process
was different. But we recorded more songs and took a lot longer to
record because we decided to take them to the end with the mixing and
mastering. Hopefully it will be different when we work with him again.
Is the "this time" while they were recording The Carpenter but still bringing in songs for The Carpenter Part II, which may or may not have been the plan at the time? Or is the "this time" some time between when The Carpenter
came out and the present moment? "More songs" and "took a lot longer"
is always a good thing in a fan's mind. But does "we decided to take
them to the end" mean that they were Carpenter demos that didn't fit on the album proper or other new songs that they decided to go ahead and "take to the end" because The Carpenter Part II
was becoming its own little animal? Does "when we work with him again"
mean when they work with him again on finishing up this album, or are
they already set on having him record the follow-up to The Carpenter's
follow-up as well? I know that I haven't made it obvious, but I do
indeed have a few unanswered questions about this new album.
To
me, the last part of radio.com's interview is the most interesting
(read: leaves me with ALL of the questions). Take it away, Seth. Just
kidding. Scott again:
I think when we were first at this, we thought of changes as
atomic bombs. Like we needed to change everything from song to song,
from set to set, show to show, day to day. I think we look at changes
now — real changes, honest changes — as something subtle. So I think
that the changes will be understood and natural from what we’ve done or
how we’ve changed in the past two or three recordings that we put out.
We’re trying to make plans
to record again soon, within the next year, so there’s no telling what
it will be like. I think we all know, and we haven’t actually said this,
but I think that we may be bored in some ways. And I think it may be of
interest to us to shake that boredom off because as creators and as
musicians we need that. The fans need what they need and sometimes
that’s different. But we need that. We’re all inspired by many things,
but we don’t get the opportunity to let that be reflected in what we
make. But we can’t stay bored for long. (emphasis mine)
Well
crap, Avett. Thanks for the clarification! Sooo...this album will be
subtly different. Is that your way of saying it is pretty much going to
be in the exact same vein as The Carpenter, or are you purposely
trying to throw us off track and this will actually be an album full of
angrily sweet emotional rage a la "Paul Newman vs. The Demons"? Are you
truly hoping to get into the studio again within the next year to work
on the super hush-hushed Carpenter Part III? (I'm only even
thinking of The Carpenter follow-up's follow-up because you bring it up
in the interview. I think.) If so, that would be fantastic. Are you
going to work with Rubin again, as you maybe also kind of hinted at
earlier in the interview? That's cool too. But wait, you're bored? Bored
with Rubin? Or merely bored artistically? If the latter is the case, a
change in producer might not hurt. Producers kind of have a fairly large
influence on the music an artist makes. I'm not saying that because I
disliked your last two albums; I like them both and appreciate how Rubin
has helped you all grow as a band, both artistically and in popularity.
Changes can be good without necessarily being "atomic bombs." But after
the follow-up to The Carpenter even I, one of your biggest fans,
am going to become bored with another Avett/Rubin collaboration. Sure,
"the fans need what they need" and it's wonderful and possible to give
it to them and maintain being true to yourself. But don't be afraid to
venture off the beaten path. Change it up if you have to. Don't be
bored. Don't bore your fans. Make music that inspires you because it's
based off music that has inspired you. I'm not saying you don't already
do this. I'm just saying don't be afraid to really change it up. Atomic
bomb that shit if you need to. Your legions of new fans will follow. And
if not all of them do? Well, then I guess they love you for the band
that you were not the band you're becoming.
Thanks for reading, folks. I'm not, like, an Avett Brothers fan or anything (read: I most definitely am).
And my one and only piece of layman's advice to assist in boredom prevention (well, other than what I've already written above, I guess): more banjo.
(Note: I wrote this a few days ago but only just now got around to
editing and publishing it. Since then I've seen another interview or two
where the Avetts discuss their new album, and a few major publications
like American Songwriter have picked up on it. I didn't incorporate any
of that into this piece, however, as I simply thought it was fun to
comment on the confusing vagueness and the veering into "musician-speak", regarding how and when the new album was recorded, in the radio.com interview. Plus, I
think the fact that they admit [or at least Scott admits on behalf of
the band] that they're bored is significant, and also raises more questions than it answers. Surely that means changes
in some form or fashion are to come; I guess we'll just have to wait and see
what they are. [Seriously though, more banjo.])
13) Caroline Herring - Camilla
Steel-guitar drenched, socially conscious country-folk doesn't get much better than this, and Herring's voice is transcendent.
12) Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson - Wreck & Ruin
Heavy on banjo, fiddle, and excellent songwriting, this married Australian duo is more in touch with American country music than just about anything you'll hear on mainstream country radio.
The Turtles ease up on the ferocity (though its still here) and focus on great songwriting, creating modern, melancholic folk-bluegrass that is timeless.
(WEBSITE)
Bluegrass that has it's foot planted solidly in tradition but is nowhere close to being shackled by it, this album from the group that has a "side job" as Steve Martin's touring band is full of stunning musical precision and modern songwriting craft, and isn't afraid to take a few risks along the way.
(WEBSITE)
The only thing one can say about this album is that it's neo-traditional songwriting and sound at its very best; in other words, it's pure Alan Jackson, classic and enjoyable as ever.
(WEBSITE)
This group is otherworldly when it comes to playing their instruments (you can most appreciate this with an excellent pair of headphones), and mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile's songwriting only gets better.
(WEBSITE)
The Avetts are ones to surprise with every album, smartly reigning in the piano-drenced anthemic quality of I and Love and You and trading it for what they do best: acoustic country-folk with excellent lyricism and pop sensibilities.
(WEBSITE)
Chris Knight rocks out and reigns in in equal measure on his latest album, solidifying the truth that he is one of the most underrated artists and songwriters working today.
(WEBSITE)
This modern Appalachian folk album is riddled with beautiful harmonies and restrained yet skillful instrumentation, not to mention it takes balls to end an album with an instrumental and an old traditional sung acapella.
(WEBSITE)
Mayer self-reflects, gets personal lyrically, and surprisingly eases up on the guitar-solo breaks that used to color each of his songs, on this album inspired by the sounds of seventies classic rock and modern Americana. (FULL ALBUM REVIEW HERE.)
(WEBSITE)
Bingham wanted to experiment with the sounds he could get from a guitar on this album, approaching it as a kid who just discovered the instrument would, and Tomorrowland not only straight-up rocks but also contains poignant, introspective songwriting that's unsurprising to hear coming from the guy who penned "The Weary Kind."
(WEBSITE)
As good as this album is, you'd think these ladies from Texas had been playing and writing together for years upon years and not just two or three; a truly stunning achievement. (FULL ALBUM REVIEW HERE.)
(WEBSITE)
I can't imagine 2012 without this album. This is country music that takes its cues from the best of old country, bluegrass, and rock and roll. Lyrically clever and deep when it's called for, Evan Felker is a poetically-inclined songwriter with something to say, and one of the best heart-on-your-sleeve vocalists I've ever heard. Keep your eye on these genre-defying fellows.
(WEBSITE)
10) Ryan Bingham - "Too Deep Too Fill" (from the album Tomorrowland)
The final cut on Ryan Bingham's Tomorrowland album has its eyes set on love of a woman and perhaps more importantly, love of the natural world. It's a brilliant, sparsely-written and picked tune, and Bingham's voice, per usual, is a force to be reckoned with, conveying longing and weariness while sounding like he's got gravel grinding way back in his throat. He bookends lyrics about his disillusionment with people who are apathetic or downright hostile toward the notion that we should care for the natural world, which literally sustains us (And I'm going out to the forest/ I'm going to see if I can find out why/ People all around are still cutting it all down/ But I hope to be on home for suppertime), with lyrics about coming home to his woman (Oh baby, oh sweet baby/ Will you kiss these poor lips of mine/ Tell me that you love me/ and your heart is forever mine). Of course, if you were to ask Bingham why he wrote a political song or a song with an agenda, he'd tell you he was just writing about something that he profoundly cares about. And isn't that exactly what we ask of artists and songwriters? (Here is a video of Bingham talking about the cause of conservancy, and here's a great video someone made putting the song to images of the natural world.)
9) Chris Knight - "Hard Edges" (from the album Little Victories)
For a man with such a rugged voice, Chris Knight sure can write a tender song, and this might be one of the tenderest in his long catalogue of great songs. The narrator tells the story of Lisa, who's led a difficult life--mostly due to circumstance--but she's always maintained a dream deep down for something better, happier. The hand she's been dealt has made her a little rough around the edges, a far cry from her true nature. Just let the following lyrics sink in:
Lisa's in a club downtown where the neon burns 'til dawn She calls herself Tina now but she dances to the same old song Slowly spinning 'round and 'round in the smoke and the smell of rye She takes off all her clothes so they don't look in eyes Her scarlet rouge and her blue tattoos They're only painted on But underneath the dark drumbeat A ballerina dances on
The story of Lisa's is specific, but it's one we can all relate to: the innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of trying to grow up and become adults in a world that can seem stacked against us. This is Kentucky's own Chris Knight, one of America's best songwriters, at his most heartfelt and nuanced.
I can't find a YouTube version of the song, but you can listen on Spotify here. Better yet, just purchase the entire album Little Victories. It's worth it.
8) The Trishas - "Strangers" (from the album High, Wide & Handsome)
Each song on The Trishas debut LP is striking in its own way, but it was "Strangers" that struck me first. I wrote about it and the rest of the album recently on the blog:
** Truly as good as country music gets, and by that I mean that this is a
beautifully sad song. Savannah Welch takes the lead here, imbuing lyrics
like "I miss the me I used to be" and "I barely recognize myself" with a
vulnerability and sense of tragedy that brings the truth of them home,
allows them to be feelings rather than just words. It's a song about the
dark side of marriage, about being with someone for a time and then
realizing it's gotten to a point where you don't know them, they don't
know you, and you don't know you. The second verse attempts to put words
to this unexplainable disconnect: "Sometimes when the light's just
right/ It's you who's kissin' me goodnight/ When the morning comes it's
her I find instead/ Who are these strangers in our bed?" On top of that,
memories are conjured up by detailed imagery ("Wedding pictures on the
TV set") and the line that encapsulates it all ("There's nothing
stranger than being strangers"). In short, this is a song that goes on
that playlist you have of songs you listen to by yourself with a bottle. **
Just listened to the song again. Going to get that bottle now.
Check it out on Spotify here. And go ahead and purchase High, Wide & Handsome in its entirety too.
7) The Avett Brothers - "Ferbruary Seven" (from the album The Carpenter)
After the--and I hate to use this world--novelty of "Paul Newman Vs. The Demons" wore off, this became my favorite song on The Carpenter. It mixes what has made the Avetts great from the very beginning with that Rick Rubin sheen. It's about something specific that happened on the day of February 7th, but there's enough great lines to make it sweepingly profound and broadly appealing. Take the phenomenal chorus for example:
There's no fortune at the end of a road that has no end There's no returning to the spoils once you've spoiled the thought of them There's no falling back to sleep once you've wakened from the dream Now I'm rested and I'm ready I'm rested and I'm ready to begin
There's a sweet piano melody that comes in just before the music of the chorus takes those words to epic heights. "February Seven" also contains one of my favorite lines of the year:
Sooner than my fate was wrote A perfect blade, it slit my throat and beads of lust released into the air When I awoke you were standing there
It's the Avetts doing what they do best: anthemic, acoustic country-folk that's catchy as hell.
6) Great Lake Swimmers - "The Great Exhale" (from the album New Wild Everywhere)
Tony Dekker, lead singer for Great Lake Swimmers, is a poet if a singer-songwriter ever was one. His songs aren't so much stories as they are meditations on life, using images from the natural world to get his point across, bring everything back around full circle, taking in the scenery and dispensing wisdom on the wheel of life. His hushed vocals suit this song perfectly, and the harmonies sung by newest member of the band Miranda Mulholland (she's the fiery redhead) are gorgeous and haunting. This song makes death sound not only easier to come to terms with, but almost desirable (the luminous veil? I mean, come on). (Don't worry, I don't want to die, just listen to the song.) Here are some lyrics from the chorus:
And the world stops spinning when you stop spinning It sighs when you sigh when you sigh I'm coming home so leave the light on for me I'm drawing over the luminous veil And when I get in I will see you all there I'm drawing on the great exhale
5) Corb Lund - "September" (from the album Cabin Fever)
This song is so good that I already wrote about it several weeks ago. Here's the whole thing, and here's an excerpt:
** "September" plays upon the classic theme of
country-boy-pining-for-city-girl (in this case, a country girl who who
decides to become a city girl), but it contains a melancholy and a
desolation that plumbs deep below surface cliches and allows the
listener to really feel the anguish and pain buried in the narrator's
heart. He, the struggling cattle farmer staying behind, she, the woman
he loves moving to New York City to perhaps chase a long held dream. In a
way, he can't really blame her for leaving. In the quiet country "there
ain't much to do," "there ain't much glamor," and "the pace is kinda
slow," after all. But he is certain that no one in New York City could
need her as much as he does. "Stay with me through September," he begs...
...My favorite part of the song is the part without words, where Lund sings
"oooos" with an emotional heft that betrays an immense and piercing
loneliness, as if singing the very siren song of the relationship in
just those few notes. It sounds like a mix between Chris Martin's (of
Coldplay) falsetto and a modern twist on a high and lonesome yodel,
echoing in the valleys of the mountains he sings about, conjuring up the
image of a man standing by himself in a vast and wide open space.
Totally free but utterly trapped. It makes the loneliness of the
narrator more than palpable. How fitting that loneliness in real life
often leaves us struggling to express the feeling in words. **
"September" is also my favorite music video of the year.
4) Daniel Martin Moore and Joan Shelley - "First of August" (from the album Farthest Field)
"First of August" is the beautiful lead track from these two Kentuckians' album of duets, Farthest Field. I first became familiar with Daniel Martin Moore when he released a collaborative album with Ben Sollee (produced by Jim James of My Morning Jacket fame) entitled Dear Companion, which contained songs built around a theme of speaking out against mountaintop removal coal mining. My introduction to Joan Shelley, however, was this song.
It is a poetic tale of family and leaving and letting go, and its striking natural images and slow, hushed tempo lend to the song a feeling like floating on wind. The arrangement is so sparse and non-intrusive that you have to actually listen to fully appreciate it. Shelley and Moore's voices fit together as naturally as the shining sun, so much so that you'd think they were brother and sister. "First of August" is mostly sung in their restrained yet powerful and emotive harmony. Here's one of my favorite lyrics in the song, followed by a beautifully shot live video of the two performing it:
Pray you go with the sweet wind They'll be trees there that you know So careful not to harden Sure to make a letter home Down the road Where you shining Were last seen at the fork
3) Turnpike Troubadours - "Good Lord Lorrie" (from the album Goodbye Normal Street)
A number of songs from their 2012 album could have occupied this spot, but I'm too big a fan of alliteration not to go with this one. Not to mention that these guys know how to tell one hell of a story. Guided by lead singer Evan Felker's songwriting, "Good Lord Lorrie" is quite literally a song about love gone wrong ("Good Lord Lorrie, I love you, could it go more wrong?"), mostly due to outside influences. There are lyrical gems all over the place:
And I've been learnin' that believin' and the barely breakin' even It's just a part of life for you and me And I've been livin' with the loneliness It's got down in my bones, I guess It's just another phase of being free
and...
And if I ever set foot in Sevier County Well your brother said he'd break my jaw But here I stand with the dark-haired daughter of southwest Arkansas
Felker is a truly talented songwriter and vocalist, spouting out his homespun poetry at every turn, interpreting his own words with a twangy phrasing that never fails to surprise (the way he sings the word "good" in this song, with his heart seemingly breaking on his sleeve for all the world to see, is something you must hear). The rest of the members behind him layer the song with guitar, fiddle, harmonica, and drums, playing with a precision and cohesion that never once makes you doubt the notion that this is an actual band, one that was certainly my favorite musical discovery of 2012.
2) John Mayer - "Born and Raised" (from the album Born and Raised)
All year long I thought this was going to be my number one song of the year. That is until I heard what ended up becoming my number one song of the year in early December. I think this is the best song Mayer's ever written, and I've already written a considerable amount about it on this blog. Here's an excerpt:
** With the title track to his recently released album, John Mayer has
written what I contend to be his best song to date. "Born and Raised" is
somber, elegiac, melodious, hopeful, and contains some of the most
poignant lyrics I've heard this year. It is intensely personal, both for
Mayer and the listener.
There is no question why Mayer named the album after this song, as it
succinctly touches on the gamut of themes that run throughout the entire
collection of songs. These include getting older ("I cheat the light to
check my face/ It's slightly harder than last year"); losing the
childlike innocence and romanticism of dreams as you do, in fact, get
older ("I still have dreams, they're not the same/ They don't fly as
high as they used to"); and the pointless exhaustion of being somebody
you're not ("Then all at once it gets hard to take/ It gets hard to fake
what I won't be"). On this song Mayer showcases the rare ability to hit
you in the gut seemingly line after line. For the listener, that gut
punch represents the recognition of truth in the simple poetry of his
words. Perhaps even more impressive: he does it without any fancy
wordplay. **
"Born and Raised" also contains another of my favorite lines of the year:
I still got time I still got faith I call on both of my brothers I got a mom I got a dad But they do not have each other
1) The Honey Dewdrops - "Together Tied" (from the album Silver Lining)
Somehow or another I came across this band on a website or blog that was recommending duos to check out in the wake of The Civil Wars announcing their break-up (or whatever that announcement was). I listened to the album Silver Lining, The Honey Dewdrops' third, on Spotify, and as soon as those first notes of the acoustic guitar came in on track number eight, I paused what I was doing and listened. It's not often that I take to a song I've never heard before so immediately.
The Honey Dewdrops are Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish, a married couple from Charlottesville, Virginia that play Appalachian-influenced folk music that is honestly and beautifully rendered. Both are unique vocalists on their own, and together their harmonies sound superb. While musically they may tip their hat toward the more traditional, in songs like "Together Tied" they are contemporary lyrical masters, Appalachian poets of the modern era. This is a song about home, about the strands of our memories of it that bind and bond families and people in a deeply emotional way, whether still there or not. And if you like your songs to have emotion, "Together Tied" has plenty of it. It's a song that makes you really feel, to the extent that it makes you grateful to be alive, embedded with tinges of sadness though the song (and life) may be. One of the many lyrics in the song that still floor me over and over again:
And what is home my brother? If not love and you and me If not a river between us Running restlessly
The chorus is:
Home like water Collects us by and by Reaches over distance To hold us together tied
There are no words here that you have to look up in the dictionary, but this is pure poetry that, when set to music as The Honey Dewdrops perform it, creates vivid imagery and stirs up some sort of unexplainable, profound longing in the listener. And whatever that longing may be for, it's a longing that inspires.
As if the lyrics and harmonies and all around excellent song-craftsmanship weren't enough, just try to get that guitar melody out of your head. It's stunning work that can induce a tear or two if you're not careful. I'm just saying. (The performance video of the song below is a must-watch.)
A simple song about a hard-working father trying, and often struggling, to make a living and provide for his family. Written by Haggard himself, the song reached number one on the country charts in 1969. This video is a great classic performance.
The Avett Brothers - "St. Joseph's"
The Brothers write and sing about the many blessings of becoming a new father and how it can change a man. Namely, make him a more grateful and devoted person. This video is an all-time favorite.
Drive-By Truckers - "Where the Devil Don't Stay"
Mike Cooley wrote this song based off a poem written by his uncle. In it the narrator recalls stories of his father's moonshining back in the 1930s. A ferocious rocker of a song (the opening is chill-inducing) with excellent lyrics and a dab of social commentary, done as only DBT can, thrown in as well.
Eli Young Band - "My Old Man's Son"
The title of this one pretty much says it all. It's about a son growing into a man and realizing how much he is truly like his father, from the way he holds the steering wheel to the way he holds a woman's hand. To all the sons out there who are like me, this one's easy to relate to. (I have no idea about the slideshow in the video, but it's the only normal version of the song I could find on Youtube.)
Gary Allan - "Tough Little Boys"
A sentimental song about fatherhood from one of country music's most underrated male artists. It all rides on the line: "When tough little boys grow up to be dads, they turn into big babies again." A little cheesy? Sure. But Mr. Allan sells it well. I imagine this as the anthem for many father/daughter duos out there.
Randy Travis - "He Walked On Water"
Grandfathers and great-grandfathers are (obviously) fathers too, and this classic Travis tune pays great tribute to the larger-than-life status children often give them. Classic country production compliments detail-oriented lyrics that are often chill-inducing because we recognize the man in the song from our own lives.
Loretta Lynn - "Coal Miner's Daughter"
Similar in theme to Haggard's "Hungry Eyes," Lynn's tribute to her coal-mining father is a well-known classic. The voice of Butcher Holler in Van Lear, Kentucky sings about how her daddy worked hard to support the family, and when mining coal wasn't enough, he'd always manage find something else to do for money. And even then it might have been just barely enough to scrape by.
Another song I became familiar with because of an Avett Brothers Crackerfarm video on YouTube. It's a really great song and I certainly plan on checking out more of Mr. Childers tunes.
I first heard this song as covered by The Avett Brothers singing it in a hallway, and loved it immediately. It's fairly simple to learn and fun as hell to sing. Well done, Ms. Mayfield. Oh, and bathroom acoustics are swell.
If memory serves me correctly, I’ve seen the Avett Brothers in concert five times. Each show has been a wonderful experience, but I’d have to say my favorite was in 2007 at the now defunct venue/dive bar called The Dame in Lexington, KY. The Dame, a former touchstone of the Lexington music community, was part of a class of smaller venues country-wide that the brothers used to play more frequently before their fanbase grew exponentially with the release of their last studio album I and Love and You in 2009. That exponential growth was evidenced by their show at Rupp Arena last Thursday evening. A man, who I believe said he was the owner of Rupp Arena, came out and talked to fans before the show started and said that they had sold about 5,000 tickets, though it felt to me like more than that. Regardless of the final tally, this concert confirmed that no matter what size the venue, the typical Avett Brothers energy and passion has certainly not been lost and, if anything, the group seems almost more inspired and excited than it’s ever been.
Jesssica Lea Mayfield was the opener, and though Rupp probably isn’t the best venue for a simple performance by a girl playing sad country songs accompanied only by her acoustic guitar, I thought she did a great job. I heard some people say that all of her songs sounded the same, but it’s hard to pick up on the nuances of every song (especially songs you’ve never heard before) in a big venue with no added instrumentation and nobody singing harmony. That is, of course, unless you count the brothers Avett, Scott and Seth, obviously huge fans of Mayfield,who came out with her on the very first song to sing harmony with her (on her mic) on the chorus of “For Today.” Avett devotees will already know that the band does a glorious cover of this great song that has made the rounds on Youtube and has nearly a million views. I had suspected they might come out and do the song with her but had no idea it’d be the very first one. There was an added grace to the moment as the brothers did not speak a single word to the crowd, and when the song was over they quietly exited the stage.
The brothers returned after Mayfield finished her set with cellist extraordinaire Joe Kwon and a replacement for Bob Crawford on bass; unfortunately Crawford has been unable to attend a string of shows due to health issues his daughter has been facing. Although Bob was missed, his replacement filled in nicely. The group began their set surprisingly with the slow opening chords of “Salina” from the album Emotionalism, followed by “And It Spread” and it’s rollicking, shouty chorus from the album I and Love and You. They played mostly songs from these two albums, including crowd favorites “Will You Return”, “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”, “Shame”, “Go To Sleep”, and “I and Love and You .” The energy was contagious from the get go, with “Salina” morphing into a sing-a-long that name drops cities from across the country, including a favorite moment for Southern audiences when Scott sings “New York, quit calling, New York leave me be.” During the “la-las” (that went on for many minutes longer than the album version, and were a blast) at the end of “Go To Sleep”, the brothers played to the crowd, Scott saying “I hear you singing” and Seth saying “Y’all sound beautiful!” to the applause and shouting and continued singing-along of the Rupp Arena crowd.
This brings me to what I thought was the best thing about the show: the interaction between band and audience. It was plainly obvious that the Avetts were having a ball playing their songs for the Kentucky faithful, and that in turn seemed to give the crowd permission to get respectfully rowdy, to participate along with the band in what from the beginning seemed more like a celebration than a music show. About halfway through the faint – and then heavy – smell of marijuana began to fill the general admission section on the floor of the arena. I looked around several times and people were jumping up and down, bobbing their heads, smiling, looking at their friends as if to say what a great time they were having, and – perhaps most importantly – singing along with every word. I know some people get annoyed when crowds sing at shows, but I love it. And the band encouraged it – I could hear their playing, singing, and crowd banter loud and clear.
A few other highlights for me include when Scott and Seth took to a single microphone at the left of the stage for some truly brotherly singing of “When I Drink” and “Murder in the City” from The Gleam EPs, and then a surprising and stirring rendition of “Sorry Man” from one of their first long-player releases, A Carolina Jubilee. The song is a determined story about young love persevering in the face of parental opposition to the young man, and the crowd, guys and girls alike, ate it up. The song fits the banjo- and acoustic guitar-only arrangement nicely. Another favorite of the night was when they played “At The Beach” from Mignoette. I had never heard the song live before and it surpassed my expectations; it was fun, breezy (as the title might imply), and even a little funky. The crowd got down. Live favorite “Talk On Indolence” absolutely rocked, and it was hilarious listening to the everyone try to sing along with the tongue-twisting opening of the song. A song from their up and coming album to be released (hopefully) early next year called “The Once and Future Carpenter” slowed the pace but not the celebration, and many fans already knew the words; it’s one of the most mature and life-affirming tunes the brothers have ever penned. I also loved watching Joe Kwon play his cello, relentlessly breaking strings and head-banging all the while. His passion for his instrument, as it is with the other members of the band, is palpable. Some songs he played without the cello touching the ground, and at one point he rocked it out like an electric guitar while his long black hair covered his face like The Undertaker. I wasn’t sure how he’d fit in when he joined the group in 2007, but four years later there is no question he belongs and brings an energy and musical ability all his own. Be sure to keep an eye on him at the next Avett show you go to.
The band concluded with “The Perfect Space” and returned for a two-song encore that included “Swept Away” and the oft-covered Earl Scruggs tune “Blue Ridge Mountain Blues”, which ended the night fittingly in a bluegrassy fever. Do not let the naysayers and skeptics fool you in to thinking The Avett Brothers have sold out or gotten “too big” to be enjoyable. It simply ain’t true. I can’t imagine getting my money’s worth, plus more – the band displayed contagious energy and true gratitude, not to mention they played for nearly two hours – from any other band than I did last Thursday with these guys. It’s a pleasure having a group like them making music in this present day for so many people to connect so profoundly with, not only at shows but on albums, and hopefully they will be touring for a long time to come. They are truly a band for our times, lacking pretension, affirming life, and earnest when it’s cool not to be. Their tours are about more than a string of shows, they are about celebrating life: the ups, the downs, the similar experiences we all have. And the thing about a celebration is that you are invited and encouraged to participate. It’s time to get rowdy.
I'm not entirely sure about this website yet, but looking over it it looks legit and fairly new. I submitted this review and they ended up posting it. Not sure what their standards are for posting, but here's a link: This review on VZ Magazine website
"'The Once and Future Carpenter' is a song that we've been working on for awhile, and we're very excited about it because we feel like we need to present a current example of where we are, who we are. It's not really acceptable to only present who we've been." -Seth Avett
I have to say that I wasn't sure what to expect when The Avett Brothers debuted their new song "The Once and Future Carpenter" on CMT a few months ago. After the stylistic changes they made on their last album, I and Love and You, and to a certain degree Emotionalism before that, there seemed many directions they could follow. Though I and Love and You certainly widened their fanbase, it also divided many Avett devotees who've followed the band from the beginning, and also those who discovered them with the release of Emotionalism and went back and bought their entire catalog. Too overproduced, too clean, too poppy, too much piano. I can empathize with those who feel this way, and there is a validity to their critiques.
But for as much as I love the banjo, and for as much as I love the raucous and raw energy of their live shows, with the Avetts it's always been about the songs for me. And Scott and Seth Avett, I believe, are two of the finest living songwriters making music today. After listening to I and Love and You many times over the last couple years, it's easy to see that great songs are still what drive this band, songs ripe with heart, authenticity, truth, and the ability to connect with people in ways that a good majority of songs are simply incapable of. I can say today without hesitation that I do indeed love I and Love and You. And "The Once and Future Carpenter" is not only a logical step forward, but one of the most well-written songs they have ever created.
The song starts off with Seth Avett picking his acoustic guitar while brother Scott comes singing lyrics to the beginning of a story about a rambler, a "poet young and hungry" who hits the road in search of a way of life that will satisfy his soul. Being a story song, it's a throwback to old country music in it's execution, and the Avetts revive that style with just enough modern sensibility to make it fresh again.
It's hard for me to describe how much these lyrics resonate with me because so many of their songs have, and strangely, with "Carpenter" it took a few listens for its resonance to shine through. Upon first listen, it's a deceptively simple and straightforward tune, but allow the song's earnestness and creative metaphors to sink in and a depth is revealed that is at once rewarding and inspiring. I could post the whole song as an example but that would be boring, so I'll just comment on a few favorite parts.
Though he "ain't from Texas," the carpenter/narrator departs Dallas at the beginning of the song, aware of the "lonesome sound" that's chasing him; then he states:
I ain't a gambler but I can recognize a hand
and when to hold when queens are staring back at me
God, I love this line. Two meanings strike me with the lyric, the first being that the carpenter knows when the right time is to take a chance, to leave his home and in the tradition of Huckleberry Finn, "light out for the territory." He may not have been much of a risk taker in the past, but he can recognize when the time is right to break new ground. The second meaning emerged after a few listens and completely took me by surprise. At the root of the narrator's journey to find meaning in life is his quest for love. The "queens" are the women he meets on the road, women who offer hands of comfort to hold, some perhaps only for a night; but also that one woman who offers the possibility of love not only for the night but for life. A theme throughout much of the Avetts' music is that women can be baffling, but the love of a good woman and loving a good woman is unlike anything else in the world. (Not always smooth-sailing of course, but that's for another write-up!) It's that true, lasting love that's not easy to find; that lasting love that the carpenter is ultimately seeking, love that can drown out the "lonesome sound."
If I live the life I'm given, I won't be scared to die
This simple statement comes at the end of a chorus that testifies to the ups and downs, the sacrifices and celebrations, that will always be a part of life. But the important thing is to be grateful for a new day, even a new moment. Trials and suffering in life are a sure thing, and once you surrender to that fact and try to live a life of simple gratitude, satisfaction comes in. You can never "suck out all the marrow of life," as Thoreau would say, if you're too worried about past or future failures, or if you're always looking for someone to blame for your troubles. The Avetts a mighty punch with such a simple statement.
And my life is but a coin, it's pulled from an empty pocket
It's dropped into a slot with dreams of sevens close behind
And these hopes and these fears go with it, and the moon and the sun go spinning
Like the numbers and fruits before our eyes
Has there ever been a verse that says more about the randomness of life than this? It's such a subtle and simple metaphor that I didn't get it at first. It builds upon the theme of the ways risk and chance play into the carpenter's life, and by extension the listener's. He's become a permanent traveler -- sometimes weary, sometimes lucky, always hoping and dreaming to find the things in this life that will bring him satisfaction and true joy. His life, though, will never be easy even when he does find those things. All he can do is live day by day because the world isn't stopping for him or anybody. The journey itself and the willingness to not give up is what will make him, and ultimately bring fulfillment, though the road will be covered with, perhaps in equal measure, many blessings and many disappointments. This is stated in the simple bridge of the song as Scott and Seth harmonize and the song gets a little louder and more defiant:
Sometimes I hit, sometimes it robs me blind
In the live version they did for CMT, Scott lets out an emphatic "Yea!" after they sing this line for the first time, testifying to its truth in the brothers' own lives and in the lives of those people whom their music speaks to so profoundly. It's a great musical moment.
Lastly, I want to mention something about the title of the song, "The Once and Future Carpenter." There are many ways I take its meaning. One is that the carpenter lives his life looking backward and forward, not with trembling worry or self-doubt, but almost with reverence; he looks back at his past to learn from it and realize that it made him who he is today, and looks to the future with all those things he's learned plus the hope of all he still could be. All he can do is try -- work hard and keep going. The second meaning is that maybe the road the once-carpenter-now-poet-young-and-hungry is on is one that will -- as so often happens, it seems -- take him back to where he started, somewhere he's laid down at least a few roots, whether that be Texas or his original home. Life sometimes has a way of leading us back to the places we know and are known best. So it would seem the narrator still has some work to do with his hands yet -- whether it be with a hammer or a pen.
But no matter where he finds himself, he will always be a traveler in this life. As will we all.
And here are the complete lyrics, just because I feel like typing them out:
I ain't from Texas but I made my way from Dallas
and I know the lonesome sound is following.
And I ain't a gambler but I can recognize a hand
and when to hold when queens are staring back at me.
Once I was a carpenter and man my hands were calloused,
I could swing a metal mallet sure and straight.
But I took to the highway, a poet young and hungry,
and I left the timbers rotting where they lay
Chorus:
Forever I will move like the world that turns beneath me
and when I lose my direction I'll look up to the sky.
And when the black cloak/dress drags upon the ground,
I'll be ready to surrender and remember
We're all in this together
If I live the life I'm given, I won't be scared to die
And I don't come from Detroit but her diesel motors pulled me
and I followed 'til I finally lost my way
Now I spend my days in search of a woman I call purpose
and if I ever pass back through her town I'd stay
Chorus
My life is but a coin, it's pulled from an empty pocket,
it's dropped into a slot with dreams of sevens close behind
And these hopes and these fears go with it and the sun and the moon go spinning
Like the numbers and the fruits before our eyes
Sometimes I hit, sometimes it robs me blind
Sometimes I hit, sometimes it robs me blind
Chorus
If this is the direction The Avett Brothers are heading, consider me along for the ride.
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