Sunday, December 21, 2014

My Top Ten List of Records for 2014


1. Girls Guns and Glory - Good Luck
This Massachusetts band is one of the best Rockabilly bands around, great songwriting and Ward's singing is great. One of the best guitar players around.
2. Sturgil Simpson - Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
His vocals are awesome. Songwriting, just great. But the best song on this record is his performance of The Promise. When I first heard it it raised the hairs on my arms, but it seemed familiar in some way. It turned out to be a cover of When In Rome's technopop hit that was used in the soundtrack for the stupid movie Napoleon Dynamite.. If there was ever a case for a singer "writes" the song this is it.
3. Caleb Caudle - Paint Another Layer on My Heart
This record is SO good. Lydia's backing vocals are superb and the songwriting is great.
4. Lucinda Williams - Where the Spirit Meets the Bone
Surprisingly good. Maybe a single CD would have been greater - but I still like it.
5. Doug Seegers - Going Down to the River
6. Sharon Von Etten - Are We There
Bizzarofolk, but I like it.
7. Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits
Boston soul. I kind of tired of the song "Bad Self Portraits" but this record is great. I'd like to hear the Dap Kings back her up.
8. Sharon Jones - Give the People What They Want
I think this is the best Sharon Jones record yet.
9. Robert Ellis - Lights From The Chemical Plant
I love this record, but take the Paul Simon song off of it.
10. Hurray for the Riff Raff - Small Town Heroes

Extras:
The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams
Johnny Cash - Out Among the Stars
The Black Keys - Turn Blue
Dr. John - Ske-Dat-De-Dat
Jesse Winchester - A Reasonable Amount of Trouble
Drive-By Truckers - English Oceans
One of my favorite compilations that came out this year was Cracking The Cosimo Code - 60s New Orleans R&B and Soul, great selection of music and a good booklet.

Favorite shows this year were:
Two Cow Garage @ The Middle East
Dr. John in Portsmouth, NH
John Boutte in New Orleans
Kermit Ruffins @ Brighton Music Hall
Girls Guns and Glory - several times
Sad to see the end of The Allman Brothers run. I've seen them more than any band - almost every year since 1971.

Photo of the week

CROSSES


Friday, November 28, 2014

Seminal American Landscape Photographer Lewis Baltz Has Died Aged 69

Seminal American Landscape Photographer Lewis Baltz Has Died Aged 69
Romare Bearden: A Black OdysseyRomare Bearden: A Black Odyssey by Robert G. O'Meally
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This exhibit was one of the most exciting that I have seen in years. The book is about as good as it gets - beautiful reproductions of ALL of the amazing works in the exhibit along with and informative text. His take on the Odyssey is original and while from a black cultural perspective it is one that anyone on life's journey can relate to.


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Friday, November 7, 2014

Picture of the week

UBLICIOUS


This was a KFC back in the late 60s,
I worked there through high school. It's been closed
for some years now, but the sign still stays.

Saturday, May 17, 2014