THURSDAY MORNING MIX
July 23, 2009
Scott Foley

Sam Baker's personal story is captivating, as is his music. In 1986, at 32 years old, Baker was on a train railing through Peru, when a terrorist bomb detonated, killing 7. Baker lives with the consequences of the blast: Tinnitus, a gnarled left hand, shrapnel-riddled legs, and brain damage. What was compromised was the part of Baker's brain that processed words and enabled speech. This is remarkable, given the poetry of the artist's recent trilogy of albums, Mercy (2004), Pretty World (2007) and the phenomenal new Cotton.

* Scott Biram, "Draggin' Down the Line" Something's Wrong/Lost Forever (Bloodshot, 09)
* Uncle Walt's Band, "Deeper Than Love" An American In Texas Revisited (Sugar Hill, 80)
* Calexico, "Frank's Tavern" Man Of Somebody's Dreams: Tribute To Chris Gaffney (Yep Roc, 09)
* Jill Sobule, "Palm Springs" California Years (Pinko, 09)
* Ryan Bingham, "Dylan's Hard Rain" Roadhouse Sun (Lost Highway, 09)
* Brian Ledford, "Truth and Love" Truth and Love (self, 09)
* Angela Easterling, "American I.D." Blacktop Road (de l'Est, 09)
* Waco Bros, "How Fast the Time" Freedom and Weep (Bloodshot, 05)
* Dexateens, "Hang On" Singlewide (Skybucket, 09)
* Or, the Whale, "Never Coming Out" Or, the Whale (Seany, 09)
* Bill Frisell, "That's Alright Mama" Disfarmer (Nonesuch, 09)
* Austin Lucas, "Mama Tried" Austin Lucas with the Takers (Suburuban Home, 09)
* Son Volt, "Jukebox Of Steel" American Central Dust (Rounder, 09)
* Nick Lowe, "12-Step Program (To Quit You Babe)" Impossible Bird (Upstart, 94)
* Rita Hosking, "Holier Than Thou" Come Sunrise (self, 09)
* Those Darlins, "Wild One" Those Darlins (Oh Wow Dang, 09)
* Kendel Carson, "Oh Baby Lie Down" Alright Dynamite (Trainwreck, 09)
* Sons Of Bill, "Joey's Arm" One Town Away (Grey Fox, 09)
* Bowerbirds, "Silver Clouds" Upper Air (Dead Oceans, 09)
* Peter Case, "Every 24 Hours" Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John (Yep Roc, 07)
* Joe Henry, "Man I Keep Hid" Blood From Stars (Anti, 09)
* Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, "Born Again" Death Won't Send a Letter (RCA, 09)
* Patterson Hood, "I Understand Now" Murdering Oscar (and other love songs) (Ruth St, 09)
* Anne & Pete Sibley, "Coming Home" Coming Home (self, 09)
* Pine Hill Haints, "How Much Poison Does It Take" To Win Or To Lose (K, 09)
* Emmylou Harris, "One Big Love" Red Dirt Girl (Nonesuch, 00)
* Sam Baker, "Signs" Cotton (Music Road, 09)
* Bobby Bare Jr, "Visit Me In Music City" From the End Of Your Leash (Bloodshot, 04)
* Paper Bird, "I Discovered" A Sky Underground EP (self, 09)

Scott