THURSDAY MORNING MIX
November 26, 2009
Scott Foley

Think I've got the dates down for my year-end favorites episodes. We're looking at December 10 for an airing of my favorite americana, alt.country and roots music songs. I'll unleash my favorite albums on December 31, New Year's Eve. And on January 21, I'll make a stab at my favorite albums of the decade.

I actually went through my collection this morning to see if I could put together a decade-end list I could stand behind. I simply ran my finger along the shelves, and pulled out anything that could conceivably fall onto such a roster. At this point, I have about 30 CDs sticking out from their respective shelves. From time to time, I'll walk by and poke one back into its place, or pull one out that merits consideration.

One difficulty I'm encountering is that I'd like to limit myself to just one album per artist for my decade list. So will it be Okemah or this year's stellar American Central Dust if I'm to go with a bit of Son Volt (and who'd blame me?). Steve Earle could arguably have three oughts albums under consideration, while I'm wondering if a few of my favorite artists (Richmond Fontaine, Old 97s, Lyle Lovett) even have one. Ryan Adams' entire solo catalog falls after 2000.

While I've made my first and second passes at a year-end albums list, I have yet to commit anything to paper by way of favorite songs. At this point, it seems all I can do to put together my TMM playlists every week ...

* Mary Gauthier, "Thanksgiving" Between Daylight and Dark (Lost Hwy, 06)
* Iris Dement, "Let the Mystery Be" Infamous Angel (Rounder, 92)
* Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard, "California Zephyr" One Fast Move Or I'm Gone (Atlantic, 09)
* Dave Rawlings Machine, "Sweet Tooth" Friend of a Friend (Acony, 09)
^ Dog Roses, "Let the Bottle Take the Heartache Away" Just Another Saturday (Self, 09)
* Luther Dickinson, "Let It Roll" Onward & Upward (Merless, 09)
* Kris Kristofferson, "The Pilgrim: Chapter 33 (live)" Essential Kris Kristofferson (Columbia, 04)
* Shannon McNally, "Lovely" Coldwater (Self, 09)
* Rosanne Cash, "Heartaches By the Number" The List (Manhattan, 09)
* Hem, "(Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" Almost You: Songs of Elvis Costello (Glurp, 03)
* Old 97s, "Big Brown Eyes" Too Far To Care (Elektra, 97)
* Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle, "Officer Down" Let's Just Stay Here (Mint, 09)
* Lissie, "Little Lovin'" Why You Runnin' (Fat Possum, 09)
* Richmond Fontaine, "We Used To Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River" We Used To Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River (El Cortez, 09)
* Loudon Wainwright III, "Suddenly It's Christmas (live)" Career Moves (Virgin, 03)
* Robert Earl Keen, "Rose Hotel" Rose Hotel (Lost Hwy, 09)
* Kasey Chambers, "Sometimes" Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill and the Little Hillbillies (Liberation, 09)
* Bap Kennedy, "Cold War Country Blues" Howl On (Lonely St, 09)
* Jerry Jeff Walker, "I Feel Like Hank Williams" Live at Gruene Hall (Tried & True, 89)
* Carrie Rodriguez, "Seven Angels On a Bicycle (live)" Live in Louisville (Luz, 09)
* Creekdippers, "Hummingbird" Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers (Koch, 97)
* Cory Chisel & Wandering Sons, "Born Again" Death Won't Send a Letter (Black Seal, 09)
* Lyle Lovett, "Bayou Song" Natural Forces (Curb, 09)
* Ryan Adams, "Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)" Heartbreaker (Bloodshot, 00)
* Patty Griffin, "Long Ride Home" 1000 Kisses (ATO, 02)
* Drew Kennedy, "Room #27" An Audio Guide To Cross Country Travel (Self, 09)
* Brave Combo, "Thanksgiving Day" Holidays (Rounder, 05)

THURSDAY MORNING MIX
November 19, 2009
Scott Foley

Laura Cantrell “The Way It Is” from Not the Tremblin' Kind (2000) on Diesel Only

Todd Adelman & the Love Handles “Hand Over Your Heart” from Todd Adelman & the Love Handles (2009) on Porch Lantern

Bonnie "Prince" Billy “I'll Be Glad” from Lie Down In The Light (2008) on Drag City

Honeycutters “On My Mind” from Irene (2009) on Buttons Down

Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank “Little One” from Traveling Show (2009) on Call It Correspondence

Carrie Rodriguez “Got Your Name On It” from Live In Louisville (2009) on Luz

Old Crow Medicine Show “Wagon Wheel” from OCMS (2004) on Nettwerk

^ Carolyn Mark “Saskatoon Tonight” from Let's Just Stay Here (2009) on Mint

Grant Langston “Burt Reynolds Movie Brawl” from Stand Up Man (2009) on MSG

Chuck Prophet “Love Won't Keep Us Apart” from Let Freedom Ring (2009) on Yep Roc

Lance Mills “If I Fall” from Wore Out Shoes (2009) on Greasy Bean

Hello Kavita “Colorado” from To A Loved One (2009) on Hello Kavita

Jimmy Lafave “If Not For You” from Trail (1999) on Bohemian Beat

Brandi Carlile “Caroline” from Give Up the Ghost (2009) on Columbia

My Cousin the Emperor “Long Way From Home” from Long Way From Home (2009) on MCTE

Willie Nelson “Blue Hotel” from Songbird (2006) on UMG / Lost Highway

Drive-by Truckers “Mama Bake a Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken)” from The Fine Print (2009) on New West

Dave Rawlings Machine “Ruby” from Friend of a Friend (2009) on Acony

Steve Dawson “Lonely One In This Town” from Things About Comin' My Way: Tribute To the Music of Mississippi Sheiks (2009) on Black Hen

Pieta Brown “Lovin' You Still” from Shimmer (2009) on Red House

Orpheum Bell “Money From Another Town” from Pearls (2009) on Widow's Walk

Justin Townes Earle “Hard Livin'” from The Good Life (2008) on Bloodshot Records

Chip Taylor “No Dice” from Yonkers, NY (2009) on Train Wreck

Paul Burch “Like a Train” from Still Your Man (2009) on Ramsuer

American Gun “13 Women” from Devil Showed Me His Hand (2009) on Jangly Records

Delbert McClinton “Can't Nobody Say I Didn't Try” from Acquired Taste (2009) on New West

Danny Barnes “Broken Clock” from Pizza Box (2009) on ATO

THURSDAY MORNING MIX
November 12, 2009
Scott Foley

* Matt the Electrician, "Faithfully" Animal Boy (Self, 09)
* Matt Bauer, "Old Kimball" Island Moved in the Storm (La Societe Expeditionnaire, 08)
* Dexateens, "Spark" Singlewide (Skybucket, 09)
* Naomi Sommers, "Hard To Love You" Gentle As the Sun (American Melody, 09)
* Volebeats, "One I Love" Country Favorites (Turquoise Mt, 03)
* Robert Earl Keen, "Flyin' Shoes" Rose Hotel (Lost Hwy, 09)
* Shannon McNally, "Jack B Nimble" Coldwater (Self, 09)
* Wrinkle Neck Mules, "Let the Lead Fly" Let the Lead Fly (Lower 40, 09)
^ Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers, "Such True Love" Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers (Self, 09)
* Daddy, "Nobody From Nowhere" For a Second Time (Cedar Ck, 09)
* David Rawlings Machine, "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" Friend of a Friend (Acony, 09)
* Mic Harrison, "Shake Your Faith" Pallbearer's Shoes (Valley, 04)
* Pieta Brown, "El Guero" Shimmer (Red House, 09)
* Chris Scruggs, "Running From the Graveyard" Anthem (Cogent, 09)
* Audra Mae, "The River" Haunt (Side One Dummy, 09)
* Avett Brothers, "Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise" I and Love and You (Columbia, 09)
* Slaid Cleaves, "Hard To Believe" Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away (Music Road, 09)
* Dog Roses, "Kit's Song" Just Another Sunday (Self, 09)
* Grayson Capps, "Get Back Up" If You Knew My Mind (Hyena, 05)
* Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard, "These Roads Don't Move" One Fast Move Or I'm Gone (Atlantic, 09)
* Jill Andrews, "These Words" Jill Andrews EP (Self, 09)
* Lucero, "Hey Darlin' Do You Gamble" 1372 Overton Park (Universal, 09)
* Jason Molina & Will Johnson, "Twenty Cycles to the Ground" Molina & Johnson (Secretly Canadian, 09)
* My Morning Jacket, "It Makes No Difference" Endless Highway: Music of the Band (429, 07)
* Alejandro Escovedo, "People (We're Only Gonna Live So Long)" Real Animal (Back Porch, 08)

Scott

THURSDAY MORNING MIX
November 5, 2009
Scott Foley

A recent email from a publicist proclaimed, "I've seen the future of Americana, and it's ..." I won't mention the artist here, but the post brought me to thinking about what exactly americana music could look like in, say, five years.

Truth is, our genre isn't exactly an evolving entity. Seven years ago, as a matter of fact, the Americana Music Association's Album of the Year recognition went to ... Buddy & Julie Miller for their self-titled release. Buddy & Julie were seen most recently cleaning up at September's 2009 Awards. I would argue that Band of Heathens might represent the Ghost of Americana Present. Of course, AMA is what passes for the genre's mainstream. By definition, the genesis of an evolution can be found as the exception, rather than the rule; musically, the future of americana might be glimpsed on the genre's fringes.

While artists like the Millers, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, et al. will continue to be feted as the superheroes of our metropolis, more recent artists such as the Avett Brothers (AMA Emerging Artist of 2007), Joe Pug, Alela Diane, Felice Brothers or Elliott BROOD might be laboring to determine the direction of our evolution. I'm also hopeful for the community of artists behind the Revival Tours of '08 and '09: Chuck Ragan, Austin Lucas, Ben Nichols, the boys from Drag the River. While I can guarantee these artists will never replace Buddy & Julie as the face of the Americana mainstream, isn't some form of evolution necessary for the survival of the genre?

* Chad Price, "Going Away" Smile Sweet Face (Suburban Home, 09)
* Nanci Griffith, "You Asked Me To" Lonesome On'ry and Mean (Dualtone, 03)
* Elliott BROOD, "Valley Town" Mountain Meadows (Six Shooter, 09)
* A. A. Bondy, "Oh the Vampyre" When the Devil's Loose (Fat Possum, 09)
* Supersuckers, "One Cigarette Away (live)" Whole Foods Live (Self, 07)
* Tom Russell, "Criminology" Blood and Candle Smoke (Shout Fact, 09)
* Tom Waits, "Falling Down (live)" Glitter and Doom Live (Anti, 09)
* Brandi Carlile, "Touching the Ground" Give Up the Ghost (Columbia, 09)
* Pete Anderson, "Prophet for Profit" Even Things Up (Little Dog, 09)
* Doug Moreland, "Marfa Lights" Barnstormer (Big Hat, 09)
* Joe Ely, "Gulf Coast Blues" Twistin' in the Wind (UMG, 98)
* Los Cenzontles, "Best of Me" American Horizon (Self, 09)
* Rosie Flores, "Halfway Home" Girl of the Century (Bloodshot, 09)
* Auld Lang Syne, "Rusty Prayer" Midnight Folly (Viper Bite, 09)
* Eliza Gilkyson, "Borderline" Paradise Hotel (Red House, 05)
* Marah, "Put 'em In the Graveyard" Put 'em In the Graveyard (single) (Valley Farm, 09)
* Madison Violet, "Lauralee" No Fool For Trying (True North, 09)
* Chris Scruggs, "Troubled Times" Anthem (Cogent, 09)
* Southern Culture on the Skids, "Doublewide" Mojo Box (Yep Roc, 04)
* Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard, "Sea Engines" One Fast Move Or I'm Gone (Atlantic, 09)
* Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, "My Heart Would Be There" Death Won't Send a Letter (Black Seal, 09)
* Audra Mae, "The River" Haunt (Side One Dummy, 09)
* Califone, "Ape-Like" All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (Dead Oceans, 09)
* I See Hawks In LA, "California Country" California Country (Western Seeds, 06)
* Jill Andrews, "Sweetest In the Morning" Jill Andrews EP (Self, 09)
* Ox, "Burnout" Burnout (Weewerk, 09)
* Greg Trooper, "Catherine Don't Slip" Williamsburg Affair (52 Shakes, 09)

Scott