THURSDAY MORNING MIX
February 4, 2010
Scott Foley

Been eagerly awaiting a CD from a band that stands as the UK's Avett Brothers. Most CDs that arrive "for my listening pleasure" do so with a RIYL line: Recommended If You Like, if you like. For Mumord & Sons, the promoter tagged Fleet Foxes, Low Anthem and Avett Brothers. Not bad company to keep, by my book. Ideally, though, a band will rise above and overflow its RIYL, and Mumford & Sons does that. The quartet floats the harmonies of Fleet Foxes, the occasional atmospherics of Low Anthem, the banjo and scruffiness of Avett Brothers, and fortunately that something more. I'll debut their Sigh No More album on next week's Episode.

In the meantime, this week brings new listens from April Smith & the Great Picture Show, as well as something from a beautiful new album by Clem Snide. Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Backyard Tire Fire's new effort sounds like Drive-by Truckers as crossed with Los Lobos, curiously enough. Which isn't a bad thing at all. And I remembered to grab the Jon Dee Graham from the dining room table on the way out ...

* Caroline Herring, "Little Bit of Mercy" Golden Apples of the Sun (Signature Sounds, 09)
* Curtis Harvey, "Bag of Seeds" Box of Stones (Fatcat, 09)
* Justin Townes Earle, "Yuma" Yuma EP (Self, 07)
* Texas Sapphires, "Riddled Days" As He Wanders (Ike, 10)
* April Smith & the Great Picture Show, "Movie Loves a Screen" Songs For a Sinking Ship (Self, 09)
* Somebody's Darling, "Horses" Somebody's Darling (Shiner, 09)
* Adam Carroll & Michael O'Connor, "Gulf Coast Losers" Hard Times (Self, 09)
* Old 97s, "Moonlight" Drag It Up (New West, 04)
* Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, "Only a Song" Dear Companion (Sub Pop, 10)
* Malcolm Holcombe, "For the Mission Baby" For the Mission Baby (Echo Mt, 09)
* I See Hawks In LA, "Sexy Vacation" Shoulda Been Gold (American Beat, 09)
* Jon Dee Graham, "Beautifully Broken" Not As Bad As It Looks (Freedom, 10)
* Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers, "Such True Love" Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers (Self, 09)
* Patty Griffin, "Move Up" Downtown Church (Credential, 10)
* Lucinda Williams, "Lines Around Your Eyes" Sweet Old World (Elektra, 92)
* Will Kimbrough, "Wings" Wings (Daphne, 10)
* Joe Pug, "Unsophisticated Heart" Messenger (Lightning Rod, 10)
* Eleven Hundred Springs, "This Crazy Life" This Crazy Life (Smith, 10)
* Reckless Kelly, "Little Blossom" Somewhere In Time (Yep Roc, 10)
* Wanda Jackson, "You Know That I'm No Good" internet single (Third Man, 10)
* Clem Snide, "Song for Mary" Meat of Life (429, 10)
* Allison Moorer, "Broken Girl" Crows (Ryko, 10)
* X-Rated Cowboys, "Low Self-Esteem & Alcohol" X-Rated Cowboys (FFN, 05)
* Backyard Tire Fire, "Good To Be" Good To Be (Self, 09)
* Kate Campbell, "Miles of Blues" Blues and Lamentations (Large River, 05)
* Blue Rodeo, "Arizona Dust" Things We Left Behind (Red Eye, 10)
* Elliot Randall & the Deadmen, "Caffeine & Gasoline" Caffeine & Gasoline (Self, 09)

Scott