THURSDAY MORNING MIX

FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2010

December 30, 2010

Scott Foley

There is an apple tree in the backyard. It's approaching January, and a couple purple apples still hold stubbornly to their branches, not even enough to count on two hands. This morning's snow sits atop each fruit, like white caps on mis-colored acorns. Give me the beauty of winter over summer's easy green, anytime.

Winter is also the time I allow myself a rare look over my shoulder at the months passed. I'm pleased with my list this year, happy with the mix of the new and the familiar, the expected and the out-of-nowhere.

Part of being a musical "free-thinker" is having a wide attention span. It's being able to pick up under the radar acts like Chris Pureka or Colorado's Travel By Sea, while giving bigger names like Justin Townes Earle or Jakob Dylan their due play. It's also being humble enough to admit that the year's highest-profile americana release was, in fact, my favorite album of 2010.

I'm not more than a very casual fan of Led Zeppelin, as evidence that my favorite Zep album is their commonly dismissed In Through the Out Door ("Fool In the Rain," anybody?!). I don't even think Robert Plant's Raising Sand collab with Alison Krauss made my favorites list the year it debuted. Still, I see Band of Joy as a monumentally successful example of true collaboration between producer/musician Buddy Miller, Plant and the phenomenal band they gathered around them. The album wouldn't have been the same without Greg Leisz's pedal steel, the swamp-deep bass and drums of Byron House and Marco Giovino, or (especially) Patty Griffin's heavenly vocals. I want to put the album on as I type (and that's truly unusual for this musically attention-challenged programmer!).

20) Chris Pureka, "Lowlands" How I Learned To See In the Dark (Sad Rabbit, 4/10)
19) Caleb Klauder, "What Was I Supposed To Do" Western Country (Quicksilver, 8/10)
18) Travel By Sea, "Sign of the Times" Two States & the Blindness That Follows (Autumn Tone, 10/10)
17) Thrift Store Cowboys, "Ghost Trails" Light Fighter (Self, 9/10)
16) Phosphorescent, "Heaven Sittin' Down" Here's To Taking It Easy (Dead Oceans, 5/10)
15) Amy Cook, "Strange Birds" Let the Light In (Self, 4/10)
14) Elizabeth Cook, "All the Time" Welder (31 Tigers, 5/10)
13) Ray Wylie Hubbard, "Black Wings" A Enlightenment ... (Bordello, 1/10)
12) Old 97s, "You Were Born To Be In Battle" Grand Theatre Vol 1 (New West, 10/10)
11) Sahara Smith, "Tin Man Town" Myth of the Heart (Playing in Traffic, 8/10)
10) Kim Richey, "When the Circus Comes To Town" Wreck Your Wheels (31 Tigers, 9/10)
9) Joe Pug, "Not So Sure" Messenger (Lightning Rod, 2/10)
8) Tim Barry, "With Ease I Leave" 28th and Stonewall (Suburban Home, 1/10)
7) Ryan Bingham, "Junky Star" Junky Star (Lost Hwy, 8/10)
6) Nathaniel Rateliff, "Lamb On the Stone" In Memory of Loss (Rounder, 5/10)
5) Justin Townes Earle, "Slippin' and Slidin'" Harlem River Blues (Bloodshot, 9/10)
4) Jakob Dylan, "Yonder Come the Blues" Women + Country (Sony, 4/10)
3) Mumford & Sons, "Timshel" Sigh No More (Glassnote, 2/10)
2) Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams, "Till Night Is Through" Sinners & Saints (Self, 7/10)
1) Robert Plant, "House of Cards" Band of Joy (Rounder, 9/10)

THURSDAY MORNING MIX

December 23, 2010

Scott Foley

Another Christmas, another holiday show, featuring my three "children," Gabe, Logan and Madeleine. As in years past, each came to the station with a holiday song of their choosing. Logan selected the guitar-orchestra "Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24," while Gabe demonstrated a keen understanding of the TMM ethos with a taste of Los Straitjackets. Madeleine reached back nearly 20 years before her own birth to a fun number from a Rankin-Bass claymation special.

Next Episode, I'll pull together a list of my favorite albums of the year. On Thurs Dec 30, gather the family, pop some breakfast popcorn, and join me.

* Ray Charles, "That Spirit of Christmas" Spirit of Christmas (Rhino, 85)
* Rev Horton Heat, "Winter Wonderland" We Three Kings (Yep Roc, 05)
* Slaid Cleaves, "You're a Mean One Mr Grinch" Holiday Sampler (Philo, 01)
* Scott Miller, "Star of Bethlehem" Christmas Gift (Scott Miller, 10)
^ Trans-Siberian Orchestra, "Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24" Christmas Eve & Other Stories (Atlantic, 96)
* Bruce Cockburn, "Mary Had a Baby" Christmas (Columbia, 93)
* Oh Starling, "Emmanuel" Noel (Oh Starling, 10)
* Eric Brace & Peter Cooper, "Silent Night" Master Sessions (Red Beet, 10)
* Over the Rhine, "Darlin' (Christmas is Coming)" Snow Angels (Great Speckled Dog, 07)
* Rose Cousins, "New Kind of Light" New Kind of Light (Self, 10)
^ Los Straitjackets, "Jingle Bells" Yuletide Beat (Yep Roc)
* Old 97s, "Here it is Christmas" Here it is Christmas (Old 97s, 07)
* Hayes Carll, "Grateful For Christmas" KMAG YOYO (Lost Hwy, 11)
* Emmylou Harris, "Light of the Stable" Light of the Stable (Rhino, 92)
* The Band, "Christmas Must Be Tonight" To Kingdom Come (Capitol, 89)
* Shelby Lynne, "Aint Nothin' Like Christmas" Merry Christmas (Everso, 10)
* John Cowan, "Let's Make a Baby King" Comfort & Joy (E1, 09)
* Kimmie Rhodes, "Mary" Miracles On Christmas Day (Sunbird, 10)
* Ox, "Christmas In the Jailhouse" Silent Night & Other Cowboy Songs (Ox, 10)
* Fats Kaplin & Kristi Rose, "Come See the Baby" I Wonder As I Wander (Pulp Country, 10)
^ Paul Frees, "Put One Foot In Front of the Other" Santa Claus is Comin' To Town (Rhino, 70)
* Gretchen Peters, "Song for a Winter's Night" Northern Lights (Scarlet Letter, 08)
* Angie Stevens, "Won't You Come Home" Won't You Come Home (Boss Koala, 10)
* Los Lonely Boys, "Feliz Navidad" Christmas Spirit (Epic, 08)
* Susan Cowsill, "World at Christmas Time" Very Threadhead Holiday (Threadhead, 10)
* Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, "Nothing But a Child" To Kate: a Benefit (Western Beat, 05)

THURSDAY MORNING MIX

December 16, 2010

Scott Foley

Almost feel like apologizing for the ridiculous wealth of new material unleashed on this week's Episode. It's a good look forward, unusual during this time of the year, typically taken over by holiday music and looks back (got some of that, too). First looks at new albums by the likes of Colorado artist Devotchka, Drive-by Truckers, Northwest favorites Dolorean, Ryan Adams and more. New holiday stuff comes from a couple of Colorado bands: Travel By Sea and Oh Starling. Most unusually, the TMM debut of G Love, whose forthcoming Fixin to Die finds him produced and backed by Seth and Scott Avett. Talk about "special sauce" ...

* Catherine MacLellan, "Church Bell Blues" Church Bell Blues (True North, 08)
* Dirk Powell, "Christmas Time's a Comin'" Fret-Free Christmas (Valcour, 10)
* Jonathan Byrd, "Cackalack" Cackalack (Waterbug, 10)
^ G Love, "Fixin' to Die" Fixin' to Die (G Love, 10)
* Scott Miller, "Kingdom Has Come / Journey of the Magi" Christmas Gift (Scott Miller, 10)
* Mystiqueros, "I Would Not Make It Through" Agave (Blue Boot, 10)
* Allison Moorer & Steve Earle, "After the Fire is Gone" Coal Miner's Daughter: Tribute to Loretta Lynn (Sony, 10)
* Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, "Typecast" III/IV (David Ryan Adams, 10)
* Travel By Sea, "I Heard the Bells" Christmas EP 2010 (Travel By Sea, 10)
* Devotchka, "Contrabanda" 100 Lovers (Anti, 11)
* DB Rielly, "Don't Give Up On Me" Love Potions & Snake Oil (Shut Up & Play, 09)
* Jerry Lee Lewis, "Sweet Virginia" Mean Old Man (Vanguard, 10)
* Corinne West & Kelly Joe Phelps, "Whiskey Poet" Magnetic Skyline (Make Records, 10)
* Rose Cousins, "Little Drummer Boy" New Kind of Light (Self, 10)
* Boris McCutcheon & the Saltlick, "Mullein People" Wheel of Life (Frogville, 10)
* Slaid Cleaves, "Hard To Believe" Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away (Music Road, 09)
* Oh Starling, "Hark" Noel (Oh Starling, 10)
* Drive-by Truckers, "Used to Be a Cop" Go-Go Boots (ATO, 11)
* Fabulous Ginn Sisters, "Redhead Rosie" You Can't Take a Bad Girl Home (Ginn Sisters, 10)
* Over the Rhine, "Laugh of Recognition" Long Surrender (Over the Rhine, 11)
* Bow Thayer, "Dawning" Bottom of the Sky (Twisted River, 10)
* Shelby Lynne, "Silver Bells" Merry Christmas (Everso, 10)
* David Dondero, "Don't Cry No Tears" Pre-Existing Condition (Ghostmeat, 10)
* Dolorean, "Hard Working Dogs" The Unfazed (Partisan, 11)
* Bruce Cockburn, "Go Tell It On the Mountain" Christmas (Columbia, 93)

THURSDAY MORNING MIX

December 9, 2010

Scott Foley

My Favorite Songs of 2010

About this time last year, I was debuting a list of my 20 favorite songs of 2009. Atop that list was Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons with "Born Again." Close behind: Ryan Bingham with "Dylan's Hard Rain," "A Little Revival" from Radney Foster, Sons of Bill's "Broken Bottles" and Slaid Cleaves' "Hard to Believe." Not a bad bunch of songs, really.

This year, I whittled to 25 my initial list of about 60 worthy candidates. In truth, I'm not really convinced that I've made the right selections until I'm in the car, heading south from Fort Collins, a recording of the show playing on my stereo. These are some good songs. I've got really good taste in music ...

This year's List features songs from as long ago as early January, and as recent as a couple weeks ago. There are covers from Robert Plant and Susan Cowsill (her brother's stirring "River of Love"), lighthearted songs by Elizabeth Cook and April Smith, and potential downers at the hands of Audra Mae and White Buffalo.

... and Ryan Bingham, again atop my list. I first gave "Weary Kind" airtime the very first week of 2010, and the song has held up since. How can you argue with a lyric like, "You are the man that ruined her world"? Paired with a tremendous cinematic performance by Jeff Bridges, the song is a heartbreaker. In all the best ways.

^ 1. Ryan Bingham, "Weary Kind" Crazy Heart (Fox Searchlight, 1/19/10)

2. Larkin Poe, "Long Hard Fall" Spring An EP (DefPig, 6/01/10)

3. Trampled By Turtles, "Wait So Long" Palomino (Banjodad, 4/13/10)

4. Robert Plant, "Harm's Swift Way" Band of Joy (Rounder, 9/14/10)

5. Mumford & Sons, "Little Lion Man" Sigh No More (Self, 2/16/10)

6. Audra Mae, "Lightning In a Bottle" Happiest Lamb (Side One Dummy, 5/18/10)

7. Justin Townes Earle, "Harlem River Blues" Harlem River Blues (Bloodshot, 9/14/10)

8. April Smith & the Great Picture Show, "Movie Loves a Screen" Songs for a Sinking Ship (Self, 2/23/10)

9. Jakob Dylan, "They've Trapped Us Boys" Women + Country (Columbia, 4/2/10)

10. Truth & Salvage Co, "Heart Like a Wheel" Truth & Salvage Co (Silver Arrow, 5/25/10)

11. Darrell Scott, "This Time Round" Crooked Road (Full Light, 5/25/10)

12. Chase Fifty Six, "Mary Jane" Allatoona Rising (Dirt Leg, 4/8/10)

13. Ryan Bingham, "Depression" Junky Star (Lost Hwy, 8/31/10)

14. Munly & the Lupercalians, "Grandfater" Petr & the Wulf (Alt Tentacles, 10/5/10)

15. Tim Barry, "Will Travel" 28th & Stonewall (Suburban Home, 1/26/10)

16. Possessed by Paul James, "Shoulda Known Better" Feed the Family (Hillgrass Bbilly, 9/21/10)

17. Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams, "The Ring" Sinners & Saints (Self, 7/26/10)

18. Elizabeth Cook, "El Camino" Welder (31 Tigers, 5/11/10)

19. Luke Doucet, "Ballad of Ian Curtis" Steel City Trawler (Six Shooter, 9/21/10)

20. Fistful of Mercy, "Father's Son" As I Call You Down (Hot Records, 10/5/10)

21. Amelia Curran, "Dozens" Hunter Hunter (Six Shooter, 9/21/10)

22. Susan Cowsill, "River of Love" Lighthouse (Threadhead, 5/18/10)

23. Rev Peyton, "Redbuds" The Wages (Side One Dummy, 5/25/10)

24. White Buffalo, "Love Song #2" Prepare for Black & Blue (Ruff Shod, 11/2/10)

25. Bobby Bare Jr, "Sad Smile" A Storm A Tree ... (Naked Albino, 8/31/10)

THURSDAY MORNING MIX

December 2, 2010

Scott Foley

Joe Pug, Tallest Man On Earth, Chad Price, Austin Lucas. Artists who tend to perform unadorned, exposed on stage with only a guitar between them and the audience. Not a new performance style, to be sure, but one that seems to be making a comeback, albeit in a grittier, more visceral fashion. Take a large, longhaired man named Jake Smith. Performing under the name White Buffalo, Smith has been described thusly, "If Richie Havens and Eddie Vedder has a baby with Levon Helm and Joe Cocker." Track down his new EP, Prepare For Black & Blue.

Oddly enough, White Buffalo's label, Ruff Shod, also released this month the second CD by Colorado "transcendental folk" ensemble Elephant Revival, also featured in this week's Episode.

Stay tuned next Thursday morning for a countdown of my favorite americana, alt.country and roots music songs.

* Jon Snodgrass, "Long Way Found" Visitor's Band (Suburban Home, 09)
* Steeldrivers, "Where Rainbows Never Die" Reckless (Rounder, 10)
* Trishas, "Trouble About My Soul" They Call Us the Trishas (Fatty Four, 10)
* DB Rielly, "We're All Going Straight To Hell" Love Potions and Snake Oil (Shut Up, 09)
* Samantha Crain, "Santa Fe" You (Understood) (Ramseur, 10)
* Ken Will Morton, "Breathe" True Grit (Sojourn, 10)
* Elephant Revival, "Feathers Rise" Break in the Clouds (Ruff Shod, 10)
* Hayes Carll, "Grateful For Christmas" KMAG YOYO (Lost Hwy, 11)
* Los Lobos, "On Main St" Tin Can Trust (Shout, 10)
* Leslie & the Badgers, "Flyin' Shoes" More Townes Van Zandt By the Great Unknown (forthesakeofthesong, 10)
* Brennen Leigh, "Just to Hear My Little Bluebird Sing" The Box (Self, 10)
* Sam Baker, "Angel Hair" Cotton (Music Road, 09)
* Amos Lee, "Windows Are Rolled Down" Mission Bell (Blue Note, 11)
* Lucinda Williams, "Somebody Somewhere" Coal Miner's Daughter: Tribute to Loretta Lynn (Sony, 10)
* Kenny Perkins, "Tiny Distraction" Wild Frontier (Self, 11)
* Susan Cowsill, "World at Christmas Time" Very Threadhead Holiday (Threadhead, 10)
* Glenna Bell, "These Days" Perfectly Legal (Self, 10)
* 6 Day Bender, "Leaving Today" E'Ville Fuzz (Eastham, 10)
* Todd Adelman & the Love Handles, "Hand Over Your Heart" Todd Adelman & the Love Handles (Porch Lantern, 09)
* Old 97s, "State of Texas" Grand Theatre Vol 1 (New West, 10)
* Iron & Wine, "Walking For From Home" Walking Far From Home EP (Warner, 10)
* Robert Plant, "You Can't Buy My Love" Band of Joy (Rounder, 10)
^ White Buffalo, "Love Song #2" Prepare for Black & Blue (Ruff Shod, 10)
* Chatham County Line, "Crop Comes In" Wildwood (Yep Roc, 10)
* Rachel Harrington, "Spokane" Celilo Falls (Skinny Dennis, 10)
* Fistful of Mercy, "Father's Son" As I Call You Down (Hot, 10)
* Fats Kaplin & Kristi Rose, "And the Shepherds Danced" I Wonder as I Wander (Pulp Country, 10)