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)
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