THURSDAY MORNING MIX

January 20, 2011

Scott Foley

So much good music! From the new, enhanced Jayhawks reissues to a very strong candidate for one of the year's top songs in Hayes Carll's "KMAG YOYO." A beautifully recorded set of spirituals from Daniel Martin Moore, and the return of americana's own Slingblade, Malcolm Holcombe. Driving my daughter to the bus stop this morning, I was revisiting a recording of my Favorite Songs broadcast for a couple weeks ago. Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band was playing their oddly moving "Redbuds" tune. "Dad, are you listening to Squidward?" asked Madeleine. To each their own.

For my part this week, there's nothing better than the long awaited return of Dolorean with their Unfazed album. The initial product was reportedly scrapped halfway through, and the recording begun anew for what would become this very satisfying album. I find something beautiful in their gauzy, languorous tunes, Al James' mumbly vocals and just-right instrumentation. Lazy pedal steel echoing off studio walls as though overheard from the next room over. "Unfazed by pain / Unfazed by love / Unfazed by rain / That won't let up / Unfazed by debts / I'll never pay / Unfazed by blond hair / Turning grey ..."

* Jayhawks, "Cotton Dress" Tomorrow the Green Grass (remastered) (American, 11)
* Bonnie Prince Billy, "Easy Does It" Lie Down in the Light (Drag City, 08)
* Carrie Rodriguez + Ben Kyle, "Your Lonely Heart" We Still Love Our Country (9th St Opus, 10)
* Yonder Mt String Band, "Rain Still Falls" The Show (Frog Pad, 09)
* Malcolm Holcombe, "Down in the Woods" To Drink the Rain (Music Road, 11)
* Dale Watson, "Hey Brown Bottle" Carryin' On (E1, 10)
* Hayes Carll, "KMAG YOYO" KMAG YOYO (Lost Hwy, 11)
* Over the Rhine, "The King Knows How" Long Surrender (Self, 11)
* Garth Hudson w/Blue Rodeo, "King Harvest" Canadian Celebration of the Band (Curve, 10)
* Rodney Crowell, "Telephone Road" Houston Kid (Sugar Hill, 01)
* Lawn Chair Kings, "Brand New Attitude" II (Self, 11)
* Lucinda Williams w/Elvis Costello, "Kiss Like Your Kiss" Blessed (Lost Hwy, 11)
* Only Sons, "Warning You" American Stranger (Sophomore Lounge, 11)
* Arliss Nancy, "Abacus" Truck Stop Roses (Backbone, 10)
* Patty Griffin, "One Big Love" Flaming Red (A&M, 98)
* Jesse Dayton, "One For the Dance Halls" One For the Dance Halls (Stag, 10)
* Daniel Martin Moore, "Dark Road" In the Cool of the Day (Sub Pop, 11)
* Devotchka, "100 Other Lovers" 100 Lovers (Anti, 11)
* Chris Brecht, "Don't Take it So Hard" Dead Flower Motel (Self, 11)
* Kasey Chambers, "Little Bird" Little Bird (Essence, 10)
> Dolorean, "Thinskinned" The Unfazed (Partisan, 11)
* Devil Makes Three, "For Good Again" Do Wrong Right (Milan, 09)
* North Mississippi Allstars, "New Orleans Walkin' Dead" Keys to the Kingdom (Songs of the South, 11)
* Gurf Morlix, "If I Could Only Fly" Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream (Rootball, 10)
* Lynn Miles, "Little Bird" Fall for Beauty (True North, 10)
* Lisa Morales, "Driving and Cryin" Beautiful Mistake (Zairo, 11)
* Travel by Sea, "Glimpse of Day" Two States and the Blindness That Follows (Autumn Tone, 10)