And you think you listen to a lot of music… Here’s Legsyboy’s (cough) comprehensive wrap up of 2014.
LEGSYBOY’S GREAT BRITS – 2014
By Trevor Leeden
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Everyone has influences, some more overt than others, and many draw their inspiration from artists long gone and seemingly forgotten. The music world is also littered with acrimonious sibling rivalry and one of the most ‘celebrated’ is that of the Alvin brothers. A near death experience for Phil caused them both to re-evaluate their lives, and younger brother Dave uttering ‘we fight about a lot of things but one thing we never argue about is Big Bill Broonzy’. To prove the point, DAVE & PHIL ALVIN have re-united after 30 years apart to make an album of songs originally recorded by their greatest influence. Common Ground: Play And Sing The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy is an exhilarating journey into the blues, a combination of Phil’s perfect-pitch vocals and Dave’s slashing guitar. In paying homage to their musical hero, they also highlight just how relevant the music of Broonzy (much of his recording was form the 1920s-‘30s) is in the 21st Century. Best of all, I recently saw them play the album live to a sell-out auditorium, and what a treat it was; blues heaven.
The blues not your thing (I can’t understand why it wouldn’t be)? Well wrap your listening devices, otherwise known as ears, around the other others that make up the Top Ten…..
Sun Kil Moon – Benji Simply magnificent, and Mark Kozelek has to be the most under-the-radar songwriter on the planet. Everyday tales and sentiments sparsely played and dripping with emotion. He’s in a class all of his own. I was fortunate enough to hear him play the album live in Madrid and it was as powerful and riveting a one-man concert as I’ve seen.
Sarah-Jane Morris – Bloody Rain This is a cracking album that melds blues, soul, jazz and African rhythms to great effect. She has an absolutely stunning voice (remember the Communards?) and although the material addresses some pretty frank topics that have wracked the African humanitarian landscape, there are some mesmerising moments here. Highly recommended.
Hiss Golden Messenger – Lateness Of Dancers I’ll make this as simple as I can. This is as close to a defining statement of what Americana music is as you will ever find. Astonishingly good.
Chuck Prophet – Night Surfer The third album I’ve seen played live this year and what a brilliant rock’n’roll statement it is. It reeks of attitude and Chuck is now one of my very fave artists. Plenty of influences worn on the sleeve, but that’s been the case since music began. One song contains the most desolate line I’ve heard this year, it brings a tear to the eye – go find it!
Lake Street Dive – Bad Self Portraits Wonderfully uplifting record that sounds like the Mamas and Papas go electric. There’s a little tinge of Americana and some cracking arrangements. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face and the catchiness of every track will soon have you humming along.
Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music It’s a toss-up which is worse, being a boy called Sturgill or Sue. It matters little, ‘cos this cowboy is the future of country music. Primal screams and an injection of psychedelia has taken this country boy way outside the square. Could, indeed should, be the next Waylon Jennings.
Pete Molinari – Theosophy Produced by Dan Auerbach who also adds some tasty guitar, and there’s a beefier sound to this album. There’s still a hint of the troubadour, and he is just a brilliant songwriter. I reckon Jake Bugg’s listened to a fair bit of Pete Molinari, he should keep listening ‘cos there’s plenty of outstanding literate stuff here.
The Secret Sisters – Put Your Needle Down The best sibling harmonies on the planet. T-Bone Burnette’s production is all over this wonderful album, but this is all about the girls, who sound like a female equivalent of the Everlys. Outstanding songs, brilliant sound, superb voices – spine tingling stuff.
Wilko Johnson/Roger Daltrey – Going Back Home Are there better records than this one? Yes, of course. But reminiscent of Ian Hunter last year, is there a better record this year that goes to the heart of rock’n’roll than this? No, of course not. Daltrey is singing better than he has for 20 years, and is there a more recognisable sound than Wilko’s serrated Telecaster. This is the heart of rock.
Phew, every one of them magnificent, but you may hanker to go back, way back, in which case try the…
RETRO TOP 10
The quest for new music goes on unabated, but increasingly Don Legsy finds himself enjoying the source of inspiration more than the contemporary releases that mine the rich musical veins of the past. The back catalogues have again been trawled and re-jigged, not always to good effect (turning something that was recorded in glorious mono into faux stereo is just plain silly). It was never going to be a contest as to who would stand on the top rung once it was announced that the lead guitarist of the greatest rock band of all time was re-issuing the catalogue. ‘Hey hey mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove’, Led Zeppelin remain peerless, and if you’re in any doubt then just have a listen to I, II, III, IV and Houses Of The Holy in all their remastered sledgehammer glory (and each with a bonus disc of genuinely outstanding rarities from Page’s personal archive). Of course, each of these mighty records has its own identifiable source, and isn’t that the great thing about the musical wheel, that even the mightiest draw upon the past.
Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball An other-worldly country masterpiece. With Daniel Lanois at the helm, this album set a new standard for female artists and remains her high watermark. As close to flawless as it gets really.
Shelby Lynne – Love, Shelby Where the gossamer beauty of Emmylou and the rough-hewn edges of Lucinda meet is where you’ll find this majestic offering. Sounding like Dusty singing country, this is the album that set her on the way to superstardom. It doesn’t get much better than this, having Emmylou, Lucinda and Shelby’s albums remastered and re-packaged in the one year. Place them in whichever order you like.
Lucinda Williams – Lucinda Williams Although eponymous, this wasn’t her first album, but boy, did everyone sit up and take notice after it. An exhilarating countrified diamond in the rough, what is also fabulous about this package is the live recording on the second disc – it’s good enough to be a stand-alone album.
Yes – The Yes Album Whoa there, don’t shake your head! This is BEFORE Rick Wakeman joined and turned them into the epitome of overblown prog rock (not that there isn’t a place for it!). My favourite Yes album, when they could still rock and there was only the slightest whiff of what was to come. Jon Anderson’s angelic voice, Bill Bruford’s cracking drums, what more do you want? Did you say Rick Wakeman???
Little Feat – Rad Gumbo A thumping 14 discs that spans the entire career of this mighty band. You get the sublime and the throwaway side by side, and that sort of summed them up, at times peerless and yet at other times totally rudderless. The first five studio albums should be in every music lover’s collection.
Chris Smither – Still On The Levee A majestic re-working of his back catalogue and a superb summary of his 50 year career. He’s one of the truly great unheralded singer/songwriters, they only down moment for me is the non-inclusion of my personal favourite songs, but you can’t have everything. You should also check out the tribute album to him; it’s also excellent.
Vanilla Fudge – The Complete Atco Singles The heaviest and most psychedelic covers band ever to grace the planet. The Supremes and Donovan never sounded quite the same after this onslaught. With over 70% of the tracks have never made it to CD before, it’s a great package, and once heard never forgotten.
Ann Peebles – I Can’t Stand The Rain There are some who argue that the title track is the greatest vocal recording of all time. Have a listen and you just might agree. A Memphis soul stew running on high octane, it’s extraordinarily tasty stuff.
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Come on, admit it, you know you can sing along to most of this album. Probably the last great record Reg ever made, every track is a stone cold ‘70s classic cut, and best of all, there’s even a song about a cowboy on it. Elton’s early body of work was truly fabulous.
There you go, 24 ring-a-ding-ding classics for you to sink your teeth into. Trust me, you will be very popular if your loved one finds any of them in the stocking on the 25th! What of the rest I hear you ask….good question, so let’s jump straight into them, because there’s plenty of quality releases to consider……
Popular and (sometimes) Worthy: A genre crossing selection that is worth drawing your attention to:
Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes – Frettening Behaviour One of the all-time great, but overlooked guitarists, Albert and his friends continue to churn out enjoyable albums filled with exemplary playing. The singing and strength of the songs let him down a bit, but worth a listen just to hear him play.
Aloe Blacc – Lift Your Spirits Aloe, I’m a one hit wonder, and nuffink here’s gonna change that anytime soon. File under predictably bland.
Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness On advice from a well qualified source, I dug this out again after being unimpressed first time. Second time round I still couldn’t handle the voice at all. Anything but angelic.
Band Of Horses – Acoustic At The Ryman This is obviously live, and it’s fabulous. What a pity they didn’t sound like this when I saw them at Jazzfest when they were fundamentally unlistenable.
Bap Kennedy – Let’s Start Again I really like the Irishman’s folk tinged albums, but his latest is a bit light on, a tad too bland Van, if you get my drift. Ironically, it comes with a bonus disc which is heaps better than the actual album.
Barb Jungr – Hard Rain: The Songs Of Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen An extremely acquired taste. She’s globally acknowledged as a fine interpreter of Dylan’s music, but that’s open to conjecture (at least based on this recording). The Cohen covers fare much better, but it’s all a bit too cabaret for me.
Beck – Morning Phase I don’t much like Beck but this is his most accessible album to date and I like it a lot….which means that all you Beck fans out there will find it a tad disappointing. Bad luck, the trend towards a more mainstream sound suits him.
Ben Watt – Hendra One half of Everything But The Girl, and only his 2nd solo album in 20 years. If you like EBTG, and I do, then you will really like this, it’s just that the beautiful voice of Tracey Thorne is missing. A lo-fi delight.
Benmont Tench – You Should Be So Lucky This is seriously good. Tom Petty’s keyboard player goes solo and it’s every bit as good as any recent Petty album, no – better. His gruff vocals are not the greatest but they somehow seem to gel perfectly with everything. Terrific songs and wonderfully played.
Beth Neilsen Chapman – Uncovered A covers album with a difference, where BNC covers a batch of hit songs she’s written for other people but never previously recorded herself. Seems perfectly reasonable to me, there are some biggies amongst the tracks and all in all it’s pretty good.
Bill Callahan – Have Fun With God This is a serious mistake, a dub-step version of last year’s fabulous ……. Just stick with the original album.
Blackberry Smoke – Whippoorwill Southern boys grow their hair, adopt the position and crank it up…ho hum.
Chris Robinson Band – Phosphorescent Harvest Former Black Crowe throws some psychedelia into the mix and comes up with his best effort to date. Black Crowes fans might take time to adjust, but there’s some tasty guitar work running through this.
Chuck E Weiss – Red Beans And Weiss This is one crazy record, and it’s terrific. This toyed around the periphery of the Top 10 for quite a while and although his albums are few and far between, they are never less than attention grabbing. Great rock album.
Coldplay – Ghost Stories The Paltrow break up record we had to have – spare me.
Damien Jurado – Brothers & Sisters Of The Eternal Sun This is a really good slice of singer-songwriter Americana that is a pleasing listen but without any particularly memorable tunes.
Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots Hard to believe that this slice of World trivia comes from the voice of Blur. Totally forgettable.
Drive-By Truckers – English Oceans ‘If it ain’t broken then don’t fix it’ seems to be the DBT’s credo. If you’re up for more of their southern rock style then go for it; I’m sort of over it now.
Eddi Reader – Vagabond A worthy addition to the Scottish songbird’s canon. Folk tinged pop for the discerning listener, the material is a little thin in places but the voice is…..perfect.
Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything Interesting band is Elbow. Probably not up to the standard of The Seldom Seen Kid, but this is nonetheless a mighty fine offering from one of the UKs finest, and enduring, outfits.
Eliza Gilkyson – The Nocturne Diaries Lovely acoustic album from the long underappreciated singer. This is quite dark in places, as the title suggests, but she is such a good songwriter and incredibly consistent for a lot of years. Worth a listen.
Love & Special Sauce – Sugar A mixed bag, but there are several tracks that are absolute crackers. A veritable rock’n’roll smorgasbord.
Hard Working Americans – Hard Working Americans A supergroup of sorts – there’s Neal Casal (standout performer) and an Allman in there somewhere – this is really for lovers of the likes of the Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic etc….boogie ‘til you drop – yawn.
Iain Matthews – The Art Of Obscurity Great record this. He’s stated that this is his last solo album, if so then what a way to bid ‘adieu’. One of the finest singer songwriters going round, this is a highly polished and enjoyable set.
Ian Anderson – Homo Erraticus But this isn’t. The great man appears to have lost his way of late. The GOOD news is that one can always console oneself with the Jethro Tull reissues.
Imelda May – Tribal It’s pretty hard to live with and maintain the success of ‘Mayhem’, but Imelda is making a pretty good fist of it. The pocket dynamo is in good vocal form and the album rocks in all the right places, even if some of the songs sound like rejigs of past glories.
James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical Fabulous record from the Irishman. Once you hear Jim sing you won’t easily forget his voice – utterly unique. Almost ethereal in places, probably the only thing that stopped this from being TT is that a couple of tracks go on a tad too long, otherwise it is just stunning.
Jo Harman – Dirt On My Tongue This is really good too. Jo’s making a big noise in the UK and being hailed as the ‘next big thing’ when it comes to blues, but I don’t see her fitting the confines of a single genre. Terrific voice (even a trace of Janis Joplin creeping in), and some excellent songs. Worth a try. Nice cover too J
Joan As Police Woman – The Classic This has been praised a lot and, whilst I didn’t mind it, overall it didn’t light my fire. Joan has gone Stax on this and sometimes it comes off well, other times not so. Terrific singer though.
John Gorka – Bright Side Of Down Like his stablemate Eliza Gilkyson, Gorka is a superb, erudite songwriter and this is his best effort for some time. Highly recommended for those who have realised that the likes of Jackson Browne et l have lost it.
John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension – The Boston Record Although this is a live album, you wouldn’t really know it. Exemplary playing from the great man and his ensemble, his artistry is sometimes dizzying. It’s not going to win any new fans, but McLaughlin/Mahavishnu fans won’t be disappointed. Do you also find it odd the JMcL never seems to be mentioned when discussion turns to ‘greatest guitarist’?
Kurt Vile & The Violators – It’s A Big World Out There (And I’m Scared) Total dross.
Liam Finn – The Nihilist Nah, give it a miss, it’s nowhere near as good as his previous solo album.
Lisa O’Neill – Same Cloth Or Not ‘Distinctive’ is the first word that springs to mind when listening to the petite Irish singer. Very unusual diction and timbre combined with a wry sense of lyrical observation make this an acquired taste, but I thought it was fantastic – and she’s such a nice young lass to boot.
Little Barrie – Shadows Full throttle guitar wizardry let down somewhat by a set of average songs.
Los Pacaminos – A Fistful Of Statins Remember Paul ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’ Young? Well this is his swinging Tex-Mex combo and it’s great fun. There are a couple of covers but primarily it’s a collection of originals that will have you dreaming of tumbleweeds and sipping tequila. Wanna start a party, then try this.
Luther Dickinson – Rock ‘n’ Roll Blues Pretty ordinary effort this one. Lyrically, it’s abysmal.
Marc Ford – Holy Ghost Former Black Crowe guitar slinger goes acoustic (sort of) with excellent results. Singing isn’t his strongest suit, but his fretboard work more than compensates. Recommended.
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Songs From The Movie This is where Mary gives some of her old chestnuts a strings workover. Nice if you like that kind of thing – I don’t particularly.
Natalie Merchant – Natalie Merchant Possibly her best album in a decade, I really enjoyed this. If she’s pushed your buttons before then this is worth checking out.
Neil Finn – Dizzy Heights Neil’s better days are behind methinks. There’s help from ‘the little lady’ but everything still ends up sounding like another Crowded House album. If that does it for you then go right ahead.
Old 97s – Not Messed Up Just what the world needs – another pack of good ol’ redneck cowboys… not!
Penguin Café – The Red Book This is terrific. Arthur Jeffes continues to keep father Simon’s fire burning. It’s obviously not a long way removed from the PCO template, but it’s played beautifully, if a little less adventurously than the original Orchestra.
Pharrell Williams – Girl Brilliant stuff. Everybody’s heard THAT song, but there’s some stunning stuff on this record. Best of all, you can stick it on in the car and the kids will think that you’re cool and the hip hop/r’n’b penny’s finally dropped for you.
R5 – Louder What can I say….nothing, in case Aimee reads this.
Reverend Horton Heat – Rev Aptly titled, the Reverend delivers another turbocharged set of rockabilly monsters. It is totally as expected, but a few decent tunes thrown in to the mix wouldn’t hurt.
Robben Ford – A Day In Nashville Great record, really classy stuff and not the guitar hero ego trip expected. Instead it’s a terrific slice of Americana influenced songs that showcase a whole new side to Ford.
Robert Ellis – The Lights From The Chemical Plant This cowboy has got what it takes, and this sees him one step closer to realising his potential. This isn’t yeehaw country, it’s considered and literate and well worth the outlay – and it’s a light year better than his live shows.
Rodrigo y Gabriela – 9 Dead Alive Latin infused guitar pyrotechnics form the duo who can thank Australia for their big break. Technically fine but lacking ‘that certain something’.
Sharon Van Etten – Are We There Everyone raves about her, but she can’t sing and she writes terrible songs. Not much else to say really.
Simone Felice – Strangers Hmm, I’m worried for Simone, not just because he’s got a superfluous ‘e’ on his name but because he seems to have gone over the creative hill crest. He is bordering on bland now, which is a real pity ‘cos he’s got a great voice and also enough sense to leave the floundering brothers behind.
Smoke Fairies – Smoke Fairies If they’re good enough for Richard Hawley then they’re good enough for me. These two girls should be HUGE, superbly intertwined vocals, great songs, the whole package, they’re so much more than the average folk tinged female pairings.
Stanton Moore – Conversations Arguably the finest drummer in New Orleans, but this conversation is all one way traffic and in no way matches the dynamism of his live performances; what a pity.
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out At Jagbags It’s a while since I listened to this and I can’t find it now. What I do remember is that it was a whole lot better than I expected, although obviously not so much that it’s within easy reach.
Suzanne Vega – Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles Is she kidding? The title sounds like a reject from a latter day Yes brainstorming session, and the music makes even less sense. Just awful.
The Autumn Defense – Fifth This is the – um, lemme see…- 5th album from the Wilco duo and its much like the previous four. That means it’s pretty darned GOOD, much more melodic in a Beatles-like way than their full time job. I’d probably stick with their earlier efforts though.
The Black Keys – Turn Blue Apparently Dan and Todd don’t really care what anyone thinks, they just record what feels right for them. Well that’s good, ‘cos they won’t care when I say that this is CRAP! One of the year’s major disappointments.
The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams A not before time return to form for the lads who want to be the E Street Band. Some excellent rock’n’roll in the Springsteen mould, and if you want a Bruce album this year then go for this, ‘cos his wasn’t very good.
The Men – Tomorrows Hits Yesterday, today or tomorrow, there ain’t any hits on this mash of power pop.
The Presidents Of The United States Of America – Kudos To You! Let me ask you this simple question – would you have faith in a band that consisted of Obama, Bush, Clinton and Nixon?
The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream There’s usually one album that is bound to come back and bite – this is it. A little bit Petty, a little bit Bruce, this is possibly the best American rock’n’roll album of the year, but I’m just not sure yet!
Thievery Corporation – Saudade Bossa nova for the 21st century, this is really good and if you’re one of those lovers of ‘chilled’ music then grab it.
Wishbone Ash – Blue Horizon Prog-ish titans from another era aren’t quite up to the mark on this. It’s the usual complaint – a lack of solid and memorable material.
Beverley Martyn – The Phoenix And The Turtle A comeback of sorts for John’s other half, but this is pretty turgid stuff, not least the boorishness of tipping yet another bucket on her late ex. The playing I fine but her vocals leave little to commend. And if you see her autobiography on the shelf – buyer beware!
Courtney Barnett – The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas Sassy Aussie girl’s double EP is edgy indie meets country and is good, she even managed to get herself on US primetime TV.
Luke Haines – New York In The ‘70s Second concept album in a row, this one’s much better than the previous. It rocks and rages, a few less expletives wouldn’t have gone astray though.
Scott Matthew – Unlearned I got this confused with folk troubadour Scott Matthews – you can understand my confusion I’m sure. This is an Aussie singer who reinterprets songs he liked from his childhood that others didn’t. Starts out OK, but then reinforces why nobody else liked these songs first time around. Takes himself waaaay too seriously.
The Nymphs – It’s Been A Long Time Waiting Australian girl group specialising in a cappella. It’s enjoyable for a while but an album of this stuff is likely to drive a man crazy.
Spain – Sargent Place This is legendary bass player Charlie Haden’s son’s band, and they specialise in unmemorable lo-fi.
Lloyd Cole – Standards No it’s not a covers album, but another winner in a string of fine releases from the ex-Commotion. Not quite as good as last year’s ‘Broken Record’, this is still cool rock’n’roll for grown ups.
Luka Bloom – Head & Heart He’s made some great records, but this isn’t one of them. Surprisingly lacklustre, although the voice is still unmistakable.
Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos – Too Much Water In The Boat Fine water themed album with lots of nice local references – I particularly like the one about Mildura! Best of all are his instrumentals, just try the album opener and you’ll understand what I mean. A worthy purchase.
ToriAmos – Unrepentant Geraldines The red headed Kate Bush, or so it seems to be who she’s trying to emulate. An acquired taste, like blue vein cheese, good in small doses.
The Black Sorrows – Certified Blue Joe Camilleri is back with a pretty darned good record. There aren’t any surprises, so you’ll probably still think he sounds like Van Morrison in some instances. Apparently he’s still pretty good live, so I’m told.
Martin Barre – Away With Words Ian Anderson’s former right hand man comes out of the shadows of Jethro Tull with a fabulous instrumental album. A guitar virtuoso in every sense of the word.
Diane Birch – Speak A Little Louder A bit of a sleeper from the girl who at times sounds like a throwback to Carole King. This isn’t anywhere near as good as her debut, but it’s worth a listen nonetheless (just reaffirms how good the first record was).
Jackie Lomax – Against All Odds Posthumous release from the veteran singer who was one of the original signings to Apple Records. He remained a fine r’n’b singer to the end.
Tommy Malone – Poor Boy Another strong set from the former subdudes leader. There’s plenty of Nawlinz flavoured rhythms, and of course that wonderfully distinctive singing voice. Worth a listen.
The Roots – And Then You Shoot Your Cousin Dreadful! Unlistenable! You’d have thought they learnt something playing with Elvis Costello, but obviously not.
Quantic – Magnetica I didn’t like this. Too much on the electronica side of the coin for my liking and it lacks something – or someone…Alice Russell springs to mind!
John Fullbright – Songs Great stuff. A lot more stripped back and introspective than his debut, but this dude can sing and write. A simple title, but that’s where the focus is. This fella could be anything.
Jolie Holland – Wine Dark Sea Sounds like a strangled cat. Any credits she had from being an original Be Good Tanya are well and truly used up.
Howlin’ Rain – Live Rain Red hot rock’n’roll played live and loud. If you have a penchant for live albums then take note – this is possibly the best of the year.
Dave Mason – Future’s Past Nice but not earth shattering release from the former Traffic member.
Roddy Frame – Seven Dials There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground with Roddy, his songs all at either end of the spectrum. There are some gorgeous moments on this.
Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden – Last Dance And so it proved to be for the late great bass player. This is a fine sign off for Haden, wonder who Jarrett will team his keyboards up with next. Either way, this is jazz of the highest order, not that I know anything about jazz.
The Felice Brothers – Favorite Waitress Since brother Simone left to go it alone, they have been rudderless. Awful; there will be no more FB albums darkening my door.
Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence Shambolic. And she’s seriously potty mouthed as well which doesn’t help when the kids are interested!
Neil Cowley Trio – Touch And Flee This British pianist is fabulous, and the album is equally terrific, and very accessible to those (like me) who don’t get the genre.
David Gray – Mutineers Ho hum, White Ladder part 6! He reckoned he was going to do something different this time, pity he forgot to tell himself.
Clem Clempson – In The Public Interest A by the numbers rock album from the one time member of the mighty Humble Pie.
Joe Henry – Invisible Hour As you would expect, it’s immaculately produced and played but, really, it’s all a bit vanilla for me. Just because all the sycophants in the music world have gushed about it is no good reason to actually like it.
5 Seconds Of Summer – 5 Seconds Of Summer What can I say…one of Aimee’s favourites, so that’s good enough for me. It’s very touching (and deafening) having a 12yo and 8yo in the back seat of the car belting out the words to every song (even if they do all sound the same to me – gee, when I have I heard that line before from a parent).
Ethan Johns – The Reckoning After his dismal debut album, and against my better judgement, I tried the gun producer’s latest album. To my surprise, it was really good, a lovely Americana feel running throughout and a couple of tracks that are top shelf by anyone’s standards. The most pleasant surprise of the year for me.
Amy Lavere – Runaway’s Diary This is dire, self-indulgent drivel.
Jack White – Lazaretto Does anybody else out there also think that Jack White is one of the most overrated musicians on the planet? No? Oh well, no matter, this is yet another pile of drivel from him.
Mia Dyson – Idyllwild Aussie chica who wields a guitar and sings something resembling the blues, but that’s no reason to automatically like her new album. It’s fairly pedestrian unfortunately.
Ian McLagan & The Bump Band – United States Fantastic album from the Faces keyboard player. He can’t sing for beans but it matters little, this is good time rock’n’roll, no frills but great fun. Reminds me somewhat of Ian Hunter’s 2012 album When I’m President (and that made the Top Ten!).
Rebelution – Count Me In Groovy west coast reggae (if that isn’t an oxymoron). Perfect for lazy, hazy days around the pool, intoxicating rhythms and highly enjoyable.
Royal Southern Brotherhood – Heartsoulblood The usual far from these heavy rockin’ good ol’ boys. It’s all right if you like this kind of thing – I don’t, and given their pedigree it should be a whole lot better.
Jennifer Lopez – A.K.A. If you ask me, it’s a.k.a. ‘Tone Deff!’
Shovels & Rope – Swimmin’ Time Great follow up album, once again full of in your face guitar and drums Americana styled country. There’s a few more instruments filling it out, but it’s contagiously good. Kinda think they may need to change the template for the next album though.
The Raveonettes – Pe’ahí I didn’t quite get what the Scandinavians were trying to do on this. Fairly disjointed I have to say.
Spoon – They Want My Soul Fine album of full-on rock music. The first track is a killer.
Jenny Lewis – The Voyager Pleasant country folky effort but nothing that will entice you to hit the repeat button.
Dwarves – The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll Well, I don’t think they did, but this is full throttle bordering on punk, and has the best cover of the year.
Kingswood – Microscopic Wars Aussie 4-piece indie rockers debut album that has taken local charts by storm. It’s heavy and yet surprisingly melodic at times – well worth the investment. Perhaps you’ll be able to one day say I dug them before they really took off!
James Yorkston – The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society I really love James Yorkston’s work, he writes great folk tinged songs and has an exquisite singing voice. But this album hasn’t done it for me, lacking in memorable tunes although his singing is still top notch. Give this one a miss.
Enrique Iglesias – Sex And Love Julio’s lad is one of, if not the, the world’s biggest selling Spanish language artists, and he’s nothing like dad. This is very radio friendly 21st century pop (in Spanish) with numerous hits taken from it – and I confess that some if it’s pretty darned infectious.
The Stanley Clarke Band – Up Superstar bass player surrounded by a band of equally renowned players, this finds Stanley in more electric and upbeat mood than in recent times. Very good and if you’re familiar with Clarke’s brand of jazz then you certainly won’t be disappointed (Chick Corea plays keyboards).
The Delines – Colfax Nice and understated Americana that needs an injection of urgency to stop it becoming mundane – oops, too late.
Phil Rudd – Head Job AC/DC’s drummer – need I say more!!
Philip Selway – Weatherhouse Radiohead’s drummer – need I say more!!
Fiona Bevan – Talk To Strangers Brilliant record, great cover portrait, and such a unique voice. This is 21st century pop at its most original and best. Once heard, not forgotten.
Adam Miller – Shifting Units Double album of guitar base instrumentals from the Newcastle fingerpicker, one disc electric and one acoustic. The first disc is the better of the two, the boy can play!
Tweedy – Sukierae Wilco frontman and his teenage drumming son release an album that is OK but sounds like leftovers from his band’s recording sessions. There are some nice moments, but I wonder if this is merely an exercise in nepotism.
Gramercy Arms – The Seasons Of Love New York collective featuring a bevy of guests including Lloyd Cole, Joan Wasser and Erin Moran and although you may not end up with flowers in your hair, this is a fine set of ‘70s and ‘80s inspired indie pop. Nice record.
Richard Thompson – Acoustic Classics This is the great man’s first acoustic album in 30 years, somewhat ironic given he’s only ever played acoustic in Australia. He plunders his astounding back catalogue to present a default live show and it is simply impeccable. An acquired taste to be sure, but there are few, if any, who can hold a candle to his guitar artistry. I could have made this my AOTY, certainly Top Ten, but why bother – you know he’s magnificent!
Justin Townes Earle – Single Mothers It’s finally caught up with Steve’s boy, the honeymoon is over. There’s nothing inspiring here, indeed it’s all somewhat mundane and predictable, right down to dumping a bucket on dad….jeez, it’s tough being a parent!
Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams This is pretty pedestrian I have to say, in fact Ryan seems to have lost the spark of originality quite some time ago. This is more in keeping with Bryan, not Ryan.
Danny & The Champions Of The World – Live Champs! Wonderful. The best live album I’ve heard this year, and a faithful reproduction of the show they put on in Madrid earlier this year. Superb voice, great musicians, these fellas have to be close to the top of the Americana tree in the UK.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Singers Grave: A Sea Of Tongue This is a bit of a curiosity in that it’s fundamentally a covers album of his own Wolfroy Goes To Town. The thing is, this is much better than his first attempt at these songs, which can only mean he wasn’t happy first time around either.
Marc Broussard – A Life Worth Living Louisiana singer-songwriter steeped in soulful r&b, and this is a pretty rockin’ affair. There’s some great B3 playing throughout and if you like a bit of southern rock based soulfulness then Marc could be your man.
Lucinda Williams – Where The Spirit Meets The Bone The biggest flaw with this album is that it’s actually albumS. There’s enough good stuff here to fill one disc, but spread over two it becomes a little mundane. She is in fine voice however.
Steve Gunn – Way Out Weather This is nice but unremarkable, with some psych wisps and occasional whiffs of country seeping through to spice it up a bit. Not essential.
Harry Hookey– Misdiagnosed I think this is probably the best all round rock album released by an Australian act this year. Nothing more needs saying, other than ignore it to your own detriment. And boys…the cover is MAGNIFICENT!
Avi Buffalo – At Best Cuckold Highly praised indie stuff but it’s over my head I’m afraid.
Anais Mitchell – Xoa One of my very favourite singers, this one is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s a stark revisit to her back catalogue subsequent to having her first child. Perhaps it works better for females who can identify with the sentiments expressed, however I prefer the original versions. She’s quite a talent though.
Israel Nash Gripka – Israel Nash’s Rain Plans Neil Young has obviously been on Israel’s turntable – a LOT. This is a fabulous record that injects Young’s edgier sound with a hefty dose of psychedelia. On any other day, it would be in my list of the year’s best.
Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright In The End Sometimes I surprise even myself at the things I listen to, and this is right up there! Funnily enough, I can understand what young kids like about them, but I’m not a young kid anymore.
Sam Amidon – Lily-O Interesting slant on country-tinged Americana, but I couldn’t quite get into this. A lot of other people have though.
Foxygen – …And Star Power Very interesting stuff spread over two discs, there are elements of folk, psych, a bit of pop, a bit of Rundgren, a snip of punk. If that sounds like a mash up then it is. There doesn’t seem to be a song that actually reaches a conclusion, whether by design or accident is unclear. Haven’t made my mind up on this yet.
Mirel Wagner – When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day Nah, I just don’t get this deep and meaningful lo-fi stuff.
Jesse Winchester – A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble Wow, what a bittersweet album, concluded a week prior to his death. There are some beautiful moments on this, some gorgeous doo wop, that wonderfully resonant voice evoking happiness despite the fatalistic nature of much of the material. Must be an interesting experience singing about your own mortality and knowing you’re dying. Jesse’s one of the greats, as a human and a musician, and this album re-inforces both. What a loss.
Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy It may be eight years since his last album ‘9’ (which followed his majestic debut ‘O’), but if you liked those two mega-sellers then there’s absolutely no reason not to buy this. And if you’re unfamiliar with the singer/songwriter then I strongly urge you to acquaint yourself. This is great, and very introspective.
Robert Plant – lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar What can one say about the golden god, other than he continues to prove that there is a superb musical life after Led Zeppelin, and those craving a reunion (including the lead guitarist) should move on. Plant certainly has, and this stunning amalgam of rock with African and world rhythms finds him at the very top of his not inconsiderable game. I could have slipped this in the TT but, hey, why bother, you just know it’s brilliant.
Hans Chew – Life & Love Blues, soul, country and a hefty slice of British rock permeate throughout this cracking set by the singer/pianist from New York. Recorded live in the studio, this is raw rock’n’roll, and did I mention there’s some Southern rock thrown in as well. It’s terrific.
Los Straitjackets – Deke Dickerson Sings The Great Instrumental Hits Magnificent! Exactly as the title suggests, the masked marauders twang their way through a dozen stone cold instrumental immortals whilst Deke puts words to them. Worth it just to listen to ‘Apache’ with words. Putting fun back into music….get it.
Marcia Ball – The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man I admit to being a tad disappointed in this. It’s the material mostly, it’s just run of the mill Texas/Louisiana r&b.
Glenn Tilbrook – Happy Ending Such a good musician and songwriter, and this is no exception. In partnership with Chris Difford he wrote most of Squeeze’s biggies, and there’s some gems here too. Check it out.
Harry Dean Stanton – Partly Fiction As a singer, the octogenarian makes a good actor! His version of ‘Blue Bayou’ makes Linda Ronstadt’s sound definitive!!!!!
Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean The lead voice of the Be Good Tanyas second solo release and it’s a beauty. Backed by the Hodges brothers from Memphis, there is a soft undercurrent of Hi soul throughout, and she has the happy knack of making tales of woe sound positively uplifting. This one won’t disappoint anybody.
Baxter Dury – It’s A Pleasure It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but geez he sounds like his old man, an octave higher perhaps. There are a few fillers but this is actually quite enjoyable although not as in your face as Ian. Have a listen, you may be pleasantly surprised – I was.
Bill Frisell – Guitar In The Space Age! He’s a class act and here he turns his attention to instrumental versions of the hits of yesteryear, some original instrumentals and some vocals. This is a lot better than Hank Marvin’s album, but I still find his playing a little too elegant for some of the material.
V.A. – The New Basement Tapes: Lost In The River Elvis Costello, Jim James, Marcus Mumford and some others put music to a box of recently unearthed Dylan lyrics from 1967. It just so happens that Dylan has released for the first time the complete Basement Tapes, so you’ll excuse me if I’m totally sceptical about this. Seriously, Dylan simply lost or forgot about a whole box of lyrics? Give me a break, if they were any good he’d have used them himself!
Ray Lamontagne – Supernova A cracking album from a LegsyBoy favourite, and in any other year this would have strolled into the TT. There’s heaps happening, lots of sixties references, Van Morrison, psychedelia, and of course the husky voice. A fabulous record, and I may have erred not rating it slightly higher.
Mariachi El Bronz – Mariachi El Bronx III This is really good, an explosión of mariachi horns (as you’d expect) mingling with New York punks. Sounds crazy – but it works!
First Aid Kit – Stay Gold Scandinavian sibling songbirds deliver their most outstanding record to date. Mildly countrified gems awash in high harmonies, and if you don’t already have this then go out NOW and get it.
Radio Moscow – Magical Dirt Finally, a band to re-establish faith in the power trio, a la Cream, Blue Cheer and BBA. This is a cracking blues-rock guitar fest from go to whoa.
Claudia Brücken – Where Else… Brilliant album from the German chanteuse who first came to prominence during the 80’s in Propaganda. Very Euro-noir and sultry sounding, if Marlene Dietrich had sung she would have sounded like this….purrrrr.
Dirt Music: Where Americana, Country, Western, Folk, and all points in between kicks up a storm:
Angelique Kidjo – Eve The African Queen delivers yet another mesmerising performance. Surely one of the very best singers to come out of the Dark Continent.
Ben & Ellen Harper – Childhood Home Mr & Mrs get down home and dirty in a pleasant countrified way, but theres nothing to really excite on this.
Carlene Carter – Carter Girl Great album from the former Mrs Nick Lowe, easily her best for over 20 years. A must listen to album.
Dawn Landes – Bluebird Beautiful breakup record from the former Mrs Jason Isbell. Considered words in beautiful country melodies, listen a few times and the cream rises.
Dierks Bentley – Riser A faux cowboy in a big hat…no need to say any more.
Nickel Creek – A Dotted Line Bluegrass hotshots deliver a spectacularly good album. I dont care if you dislike mandolins and yeehaw music, this should be listened to.
Rhonda Vincent – Only Me This is a double album, one of country and one of bluegrass. Rhonda is a fabulous singer of both, but why she didnt just stick it all on one disc is anyones guess.
Rodney Crowell – Tarpaper Sky When someone who makes consistently good albums releases one of his very finest then its time to sit up and take notice. This is a cracking record by a genuine superstar of alt-country.
Seth Lakeman – Word Of Mouth At last the flying fiddler has returned to what he does best, and with pleasing results. Most of the songs are drawn upon local characters and experiences, the fiddling is top notch and hes in fine voice. Great folk record.
The BossHoss – Liberty Of Action Sorry, but country spoofing simply doesnt cut it. Its dreadful.
Allan Caswell – Sometimes When You Lose You Win As the writer of On The Inside, the theme to Prisoner, his place in history is guaranteed. This is his new album and its full of wry observations on life not a long way from Randy Newmans lyrical turn of phrase. Caswell differs in that he is predominantly a country singer. Nice record.
The Full English – The Full English A veritable supergroup of the UKs finest folk musicians recording a wonderful collection of early 20th century British folk. Quality is guaranteed when Martin Simpson, Fay Hield, Seth Lakeman and Nancy Kerr, to name just four, are involved. If you have the remotest interest in folk music then you need to listen.
Tinariwen – Emmaar The desert bluesmen from north Africa are back. Its interesting but not really my cup of Irish Breakfast. However, if you like their particular brand of African blues soundscapes then you will surely like this. Playing is faultless.
Tiny Ruins – Brightly Painted One Theyre from NZ, and it sounded OK. Thats all I can remember.
Willie Watson – Folk Singer Vol.1 Former front man from Old Crow Medicine Show goes solo to great acclaim, and deservedly so. This is brilliant, but be warned, if bluegrass isnt your go then stay away.
Daughn Gibson – Me Moan This remains memorable mainly because of his vocal inflections – and his rather unusual name! This is tough country, but wears thin after a while.
Jim Malcolm – Still Whenever I get a new Jim Malcolm album I am immediately seduced by his golden tonsils, he has one of the most sublime, comforting singing voices imaginable. Arguably Scotlands finest folkie, whether it be originals or self-penned.
Oysterband – Diamonds On The water Theyve been around forever and show no signs of tapering off. Not quite to the standard of their collaboration with June Tabor, but this is English folk of the highest order.
Blair Dunlop – House Of Jacks Theres no grass under Blairs feet. After a terrific debut that garnered much acclaim and a BBC award, his follow up is a lot more electric. Its great, this youngster has got it all – singing, writing, and fabulous finger picking. One of the bright lights of UK music, I sense that he will be confined by folk boundaries for much longer. Have a listen.
Cara Dillon – A Thousand Hearts Cara sings like a bird as usual, but its a little lightweight, sort of MOR folk.
The Rails – Fair Warning Excellent debut from Richard Thompsons daughter and her husband. Hes obviously taken note of his father-in-laws guitar chops and Kamis vocals hold sway, but this is significantly better than her debut album from a couple of years back.
Old Crow Medicine Show – Remedy The main man have jumped ship, but OCMS keep on keeping on. Hillbilly music rarely sounds better than this. Give it a try, you might like it, I sure do and I know Festus Hagin would too.
Billy Joe Shaver – Long In The Tooth The old outlaw is indeed what he says, but there are some great moments on this. One of a rapidly shrinking group, the highlight comes with the classic line its hard to be an outlaw when nobody wants you anymore – brilliant!
Loudon Wainwright III – Havent Got The Blues (Yet) His best album in many a long year. Theres still the sly humour which wears off after a couple of listens, but his lyrical wizardry is intact as he addresses mortality, gun control and a host of other social pariahs. Strongly recommended.
Kamerunga – Terra Australis A mixture of originals and Australian folk and bush ballads, the Cairns collective intertwine world, jazz, funk with the more traditional elements in dazzling fashion. If you want to hear what 21st century Australian folk music sounds like, then start right here.
Chatham County Line – Tightrope A most appropriately titled album, as these lads walk a fine line between traditional and contemporary bluegrass. That they do it pretty much better than anyone else is reason enough to have a listen.
V.A. – Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cashs Bitter Tears Revisited A remake of an ignored Cash album, everyone seems smitten by the involvement of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings – WELL IM NOT! Overall, there are a couple of nice moments, but this is pretty lacklustre. People need to get over GW & DR, theyre simply not that good.
Chris Smither – Still On The Levee The great man revisits his 50 year back catalogue and reinterprets 25 of his personal favourites. If you are somehow unfamiliar with his work then this is a fabulous way to introduce yourself to an unheralded folk blues legend. The only disappointment for me was it doesnt include my favourite Smither track.
V.A. – Link To Chain: A Songwriters Tribute To Chris Smither Finally, a tribute album that works. A veritable Whos Who of Americana dip their lids to the grizzled troubadour. Put it with the preceding album and you simply couldnt ask for anything more.
Mike McClellan – Dancing In The Rain Far more than just a song and dance man, this is a terrific album from the veteran singer-songwriter. Great tunes, insightful lyrics, and a real surprise packet. Highly recommended.
Corb Lund – Counterfeit Blues Probably the best album Ive heard from Corb. Youve gotta consider getting this good ol boys album purely on the strength of his name.
Bellowhead – Revival Fine album from UK folk visionaries. If you like your folk with a twist then Bellowhead are as good as any going around.
Lindi Ortega – Tin Star Pleasant but unremarkable country girl. Theres better around.
Suzy Bogguss – Lucky Like this one. Veteran singer-songwriter p