What am I listening to?

It's been approximately forever since I posted a playlist.  I got out of the blog habit, got lazy, and oh... there's been this COVID thing that pretty much shut down live music.  That didn't stop me from listening to music - thank you Hayes Carll, Corb Lund, Jamie Lin Wilson, Tom Snider, Emily Scott Robinson and others who had regular concerts from their living room, bedroom closet, office or studio.  I think many artists have struggled to make it during the pandemic, and here's hoping they are all able to get back on the road and in front of their audiences soon.  

Also, good music doesn't have an expiration date.  I go back and forth over the years and genres, and some of these are insanely obscure.  Sorry, can't help it.

So what have I been listening to?  In no particular order, here's a sample:

Rose Queen - William Clark Greene.  If you haven't found him, please give him a listen.  One of the best young red dirt songwriters.

Someday Soon - Suzy Bogguss.  To be clear, this is an Ian Tyson song that's been covered by virtually everyone in country music, but IMHO, she still does it the best.  (A young Ian Tyson isn't too bad either!)

Evangelina - Colter Wall.  This is a classic Hoyt Axton song, covered from the bunkhouse/tack room.  When I first heard Colter Wall, he was _dark_.  Gritty, edgy songs, a voice that came from somewhere deep, but he was *good*.  It's taken a while for him to catch on, and his later albums have lost some of the voice quality that got my attention to start with.  I've read in interviews that he forced that voice, and I find I like his newer stuff better.  Much more Marty Robbins, less Johnny Cash with a dose of Paul Robeson.  At any rate, I don't think he's released Evangelina yet other than on Youtube, and it's fantastic.  

Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits.  This is still one of the most moving anti-war songs ever crafted.  Mark Knopfler's voice, guitar work, and the band are so tight and the lyrics are simply spot on.  If you aren't moved, you aren't listening.

Long violent history - Tyler Childers.  Ignore the album.  He's still learning to fiddle, and the fiddle tunes are just so-so. Watch his intro to the song and then *listen* to the song - and read the lyrics.  We need more artists like Childers, Sturgil Simpson, Rosanne Cash and Jason Isbell that are willing to stand up.

Under Pressure - Queen w/David Bowie.  Two of the absolute best artists who ever graced rock.  One of the best duets ever, from any genre.

Fantasia - John Dowland.  The album is from the early 1970s, ¨Lute Music from the Royal Courts of Europe¨ by Julian Bream.  I had this album when I was in high school, and this particular song is absolutely beautiful.

Old Gods - Emily Scott Robinson.  Her new album is excellent, and now that she's signed with the late John Prine's Oh Boy Records, she's getting a lot more (well deserved) notice.  If you like what you hear, check out Traveling Mercies.  I love that album, but it addresses much, much darker stuff.  And she's absolutely a wonderful, genuine human being!

Jessica - Allman Brothers Band.  One of the most amazing instrumental pieces ever.  Who needs words?  Dickey Betts' guitar does all the talking.  

Songs you didn't know you needed to know

I admit it - I've got different tastes, and lately it's been mostly Red Dirt/Americana.  Every now an then a song hits me that I can't not listen to.  This group of songs are from artists that may not be that well known - most have zero likelihood of ever getting air play - and from artists with a limited appeal.  Many of these are 'loss and longing', dark times and hard life, with a little romance mixed in just because.  Word of mouth is how this music spreads.  So I'm doing my part, please do yours - listen to the music, link the post, or share the playlist. 
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2hLieB23m1LolOjTGkGd9g

Broken Window Serenade - Whiskey Myers
Possibly the saddest song I've heard, and there are several pretty sad ones in this list.  Put this is the same group as "Winter's Bone" - the breakout movie for Jennifer Lawrence. 

Boulder to Birmingham - The Fray feat. Emmylou Harris
Anything Emmylou Harris does is at least OK, and any version she does of this classic is, well, a classic.  The Fray's Isaac Slade captures the feeling perfectly, and has one of the better harmonies with Emmylou that I've heard. 

Carlisle's Haul - James McMurtry. 
McMurtry has always written about people living a working life, and he paints with his words.  Even if you've never been around commercial fishermen, you can get a sense of the challenges from one song. 

It ain't over yet - Rodney Crowell
Aside from the fact that Crowell has been one of the most enduring songwriters in Nashville, he's also one helluva singer.  It ain't over yet was written for his friend Guy Clark, but it could just as well be autobiographical.  John Paul White and Roseanne Cash provide their excellent voices on this track.  Catch the music video on youtube as well.

The devil wears a suit and tie - Colter Wall
Colter Wall is one of the new generation of Canadian artists.  He's a kid still in his 20s, but sounds like he's lived a long life of whiskey and smokes. 

Knockin' over Whiskeys - Hayes Carll
Not exactly new on the Americana/Texas music scene, Carll is mostly unknown to the larger music audience.  He writes of people and situations, fun and heartbreak.  And often with a wry sense of humor.

The Bird Hunters - Turnpike Troubadours
Possibly the only song ever written about shotguns, broken romance, buddies and dogs that isn't a murder ballad.  Felker and friends did great job selling the story. 

Nobody's Girl - Reckless Kelly
One of my all time favorite bands, and a great track from them.  "first man that you ever loved, left your mama, never said goodbye to anyone".

Pearl Snaps - Jason Boland & The Stragglers
Cheap bourbon whiskey and pearl snap shirts.  What could be more iconic?

Homeless - Buffalo Gospel
This Milwaukee band is on its way up.

Down to the River - Darrell Scott
I usually avoid songs that 'pay homage' to other artists.  I'll make an exception in this case for a couple of reasons. First, it's not just a shout-out, it's about the music.  Second, the spoken word clip of Guy Clark toward the very end of his life is priceless art.

Hands of time - Margo Price
Price, Musgraves, Carlisle, among others are rewriting the country music theme. The country DJs and programmers just haven't figured it out yet. 

Andy - Ashley McBryde
It's a mushy country love song, but I like it.  Girl going nowhere also deserves to be on this list, but I limited it to one per artist.  And any song that talks about 'using my good towels on the dog' is worth a listen.

Like Patsy Would - Lori McKenna
Again, I hate country music shoutouts.  She captures what 70 years of singers have tried to do here:  "Write it down like Hemingway, like it's the last damn thing I'll ever say, and sing it like Patsy would."

Me and Willie - Emmylou Harris
I kept trying to figure out why I didn't know this song.  As it turns out, it's only featured on the remastered version of Luxury Liner, released in 2004.  And surprisingly, it's not one she wrote. A woman named Laurie Hyde-Smith wrote it, as far as I've found, the only song she's had recorded.
Emmylou does her usual amazing job of delivering the pain and heartache in these lyrics, and the longing to be back in that world. 

Jolene - Ray LeMontagne
"Cocaine flame in my bloodstream, sold my coat when I hit Spokane..."  Not exactly the Dolly Parton lyrics of two women competing for a man.  This is yet another 'loss and pain' song. 

Christmas music of a different stripe

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and good luck in the new year!

Some Christmas music for those a bit tired of the ordinary. Uplifting or melancholy probably depends a lot on your current situation.  Supplied with Youtube video links.

Stop the Calvary - Jona Lewie.  The Cory Band also does a great version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HkJHApgKqw

River - Joni Mitchell.  Always one of my favorites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFudDAYqxY

Christmas in the Trenches - John McCutcheon.  It really happened.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5on4WK1MpA

First Christmas - Stan Rogers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chTMOuuUZi4

Fairytale of New York.  The Pogues with Kristy MacColl. Voted (by someone) the greatest Christmas song of all time.  First link is an article by   *about* the song.
http://theweek.com/articles/595104/fairytale-new-york-how-soused-irish-punk-band-created-greatest-christmas-song-all-time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

And just for a little tradition:
O Holy Night - Rhiannon Giddens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa3iGUlNffg

What am I listening to?

I've been on an Austin kick lately.  Old guys, roots, blues, Americana - but don't label it.  It isn't rock, it isn't country, and some of it doesn't qualify as folk.  We'll just call it Austin for lack of a  better description. You can call it what you want to.

Robert Earl Keen - The road goes on forever.  Feeling good again. Shades of grey. Gringo Honeymoon. One of the most talented songwriters on the Texas music scene.  I'm less a fan of his new bluegrass standards album.  I prefer the more boisterous stuff - and his ballads like Gringo Honeymoon and What I really mean.

Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Messenger, Mother Blues, Choctaw Bingo, Conversation with the devil.  The same guy who wrote "Up against the wall redneck mother" back in the 70s.  RWH pretty much dropped out of music for a while, but since the 90s, he's done a series of very good albums - if you appreciate his music!  He writes stories set to a blues beat.  'be careful what you wish for - you might get it."

Hayes Carl - KMAG Yoyo, Down the road tonight, Another like you.  A little different. More of the 'bro country' look - except he can actually sing, write, and play.  He can go a whole song without mentioning trucks, jean shorts, or down to the lake.  Much more blues vibe than country.

James McMurtry - Painting by numbers, We can't make it here, Levelland.  One of the most talented songwriters in Texas (or anywhere else).  Son of writer Larry McMurtry, he obviously inherited writing chops.

Southern Rock playlist

I grew up in Alabama.  Never listened to country, never listened to much rock. Mostly it was top 40, American Bandstand type stuff. In high school, it was more Elton John, Eagles, Who, and other groups of the early 70s.  Somewhere along the line in the mid 70s, I started acquiring these 'tastes' for things like country, folk and 'Southern Rock'.  Yep, it's its own genre with a fairly identifiable sound (to me, at least) usually featuring a virtuoso lead electric guitar and often a fiddle or pedal steel harmony.  Here's at least a pretty good representation, in no particular order.

1. Can't you see - Marshall Tucker Band.  Great vocals, Long haired country boys, and a flute.  It's hard to pick just one MTB song.  'What that woman, Lord, she been doin' to me"
2.  Blue Sky - Dickie Betts and Great South. Great guitar riffs.  I originally heard him do this in concert - awesome jam band.  Blue Sky is probably better known as an Allman Bros tune, but they often played the same shows. "Walk along the river. Sweet lullaby"
3. Trudy - Charlie Daniels Band.  Daniels is known now as being sort of a country boy, but in his prime, he had one heck of a Southern rock sound. "Took half the cops in Dallas County, just to put one Coon Ass boy in jail." Still saws a mean fiddle.
4. Whipping Post - Allman Brothers Band.  Like most of the Southern Rock bands, the Allman Brothers had a strong blues influence.  Unlike most bands, they had Duane Allman on lead. Screw the lyrics, listen to Duane.
5. Hurry Sundown - The Outlaws.  "They were waiting on the ghost of an outlaw, Sundown was his name..."  Storytelling, shades of Texas, 1876.
6. Doraville - Atlanta Rhythm Section.  A suburb of Atlanta - I don't think it's the same today, but in the 70s, it was the home of recording studios, bands, and parties.
7. Keep on Smilin' - Wet Willie.  More laid back than the hard driving guitar leads of many bands. "Well they say you've got the blues..."
8. Third Rate Romance - Amazing Rhythm Aces.  A little more country blues.  Really solid harmonies.  "Third rate romance, low rent rendezvous"
9. Heard it in a love song - Marshall Tucker Band. Vocally and musically about as far from "Can't you see" and "Fire on the Mountain" as you can get.  Still big with the flute, but much more fluid, softer style.  "I never had a damn thing, but what I had, had to leave it behind. You're the hardest thing I ever tried to get off my mind"
10. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Possibly the song most likely to be requested by barroom drunks regardless of venue.  And one of the most recognizable anthems for *any* rock genre.  "I'm as free as a bird, man. And this bird you cannot change, whoa oh oh,"

Enjoy. Comments always welcome.

What am I listening to now?

It's winter out there.  Winter elicits thoughts of bar music, warm nights in front of the fire, maybe a concert or two.  At the moment, I'm leaning toward the classics with a little bit of newer stuff.
As with most of my playlists, this is pretty athematic.  But, I tend to listen to things I find interesting - not necessarily current.

1. Rosalita - Bruce Springsteen.  It's got a great energy and typical interesting lyrics.  Nobody - nobody works harder at a concert than The Boss.
2. Crazy on you.  Heart.  Saw them on TV not long ago.  The Wilson sisters look sort of like suburban ladies of a certain age, but they Still sound great.
3. Smuggler's Blues - Glen Frey(Eagles).  Shades of Miami and Don Johnson, 1985.  
4. Sweet Child o' Mine - Sheryl Crow.  I love the GnR version too.  
5. Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne.  ... was I unwise, to keep them open for so long???
6. Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix.  What more can be said?
7. Wonder - Natalie Merchant.  I think this was her first hit after 10,000 Maniacs.  Great lyrics.
8. Don't look back - Peter Tosh and Mick Jagger.  All sorts of stories about Jagger being smashed, crashing the recording session.  Who knows if it's true or not?
9. Can't find my way home - Blind Faith.  Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton - two of the best artists from any decade.  Winwood has a haunting quality to his voice.
10. Teenage Wasteland - The Who. One of the best, from one of the very best rock groups ever.

Carolina Rain

We had to forego our trip to the Carolinas this year - too many other things on the burner, and something had to give.
I'm in love with the 'mountain sound' - not quite bluegrass, definitely not 'trucks, babes and beer' of Nashville.  When it's just right, it sounds like you are sitting around the general store stove, or hanging out in someone's barn listening to a group that's playing for a meal, maybe some gas money and a place to stay for the night.

There are some incredible musicians working out of North Carolina and other points these days.  This post is about some groups that I think help define a 'sound' you are likely to hear from Asheville, High Point or Chapel Hill.  The common points to me are good melodies, tight vocals and harmonies, and great instrumental breaks.  A great base line helps.  In any case, the sound is as old as the hills, but somehow very fresh.
A really good example of this is the bottle rocket group "The Biscuit Burners".  I never fell in love with their later albums, vastly preferring their very first.  The vocals were pure mountains, and from another era - probably more like another century.  Listen to Mountain Lily:
  "Oh wild red, mountain lily. Set on my bedside tonight. Wild red, mountain lily, remind me of my true lover's hand".
Drop most of the hard consonants "wil' red, moun'n lily, 'min' me of my true lover's han'" and sing it with a beautiful Carolina drawl, and  you've got it.
Unfortunately, I think the group is on permanent "hiatus", but their first album "Fiery Mountain Music" still goes down as one of my all time favorites.  "Mountain Lily", "Once upon a time", "Moonshine Whiskey" and probably my favorite - "Mono County Jail".  It took me months to figure out the lyrics to that one.

Some others that are creeping into my regular playlists now:

Deep Chatham - "Carolina Rain" - Banjo, mando and bass.  And solid vocals.

Mandolin Orange - "One more down" - great vocals, understated mandolin lead.  Too often, mando players think they have to be Sam Bush or Chris Theile.  This is so clean, simple sounding and just fits perfectly.

Playing on the Planet - "Waltz of the Thirteen Moons"  and "Thirteen Moons"  Big plug for my buddy Lisa's band - more varied than some of the groups, but the sound comes straight from the mountains.  Listen to the two songs in order - you can feel the sadness and ghosts in the waltz.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Alabama Pines" - more country or Phil Phillips, but I still like it a lot

Fall Playlist

I've been varying my playlists, adding artists new and old.  For this list, most of the artists have 'been around a while', but the music still speaks to me - particularly compared to the current "lake, truck, beer, butts' model of songwriting.  (Is there a program that just spits this stuff out?)
Criteria for the list was simple - I heard it/saw it on youtube or already had it on my library and it seemed to fit..

"The road goes on forever" - Robert Earl Keen - It's probably his signature song, but it's still good, rowdy fun.
Tecumseh Valley" - Townes Van Zandt - another great ballad from TVZ.
"Dead Flowers" - Caitlin Rose - Written by the Stones, covered by TVZ, but she still does a great job.
"Out among the stars" - Darrell Scott - Adam Mitchell wrote it, Merle Haggard performed it first, but I'd put this as one of the best covers.
"Jesse with the long hair" - Robert Earl Keen - OK, it's a little like Dylan's Jack of Hearts.  And it's a song with a mystery - did Jesse fire the shot, or did the sheriff? Listen closely...
"Arizona Star" - Guy Clark - When you're cool - the sun shines all the time.
"I hear them all" - Old Crow Medicine Show - one of my favorite OCMS songs.
"Shades of Grey" - Robert Earl Keen - written about the immediate aftermath of the Murrow Federal Building bombing.
"Snake Farm" - Ray Wylie Hubbard - I started following RWH on that Face thing.  He's articulate, entertaining and a helluva fun writer/musician.
"Charlie Dunn" - Jerry Jeff Walker - a whole song about boots? Why not.
"Little Bird" - Jerry Jeff Walker - I think one of Jerry's best.

Eighty Hours, 13 States, 2950 miles

In the past 3 months, I've had 3 road trips of 1500 miles or more.  The biggest by far was to Connecticut to retrieve the club's 'new to us' trailer for hauling kayaks.  After the last trip to Georgia with the wheels almost falling off, I swore I'd never do another road trip without a real trailer. So a little shopping and it was ours.  Now to get it back from Connecticut...

Rather than wait for a 'committee decision' about who could take time away, when to go, etc. I took advantage of a quiet weekend coming up at work, and planned to hit the road for CT.  To cut the expenses, I arranged a couple of boat deliveries, threw a sleeping bag and pillow in the truck, loaded up the ipod with tunes, audiobooks, and hit the road.  To paraphrase the great Jake Blues "It's 1300 miles to Connecticut, I've got a full tank of gas, half a box of Cheese-its, it's dark and I'm wearing bifocals."

Making a drive like this solo requires recognizing that you have to rely on something other than conversation to keep you awake.  For me that means coffee.  And Pandora. And frequent breaks.  

Leaving Minnesota just before rush hour means getting through Chicago without hassles.  On the other hand, that means it's dark out.  I pulled out my pillow and blanket to catch a few hours sleep at a turnpike oasis in Indiana, and hit the road a few hours later bound for Connecticut.

A few words about rest areas - Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania all get high marks for their stops.  Pretty standardized, fairly clean, and mostly OK.  Coffee - well, let's just say it's not a religion across the I 90/80 corridors. New Jersey?  Don't these people get 'clean bathroom'?  The trucker's side was cleaner.  But in general, it had the feeling of a hard used public restroom in Grand Central Station.
I made it to Connecticut and picked up my trailer, dropped one boat, picked up another, and found a hotel for the night.  A quick stop for a burger and beer, and I was down for the night.  The following morning, I dropped by WinTech to pick up the trailer and head west for St Louis.  I learned a couple of lessons about Garmin on this trip - the biggest one is always carry a copy of the Rand McNally Atlas!  The second is that unless you buy the truck edition of Garmin's devices, don't pay attention to Garmin when going through places like NY City.  I spent enough time on Google to make some alterations, but they didn't prepare me for winding up on the 'cars only' deck on the GW bridge.  Fortunately, no tickets, but darn...
The trailer towed really well.  27' at the base, 35' on top, double axle, well over 1000lb of solid steel and rotting wood.  No issues with losing parts - at least not after I pulled off a couple of rails that were hanging on by a prayer, and duct taped them into the oar holders.
A long day in the rain and mist through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky brought me to Madison, Indiana and the end to a long day.  The only real excitement was a running board on the trailer that decided to rot out and drop one end in the middle of a construction zone in Kentucky.  I pulled off as soon as the zone ended, pulled the board off, and left it with other debris on the back side of the K-rail. Must have been a favored spot - a bumper, bit of broken furniture and a pallet. It was the spot.
Another early start and a long drive to St Louis Rowing Club to drop off a 'Section 8' King rowing shell.
St Louis RC boathouse is another nice building, located in a park out in the NW burbs.  Another few hours on the road, a detour through Chatfield Minnesota (and some rather obscure country trails following Garmin's instructions) and I was home.
Finished with engines around 80 hours and 2950 miles after leaving.
Listening list for the trip:
Pandora - Guy Clark; Emmylou Harris as seeds
Robert Earl Keen
Bob Marley
Albannach
lots of others in the mix

Podcasts - the NPR mix - TED, Car Talk, Wait Wait,

Books - Carl Hiaasen - Bad Monkey

Secret pleasures

I confess... I've got a secret that I try to keep well hidden.  It's not as bad as being a banjo picker, or an accordion player, but I try (badly) to play the mandolin.
Nearly everyone has some kind of instrument they fantasize about playing.  My youngest son is a pretty darn good guitar player (alt/rock style).  I know a lot of really talented musicians, both amateur and professional, and none would *ever* suggest I give up my day job (or even play in public).

I've always had a strong country/Americana/roots music taste, but the song that really set me off on this path to 8 strings and a very narrow fretboard was "Whiskey in the Jar" - the Jerry Garcia/David Grisman version. Grisman's opening bars set the hook.  And so I bought my first mando - and realized pretty soon that it buzzed on some frets, had a few odd voicings and so on.  It was fine for the playing I was doing, but I eventually wanted a nicer axe and eventually got a Weber Absoroka.  Awesome sound, stays in tune, no buzz.
Over the years, I've tried to emulate some of my favorites, but I have also realized that the things that keep me from writing complex software programs are the same things that make music theory rational, and why I found differential equations simple, but basic calculus impossible to comprehend. I tend to think in a linear fashion, can visualize/express big concepts, but struggle with simple chords and abstract patterns.  I can hear a melody line and follow that - but the chords that make it rich, give it rhythm? ...two left feet and a tin ear.

In any case, I've found that I can pick out the mando in lots of songs, whether it's a driving lead, rhythm chop, or background harmony/fill.  And often, it's the simplest lines that resonate.  The little 8 note folded chord in the bridge on Guy Clark's "Dublin Blues" (Dublin Blues, 1995) is just about perfect.
Another one that I love is the pretty simple mando lead (even I can fumble thru it) on Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road".  Not to mention that Steve Earle is one helluva songwriter.

I'm also fascinated by technique and signature sounds from the 'real' players.  Listening to the stylistic differences from Sam Bush, Robbie McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Thiele, and where they've taken music is simply amazing.  Sam Bush is my favorite -  he puts 'color' into his playing, be it on mando or fiddle.  When I listen to him, there are all sorts of 'dirty' sounds - notes that aren't quite pure, bars with lots of hammers, pulls, grace notes, slides, open strings, split strings, odd chops and volumes.  Sam plays loud.  Listen to the lead on North Country Girl (the very best rendition of this great Dylan tune). A great, hard driving mando lead that *doesn't* sound like Bill Monroe - for that matter none of these guys do. Robbie McCoury seems to play a sharper, cleaner style. More bluegrassy, more one note at a time melody lines in breaks.  An excellent player in his own right.  And Chris Thiele seems to be a jazz man with a strong hillbilly twist.  He can lay down classic folk lines, and then the very next song pull a totally different sound (that I can't quite put my finger on) from that old Loar.

In any case, it's always fun to listen to the masters and dream while you pick a melody line that sounds suspiciously like 'chopsticks'...

Play on, y'all.

~marsh

YouTube ramblings - ten videos that have almost nothing to do with anything

You know. You do it too.  Everyone does it. And it feels good...
Start with one simple "I remember when [insert band] did 'x'", find it on YouTube, and then let free association (plus YouTube suggestions) steer you around until you've wasted a whole cold, rainy evening.  And unless you were supposed to be finishing a project or studying for exams, you are usually better off than if you'd spent the evening with your face glued to the TV.

So let's begin:

• The Weight - now it's without question that The Band did *the* best version in the film The Last Waltz, but a sidebar search finds Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show doing a great cover.
• Loretta - an old Townes Van Zandt song covered by Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Norah Jones
• For a dancer - the Jackson Browne hit covered by James Dupre
• E3 Harelbeke - no, it's not a song.  It's one of the spring classics bike races, another opportunity for the hard men to shine.
• Road Bike Party 2 - Martyn Ashton (and friends) incredible stunt riding on a _road bike_
• Red Bull Planica 400m - What do you do with a ski jump hill in the summertime?  Race *up* it. What else?
• And over the mountains
• Down the gentle river at the Adidas Sickline
• And on flatwater with the Hungarian K4 at the London Olympics
• And what tour would be complete without Guilty Dogs???

10 songs

I listen to a fair amount of music. Some of it's new, some old, lots of different genres.  I've come to realize that good music can be from any genre, any era.  What lasts for me are good lyrics, good melody, maybe a good beat, and sometimes (now) a really memorable video.
My road trip mix tapes will have everything from Taylor Swift and Shakira to Bob Wills and the Stones, so here's a sampling of songs that have rolled into my iPod over the past few weeks.
1. Darrell Scott - Out among the stars - gospel chorus and great lyric. He's a great writer of Americana
2. Sometimes - Sound of Guns - alt rock from Liverpool.
3. Merry Go Round - Kasey Musgraves. If you haven't heard her, make a point to do so, and *listen* to the lyrics!
4. The Gael - Albannach.  Outlawed tunes on outlawed pipes. Pipe and drum, but very different from the staid regimental music.
5. Stripes - Brandy Clark - exciting young country singer, not exactly formula
6. Some nights - Fun. - these guys remind me a lot of a alt rock OCMS.  Good energy.
7. Demons - Imagine Dragons - just really good, solid rock
8. Uncle John's Band - Grateful Dead.  Some things don't need to improve with age.
9. Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men.  There's just something compelling about them.
10. Waltz of the 13 Moons - Playing on the Planet. OK, unabashed plug - this is my friend Lisa's band. Right now all the tracks on their new album are available for free. Hopefully a few of you will circle back around later and buy some stuff.  Listen to this and "13 Moons"- much more uptempo feel.

Five people I'd like to meet for pizza and beer

It's the age old question - if you could have dinner with anybody in the world, who would it be?  And the answers are always philosophers, Nobel Laureates, world leaders and top pro athletes. And for the most part, yes, it would be interesting to sit down with some of these folks, but it would also be slightly/very nerve wracking.  And you'd never put your elbows on the table with them.
I'm going to twist the list a bit, and drop it down to a more human level.  Who are five people that I've never met, but with whom I'd like to sit down for pizza and a beer?  I've got pretty simple criteria really - I have to like what they are doing/did, think they'd be interesting to talk to,and have a KB number no higher than 3.  It's by no means a finite list, and I'll probably come back and add to it later.

Jennifer Lawrence.  OK, she's just about the hottest celebrity in Hollywood right now, but she also comes across as being pretty down to earth.  I really do enjoy her acting.  The first time I saw her was in "Winter's Bone", which is just about the bleakest, most hopeless movie I've seen (which I normally do not go for).  She made the character believable, and made you care for the characters.  Mainly though, she comes across like the celebrity is 'no big deal', indeed stopping to talk to kids with disabilities without looking like a photo op.

Aliy Zirkle.  Second place in the Iditarod. Again. I honestly don't know that much about her, but I've watched her work with her dogs, talk to reporters, be *nice* to people when the situation probably permitted being standoffish or even a bit grumpy. AND she showed uncommonly good sense to stop and hole up at Safety this year after battling the wind along the coast from White Mountain.

Tom Boonen.  Turbo Tom has won most of the one day classic pro bike races at least once, and done pretty well as a sprinter.  Definitely one of the 'hard men' of the spring, he has always seemed like a likable guy and one heck of a rider.

Mike Krzyzewski.  Of the people on this list, Coach K is the closest I come to reverence.  He's nearing retirement age, and it will be interesting how much longer he's active.  I can't think of many other men who have shown themselves to be leaders, teachers and mentors on and off the court.  I think I'd want to bring a notebook if I sat down with him.

Emmylou Harris.  She's made music since I was in high school, moved easily and legitimately from folk/rock to country and everywhere in between. Anyone who volunteers at an animal shelter when they're home is pretty OK.  It would be interesting to learn about life on the road and what music has meant to her.

A little harder (rock) set list

I suspect I scared off a lot of people talking about Americana as a musical genre.  So for those who need their music loud and electric, here you go.  A good soundtrack for a hard workout.

Again, these are songs I like, often for obscure reasons.


Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses

Sometimes - Sound of Guns

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix

Aqualung - Jethro Tull

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

Wake Up - Rage Against the Machine

Barracuda - Heart

Layla - Derek and the Dominos

Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

Americana play list

One of the great things about blogs is that I get to share my current stream of consciousness, interests or whatever and yet not intrude on anyone who doesn't want to be intruded upon.  Music is a great example of this - my musical tastes have at various times been called "weird", "strange", or more charitably "eclectic".  I like eclectic.  It fits.  As does the genre "Americana" - not quite country, a little west of folk, and a little north of bluegrass.  It covers a big collection of artists and styles, mostly acoustic, but not rigidly so.

Here's my current Americana playlist.  (I even have an Urban playlist). Some of them are current, some are older than the hills.  Hopefully something strikes a chord with you.  Feel free to suggest others, too.

Oh Colorado - Willie Sugarcapps - from about as far south in Alabama as you can get.
Bounder to Birmingham - The Fray, feat. Emmylou Harris.  Really interesting version.
Ripple - Greatful Dead (until the day Miss AJ Lee cuts it to mp3) - check out AJ Lee (not the WWE performer) on youtube.  She gets better and better as she grows up.
Dublin Blues - Guy Clark - I think Guy Clark was at his best in the 80/90s.  He's got some health problems now, and doesn't perform that much.
Galway Girl - Steve Earle - most popular pub song in Galway, written by an American.
Girl of the North Country - Sam Bush - much prefer to Dylan's phrasing.
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show, NOT the Darius Rucker Nashville pop version.
Drinkin' - Holly Williams - Hank's daughter.
Merry-go-round - Kasey Musgraves -- It was great to see this win at the Grammys.  She is a great artist.
The longest day - Megafaun - very much a mountain sound
Summer Wages - Ian Tyson - The one and only
Someday Soon - Suzy Bogguss - I think this is the definitive version.  Better than Judy Blue Eyes
Buckskin Stallion Blues - Townes Van Zandt
February Seven - The Avett Brothers (hard to pick just one of theirs)
Dark as a dungeon - John Cowan - very different from the Johnny Cash sound
White Freightliner - Gillian Welch - She has such a unique voice. Written by Townes VZ
I will wait - Mumford & Sons - ok, they are English. So what? They still sing Americana
Pancho & Lefty - Emmylou Harris - hard to pick a single Miss Emmylou song.
Till I can gain control again - Rodney Crowell

I tried to keep it to one artist/song, but...

Emmylou Harris wrote Boulder to Birmingham and supplies harmony for some versions of Dublin Blues and Till I can gain control again.
Rodney Crowell was a longtime member of Emmylou's band
Ian Tyson wrote Summer Wages and Someday Soon
Townes Van Zandy wrote Buckskin Stallion Blues, Pancho & Lefty, White Freightliner Blues.