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Margo Cilker – Valley Of Heart’s Delight From the moment this album was released I knew that it would be a top 10 finisher when all was said and done at the end of the year. What I didn’t initially expect was for it to be my top dog, but god damn, it has just…
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Jeff Rosenstock – HELLMODE I make no bones about it, I’m a tried and true Rosenstock fanboy. 2021 saw his SKA Dream album finish #3 for me. 2020 had No Dream at #4. POST- finished #2 in 2018 and Worry finished #1 in 2016, so it should come as no surprise to anyone who knows…
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Cat Power – Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert 2023 proved to be a bit of a retro year for me. I found myself listening to much more older music than I would normally. Not to say that I neglected the new stuff but in a year when Dylan and The Grateful Dead…
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Son Volt – Day Of The Doug First of all, let me be clear from the get go, I’m a Jay guy vs. a Jeff guy. I’m also a big fan of Doug Sahm, ever since I picked up a copy of his Doug Sahm And HIs Band album back in ‘73. (NOTE: The reason…
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I am by no means a classic country afficienado by any stretch of the imagination. Sure I appreciate and enjoy the classics but I am no expert. But there is one thing that I know for sure. There is a deep rooted history of country duets that are as much a part of the great American song book…
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Jalen N’Gonda – Come Around And Love Me Are you a fan of retro soul? A fan of the sounds of Dap-Tone Records, of Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Amy Winehouse and Coming Home era Leon Bridges? Do you miss the smooth sultry crooning we used to get from Smokey, Marvin, David Ruffin and Al Green? …
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The Whiffs – Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Kansas City’s rockers The Whiffs managed to release one of (if not THE) best rock and roll records of the year. With a perfect blend of garage, punk and power pop, if this one doesn’t get you jumping up and down swirling around in circles when you’re alone in…
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Duane Betts – Wild And Precious Life Son of Dickey Betts and named after Duane Allman, this guy had a seriously high bar to meet when he decided to get into the music business. Wild and Precious Life proves that he was more than up to the task. With a sound and style that doesn’t deviate…
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Lydia Loveless – Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again Lydia is back! Some might argue but I think that Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again is her best effort since 2016’s Somewhere Else. A quintessential breakup album, Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again proves the age old adage that what doesn’t break…
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Muriel Grossman – Devotion A very late (this disc was only released December 1st) addition to my list, it also is the sole jazz release which made the cut this year, a year in which I spent a good amount of time consuming jazz. Anyway, from my first listen to Devotion I knew there was…
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show 