The Promise Live

Patty Griffin - American Kid (2013)

When is Patty never in top form. Another outstanding CD from the person Bruce Cockburn once called “An American Treasure”. Dedicated to her late father, this CD feels familiar, but might best be described as an obvious follow up musically to “Children Running Through”. If you are a big fan of Patty’s, you will not be disappointed. If you are new to her music, you will find a lot to love about this beautiful, down to earth CD.

Walt Cronin & Martin Beal - Gone So Long (2013)
In an era where besting your earlier releases is rare, Walt Cronin just keeps getting better and better. He still has that plain voice that reminds you of a smoother Kris Kristofferson, but his songwriting continues to improve.Joined by Martin Beal on this album, the production is solid, the melodies are wonderful and the the lyrics ring true. This is the best Walt Cronin CD yet and highly recommended if you love Americana/Folk. You can find him on Facebook.



Miles Zuniga - These Ghosts have Bones (2011)
What's not to like here. Miles was one of the key members of Fastball. This CD is just filled with hooks. And, it's a breakup CD. Lots of pain and great hooks? Really. What else can you ask for?
http://www.mileszuniga.com/






JD McPherson - Signs & Signifiers (2012)
This is just flat out fun. The sound is all rockabilly and the energy level never lets up. You can download the excellent "North Side Gal" here.








Amy Cook - Summer Skin (2012)
I could tell you how good the songs are on this CD that seems to defy boundaries (Not really Country or Folk. More Singer/Songwriter. I guess thats what Americana is all about), but you just have to give it a listen. If you're looking for famous people to endorse it, how about Patty Griffin, Robert Plant, David Garza and Meshell Ndegeocello who all appear on it. It should have been on my best of 2012 list. http://amycook.com

This isn’t a best of list for two reasons. First, I just haven’t listened to all the great music that came out in 2012 (and yes, there was a lot of really good music released this year). And the second reasons is... well, the obvious one... It is all subjective. So here are my favorites and why:

John Fullbright - From the Ground Up
For a freshman release, this is fantastic. The grittiness of a great folk singer, with the pipes of a seasoned veteran and the hooks of a future star. Just a brilliant CD and maybe my very favorite of the year.

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
The first Springsteen CD in years that I listened to over and over again. Maybe his best writing since he reformed the band. The new songs, for the first time in years, were actually the highlights of many of his shows.

Whitehorse - Fate of the World Depends on this Kiss
Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland finally got together musically and produced a complete CD: And complete is a good word for it. For both of them, it is their best material in years. They are a dream combination and I hope neither of them has to write another breakup CD anytime soon. Gritty, powerful, earthy, rockin’ are the words I’d use to describe two of my favorite Canadians.

Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
Speaking of Canadians, Kathleen has not let up on any of her CDs, although Failer may still be her best. This new one though may be her second best. With Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) at the helm, this breakup CD is more keyboard driven but more important, may be Kathleen’s most personal work. This one stayed on my CD player for a long time.

John Hiatt - Mystic Pinball
It seems to be the year of comebacks. I wasn’t a big fan of John’s last CD, but he hit this one out of the park. Great melodies and great lyrics; things we expect from Mr. Hiatt.

Glen Hansard - Rhythm and Repose
It’s hard to believe this is Glen’s first solo CD, but it is. And it is brilliant.

Pugwash - The Olympus Sound
It is still only available as an import, but if you are a fan of XTC or pure pop, you should check out this fantastic CD. It is another one that stayed on my CD player for a long long time.

Minnesota - Are You There
Peter Himmelman has a band again and the results of his collaborations make one of the better CDs I’ve heard all year. It’s rocking and thought provoking. How does he do it?

Ani DiFranco - Which Side Are You On
There were lots of political CDs this year, but maybe none better than Ani’s. This is getting redundant, but... Her best CD in years. Very accessible but packs a big punch.

Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful
The co-writer of the last 3 Alejandro Escovedo CDs, shows that he can do it all by himself. This tribute to the city by the bay is not only a great listen, but a great read. Those of us old enough recognize the references to San Francisco, but you don’t have to, to enjoy this album.

Alejandro Escovedo - Big Station
Al’s third CD with Chuck Prophet co-writing and Tony Visconti at the helm, isn’t quite as good as the first two, but it is still head and shoulders above much of what the music industry is releasing these days. Few artists can pull off three in a row like Alejandro has.

Right behind these artists are Shawn Colvin (“All Fall Down”) and Patti Smith (“Banga”) who also released their best work in years. Alabama Shakes (“Boys & Girls”) had an excellent first release but I think I like her more than the band. Time will tell. Audra Mae & the Almighty Sound were lots of fun, as was JD McPherson’s eponymous release. And finally Bonnie Raitt’s “Slipstream” reminded me of just how good a CD can sound if the production is done right. A very good CD made even better because you can crank it up and feel the clean sound as it surrounds you.

Favorite Songs of the Year
This list might change by tomorrow, but as of today these were some of my favorite songs of the year:
Glen Hansard - Maybe Not Tonight
John Fullbright - Daydreamer (It was really hard to just pick one from this CD)
Bruce Springsteen - We Take Care of Our Own
Audra Mae - The Real Thing
Whitehorse - Achilles’ Desire
Ry Cooder - Mutt Romney Blues
Todd Snider - In The Beginning
Kathleen Edwards - Change the Sheets
Pugwash - Here we go ‘round Again
Peter Himmelman - Ash and Chickenwire

Sunday night was one of those unforgettable nights at McCabes. The music was actually overshadowed by the craziness of the evening; which is tough to do since the music is so good. It was the perfect storm (if I can use that pun right now). Susan Cowsill, the woman in the middle of this semi-famous threesum, had some family in the audience. It was the last night of the tour. It was at McCabes (a room so intimate, artists can have conversations with people in the back row). And tonight Jon Dee Graham (the most represented songwriter in the group) decided to start telling tour bus secrets. By the end of the evening, John Cowsill was on stage sort of singing the Cowsill hit “I Love the Flower Girl”, or as Susan called it “F***ing Flower Girl”, and using Jon Dee’s running jokes to mercilessly attack his sister.
But enough about the fun. We came for the music and we got all of it and a few more. The band, which also includes Freedy Johnston, performed their entire new CD, which I love. This was the stripped down version, since it was just the three of them (Freedy singing and on guitar, Jon Dee singing and on guitar and doing most of the leads and Susan singing, playing tambourine and playing guitar on “...Flower Girl”). This is Austin Americana at its best as they sang and told stories about their lives and the people around them. Just great music. Along with “...Flower Girl” they did two excellent covers; “Wichita Lineman” and “Thirteen” (from Big Star in tribute to Alex Chilton). We laughed. We sang. We had a great time. Thanks Hobart family.

It has been some time since I reviewed any music here. Life has been very busy. But, there is just so much good music out there right now I just had to take some time and chat about it...

John Fullbright - From the Ground Up
Already way ahead of the pack in my CD of the year race, this debut studio release from the 26 year old from Oklahoma is fantastic on every level. The lyrics show an artist well beyond his physical years and the hooks and melodies owe a debt to the past without repeating it. From beginning to end a brilliant CD.

Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful
After listening to Temple Beautiful, you understand why Alejandro Escovedo’s last three CDs are so good. Chuck is not only a great writing partner, he has turned into a great solo artist. This is one spectacular CD with references about the Bay Area to keep us Californians talking about the lyrics for some time to come. A must buy.

Marjorie Cardwell - In Another World
I just love the artists from down under. Their sense of melody seems more finely tuned than most. Marjorie’s songs conjure up memories of the 60’s but she doesn’t really sound like anyone I remember. A lovely piece of music that keeps growing on me with each listen. You can pick up her indie CD here: http://marjoriecardwell.com .

Sam Phillips - Martinis & Bikinis (Remaster)
Generally, CDs created in the 90’s shouldn’t need a remaster. Honestly, the remastering is only a minor part of what makes this a great package. Yes, there is more clarity than before. But, if you’re listening on your iPod with some ear buds, you are not going to be able to tell the difference. What is exciting are the extras; 3 remakes that have shown up on other records and a beautiful new version of Strawberry Road. For you vinyl freaks, there is finally a vinyl version of the CD. And the highlight of the vinyl release are the pics. All of the album artwork is show in full size on the outside and the inner sleeves. It is a beautiful package. And the white discs are pretty cool too. Altogether, this is a pop masterpiece made even better. You can pick this up at the usual locations online or you can support the artist and the people behind this release by buying it direct from the label at http://omnivorerecordings.com/artists/sam-phillips/ .

Seth Walker - Time Can Change
A soulful voice, a smooth delivery and lots of heartbreak. If you look up groove in the dictionary, it will tell you to put down the stupid book and listen to this record. A jazzy, bluesy roots CD that just makes you feel good. Oh yeah, and what a sweet sound he gets from his guitar.

Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real - Wasted
You can hear dad’s voice in him, but this isn’t dad’s music; although you can hear the rebel. This is a good southern rockin time and I was surprised how much I liked it. Worth checking out.

It has been such a busy year and I am so behind. But here is a pic of Patty Griffin from the Austin Music Awards, which occurs during SXSW. Patty just sang the one song, but it made lots of us very happy.