Lost Music Saloon presents:
It’s that time where I take a look back over the past year and try to pick, out of all the hundreds of songs I listened to and aired here in the Saloon, which 30 or so were my faves. Truly an impossible task to get completely right, but at some point you gotta go with what feels right. For this show I decided to pick out one song from each of my ten favorite albums of the year, and then place other fave songs around those ten. Enjoy!
The Lost Music Saloon’s Top 10 Albums of 2019:
1. Hayes Carll: What It Is
Droll, laid-back, but needle-sharp & witty, Hayes Carll has long been a fave of mine who just seems to keep on getting better with time.
2. Shane Smith & the Saints: Hail Mary
In stark contrast to Hayes Carll, I never even heard of this band before this year. But one song (“Whirlwind”, my song of the year) sucked me into this album and it just kept moving up the list until it landed here.
3. Midland: Let It Roll
Midland, along with Mike & the Moonpies (see #6 below), revived my interest in more straight-up country bands. Both share a somewhat common vision – – that honky-tonk, country-western, and country-rock can all exist comfortably together – – while simultaneously sounding as modern as today and as classic as ’60s-’70s country music.
4. The Highwomen: The Highwomen
I feared this might be a “female artists rip-off” of The Highwaymen albums, a fear heightened by the “female cover” of the Highwayman/Highwomen title songs that appear on the albums. But this is a damn fine album that stands on its own two feet.
5. Vandoliers: Forever
The Tex-Mex/Tejano/mariachi flavors push this one over the hump from “good album” to a top 10’er for me. Added to the overall rock/punk/pop energy of the songs, it’s a winner.
6. Mike and the Moonpies: Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold
See comments to #3 above.
7. Tyler Childers: Country Squire
His ‘Purgatory’ album from a couple of years ago finished just outside my fave albums list, but this one is a big step forward. The songs – only 9, that go by quickly – nonetheless seem deeper, more vivid, and well…better.
8. Shovels & Rope: By Blood
Americana/roots-rock male-female pairings seem to work well for me. This album’s mix of original backwoods ballads and strong roots-rockers hit a sweet spot for me this year.
9. The Long Ryders: Psychedelic Country Soul
In the “new wine from old bottles” vein, this one really worked. Seeing them live at an outdoor festival helped to push this over the edge and into my top 10. These guys haven’t lost anything since their ’80s heyday.
10. Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center
Very nice effort from Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers. Conor is an on-again-off-again guy for me in that sometimes his music clicks with me, other times it definitely doesn’t. I wasn’t familiar with much of anything of Phoebe’s work before this. But the two of them meshed perfectly for this album.
Lost Music Saloon: PLAYLIST: Dec. 30, 2019: 5-7 p.m.: Saloon 2019 Faves!
David Mead: Bedtime Story: Cobra Pumps
Jade Bird: Uh Huh: Jade Bird
Steel Blossoms: You’re the ReasonI Drink: Steel Blossoms
Dale Watson: Brylcreem and Vaseline: If You’re Not Here
Caamp: Peach Fuzz: By and By
Micah Schnabel: Remain Silent: The Teenage Years of the 21st Century
Todd Snider: Working on a Song: Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3
Melissa Ruth: Hey Mr. Bartender: Meteor
An American Forrest: Rawhide: O Bronder, Donder Yonder?
Boo Ray: Skin & Ink: Tennessee Alabama Fireworks
Whiskey Myers: Rolling Stone: Whiskey Myers
Susto: Homeboy: Paste Studio NYC 10/15/2019
Songs From The Saloon’s Top 10 Albums:
1. Hayes Carll: None’ya: What It Is
2. Shane Smith & The Saints: Whirlwind: Hail Mary
3. Midland: Every Song’s a Drinkin’ Song: Let It Roll
4. The Highwomen: Highwomen: The Highwomen
5. Vandoliers: Troublemaker: Forever
6. Mike and the Moonpies: You Look Good in Neon: Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold
7. Tyler Childers: Country Squire: Country Squire
8. Shovels & Rope: The Wire: By Blood
9. The Long Ryders: Greenville: Psychedelic Country Soul
10. Better Oblivion Community Center: Dylan Thomas: Better Oblivion Community Center
The Hold Steady: T-Shirt Tux: Thrashing Thru The Passion
Big Thief: Not: Two Hands
Sean McConnell: Here We Go: Secondhand Smoke
Tom Russell: October in the Railroad Earth: October in the Railroad Earth
Jason Ringenberg: I’m Walking Home: Stand Tall
Wilco: Everyone Hides: Ode to Joy
Son Volt: The Reason: Union
Jeff Tweedy: …Ten Sentences: Warmer
Dori Freeman: 2-Step: Every Single Star
Garry, DJ
Lost Music Saloon
WRIR 97.3 FM
Richmond, Virginia
www.wrir.org
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Dale Watson, “Brylcreem and Vaseline (Studio) (feat. Dave Gonzalez)”
from If You're Not Here - Single
Sleazy Records - 2019
Mike and the Moonpies, “You Look Good in Neon”
from Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold
Prairie Rose Records - 2019
Better Oblivion Community Center, “Dylan Thomas”
from Better Oblivion Community Center
Dead Oceans - 2019
Tom Russell, “October in the Railroad Earth”
from October in the Railroad Earth
Frontera Records - 2019
garry Lost Music Saloon December 30th, 2019
Posted In: Music, Music Shows